Coronation Of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Facsimile Edition

Malcolm Arnold's one act ballet score Homage To The Queen was commissioned in 1953 by the Royal Opera House Covent Garden to celebrate the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The ballet was conceived and choreographed by Frederick Ashton with designs by Oliver Messel and was danced by the full company of the Sadler's Wells Ballet with an illustrious cast that comprised Nadia Nerina as Queen of the Earth Violetta Elvin as Queen of the Waters Beryl Grey as Queen of Fire and Margot Fonteyn as Queen of the Air. The conductor of the ROH orchestra was Robert Irving. Homage to the Queen was first performed on the night of the coronation 2June1953.One of the towering musical figures of the 20th century Sir Malcolm Arnold has a remarkable catalogue of major concert works to his credit including nine symphonies seven ballets two operas one musical over twenty concertos two string quartets and music for brass band and wind band. He has also written over 132 film scores and among these are some of the finest works ever composed for the medium: Bridge On The River Kwai Inn Of The Sixth Happiness Hobson's Choice Whistle Down The Wind and David Copperfield.

Remember O Lord was written to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Harvey’s dark and sonorous tone creates an intense and majestic atmosphere. This piece was written as a contemporary equivalent to Howells’ ‘Behold O God Our Defender’ written for the coronation fifty years earlier.

The King Shall Rejoice was commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster to mark the sixtieth anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's coronation.Setting powerful and optimistic words from Psalm 21 Chilcott establishes a celebratory mood from the outset with dancing 6/8 rhythms and jubilant ringing chords. The voices soon divide into two choirs creating a striking antiphonal effect and the music moves through sections of slower more sustained writing in 4/4.The second half of the work sets an adapted version of the psalm text famously used by William Byrd - 'O Lord make thy servant Elizabeth our Queen rejoice in thy strength' - beforecoming to a buoyant and triumphant close with the final 'amen'.