Description

Written for the Band of the Household Division and the Royal Choral Society to celebrate HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The beautiful text, taken from the final scene of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, is delivered by Archbishop Cranmer to the King following the birth of the future Queen Elizabeth I. As Prince of Wales, it was chosen by His Majesty King Charles III to be read on the occasion of the 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and was the perfect starting point for a new commission to mark her Platinum Jubilee. The text's pace, mood, and meter were crafted with the grandeur of Horse Guards Parade in mind, with a slow march style influencing the stately tempo, dignified harmonies, and rhythms. For the version with strings, the tempo should be as marked but, with military band, a metronome marking of 66 beats per minute is more suitable for a slow march.