Her Majesty’s Music: Celebrating the 90th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

Sydney and Melbourne will soon be savouring some of the best of English music as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra celebrates the Last Night of the Proms on March 18 and 19 at the Sydney Opera House and BBC Proms comes to Melbourne for 4 days in April.

In a timely release, ABC Classics presents Her Majesty’s Music:Celebrating the 90th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II  in honour of the 90th birthday celebrations of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The collection includes 12 pieces performed at the Queen’s coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 1953, among them, Walton’s heraldic Crown Imperial- Coronation March, Handel’s rousing anthem Zadok the Priest  and Vaughan Williams luscious Fantasia on Greensleeves. Some of the Proms favourites on the bill for Sydney and Melbourne which are also on the recording include Arne’s Rule, Brittania, Parry’s Jerusalem and  Elgar’s  Nimrod from ‘Enigma’ Variations.

The Tracks:

1 CLARKE The Prince of Denmark’s March (Trumpet Voluntary)*
2 HANDEL Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
3 PURCELL Fairest Isle
4 WALTON Crown Imperial – Coronation March*
5 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on Greensleeves*
6 HANDEL Zadok the Priest – Coronation Anthem No. 1*
7 VAUGHAN WILLLIAMS Sanctus from Mass in G minor*
8 VAUGHAN WILLLIAMS O Taste and See*
9 ANON. / VAUGHAN WILLIAMS All People That on Earth Do Dwell*
10 PARRY Jerusalem
11 ELGAR Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 in G major*
12 ELGAR Nimrod from ‘Enigma’ Variations*
13 HOLST Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity from The Planets*
14 HANDEL La Réjouissance (Rejoicing) from Music for the Royal Fireworks
15 COATES Youth of Britain: The Princess Elizabeth from The Three Elizabeths Suite
16 ELGAR Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D major*
17 ARNE Rule, Britannia
18 TRAD. God Save the Queen*

*Music performed at the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Westminster Abbey, 2 June 1953