Orb and Sceptre
Encyclopedia
Orb and Sceptre is a march composed for orchestra by composer William Walton
. It was written for the coronation
of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953.
Pomp and Circumstance Marches
1 & 4, it begins in the key of E major
with bright trumpet fanfares before leaping into the famous march section, heavily syncopated and brightly orchestrated. This section moves briefly through C major
before returning to E.
As with Crown Imperial
, written in 1936, it quietens down into a Trio section in the middle in C. This theme is heard subdued on the strings, before repeated in its more stately and grand form. The main March section is then heard again, this time even more colourful and this parades on, building up to the final hearing of the stately Trio section, back in the home key of E. This time Walton uses the whole orchestra, percussion steadily beating away, whilst the tune is shared between fortissimo strings and fanfare-like brass. A short, fast coda ends the piece in his usual very Elgar-esque style.
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
. It was written for the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953.
Structure
Influenced largely by Elgar'sEdward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
Pomp and Circumstance Marches
Pomp and Circumstance Marches
The "Pomp and Circumstance Marches" , Op. 39 are a series of marches for orchestra composed by Sir Edward Elgar....
1 & 4, it begins in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
with bright trumpet fanfares before leaping into the famous march section, heavily syncopated and brightly orchestrated. This section moves briefly through C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
before returning to E.
As with Crown Imperial
Crown Imperial (musical composition)
Crown Imperial is an orchestral march by the English composer William Walton. It was first performed at the coronation of King George VI in 1937, and substantially revised in 1953. Walton composed the march originally for performance at the coronation of King Edward VIII, which was scheduled for 12...
, written in 1936, it quietens down into a Trio section in the middle in C. This theme is heard subdued on the strings, before repeated in its more stately and grand form. The main March section is then heard again, this time even more colourful and this parades on, building up to the final hearing of the stately Trio section, back in the home key of E. This time Walton uses the whole orchestra, percussion steadily beating away, whilst the tune is shared between fortissimo strings and fanfare-like brass. A short, fast coda ends the piece in his usual very Elgar-esque style.