Illustration photo – British King Charles III. with wife Camilla at a ceremony at Micklegate Bar in York on November 9, 2022.
London – Britain's King Charles III. commissioned 12 new pieces of music for his coronation, including a new coronation anthem from the famous British musical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The monarch has chosen the musical program for the ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey, planned for May 6, the royal palace announced today. According to him, the selection reflects the breadth of musical talent and styles from across the Commonwealth.
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Among the new pieces of music is also Greek Orthodox music, which Charles III wants. to pay tribute to his late father, Prince Philip, who was born on the Greek island of Corfu.
Lloyd Webber, whose studio produced musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats and Phantom of the Opera, said that he was commissioned ” greatly honoured”. “I hope my anthem reflects this happy event,” he said.
The traditional coronation anthem Zadok the Priest by Georg Friedrich Händel, which was composed for the coronation of King George II, will also be played at the coronation. in 1727, the palace said. Works by other classical music composers such as Edward Elgar, Hubert Parry and Ralph Vaughan Williams will also be performed, according to the palace. Their music was also played at the coronation of the monarch's deceased mother, Queen Elizabeth II. in 1953.
The new works include six orchestral pieces, five choral pieces and an organ solo. “The wide range of musical styles and artists is a blend of tradition and heritage with the new musical voices of today, reflecting the King's lifelong love of music and the arts,” the palace said in a statement. According to him, the liturgical parts of the ceremony will also be delivered in Welsh due to the monarch's “long-standing connection with Wales”. Charles III became monarch at the time of her death last September, making him the oldest person to ascend the throne in the history of the British monarchy.
