Edward Elgar
Pomp and Circumstance Marches
The Pomp and Circumstance Marches are a series of five marches for orchestra composed by Edward Elgar between 1901 and 1930, together with a sixth march created in 2006 by Anthony Payne from Elgar's
Origin of the name#
Elgar took the phrase “Pomp and Circumstance” from Act 3, Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Othello: Additionally, on the score of the first march, Elgar set as a motto for the whole set of marches a verse from Lord de Tabley’s poem “The March of Glory”, which (as quoted by Elgar’s biographer Basil Maine) begins: The composer said that the title “is merely a generic name for what is a set of six marches. Two … have already appeared and the others will come later. One of them is to be a soldier’s funeral march”.
Marches#
The Pomp and Circumstance marches are *March No. 1 in D major (1901) *March No. 2 in A minor (1901) *March No. 3 in C minor (1904) *March No. 4 in G major (1907) *March No. 5 in C major (1930) *March No. 6 in G minor (written as sketches, elaborated by Anthony Payne in (2005)–(2006)) The first five were all published by Boosey & Co. as Elgar’s opus 39, and each of the marches is dedicated to a particular musical friend of Elgar’s. Later conductors have generally taken slightly slower tempi. Payne’s completion of the sixth march is longer in duration, at eight minutes or a little over.
Dedication#
March No. 1, was composed in 1901 and dedicated “to my friend Alfred E. Rodewald and the members of the Liverpool Orchestral Society”.
Instrumentation#
The instrumentation is: two piccolos (2nd ad lib.), two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in A, bass clarinet in A, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns in F, two trumpets in F, two cornets in A, three trombones, tuba, three timpani, percussion (bass drum, cymbals, triangle, side drum, jingles, glockenspiel (ad. lib.) and tambourine (ad lib.)), two harps, organ, and strings.
History#
The best-known of the six marches, Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 had its premiere, along with the second march, in Liverpool on 19 October 1901, conducted by the composer. Both marches were played two days later at a promenade concert in the Queen’s Hall London, conducted by Henry Wood, with March No. 1 played second. Wood remembered that the audience “… rose and yelled … the one and only time in the history of the Promenade concerts that an orchestral item was accorded a double encore.” The piece has been played in all but six of the Prom seasons since 1901, and in every one since 1944, conducted by Wood and twenty-five later conductors. The trio contains the tune known as “Land of Hope and Glory”. In 1902 the tune was re-used, in modified form, for the “Land of Hope and Glory” section of his Coronation Ode for King Edward VII. March No. 1 was the first piece in the recessional music for the coronations of George VI and Elizabeth II, followed in both cases by March No. 4. In Canada, the Philippines, and the United States, the trio section “Land of Hope and Glory” of March No. 1 is often known simply as “Pomp and Circumstance” or as “The Graduation March” and is played as the processional tune at most high school and college graduation ceremonies. It was first played at such a ceremony on 28 June 1905, at Yale University, where the Professor of Music, Samuel Sanford, had invited his friend Elgar to attend commencement and receive an honorary doctorate of music. Elgar repaid the compliment by dedicating his Introduction and Allegro to Sanford later that year.
Description#
March No. 1 opens with an introduction marked Allegro, con molto fuoco (Lively, with much fire). The introduction leads to a new theme: strong pairs of beats alternating with short notes, and a bass which persistently clashes with the tune. The bass tuba and full brass are held back until the section is repeated by the full orchestra. A little rhythmic pattern is played by the strings, then repeated high and low in the orchestra before the section is concluded by a chromatic upward scale from the woodwind. The whole of this lively march section is repeated. The bridging section between this and the well-known trio has rhythmic chords from the brass punctuating high held notes from the wind and strings, before a fanfare from trumpets and trombones leads into the theme with which the march started. There are a few single notes that quieten, ending with a single quiet tap from side drum and cymbal accompanied by all the bassoons. The lyrical “Land of Hope and Glory” trio follows (in the subdominant key of G), played softly (by the first violins, four horns and two clarinets) and repeated by the full orchestra including two harps. What follows is a repetition of what has been heard before, including a fuller statement of the trio (this time in the ‘home’ key of D) in which the orchestra is joined by organ as well as the two harps. The march ends, not with the big tune, but with a short section containing a brief reminder of the brisk opening march.
Dedication#
March No. 2 was composed in 1901 and dedicated “To my friend Granville Bantock”.
Instrumentation#
The instrumentation is: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, bass clarinet in A, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in F, 2 cornets in A, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion 2 side drums (the second is ad. lib.), triangle, glockenspiel, jingles, bass drum & cymbals, and strings.
History#
It was first performed, as was March No. 1, by the Liverpool Orchestral Society at the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool on 19 October 1901. Both marches were played two days later at a London promenade concert.
Description#
The second is the most simply constructed of the marches and the shortest. After a loud call to attention from the brass, a simple staccato theme, tense and repetitive, is played quietly by the strings, being gradually joined by other instruments before building up to an abrupt climax. This section is repeated. The second theme, played by horns and clarinets, with contrasting triple and duple rhythms, is one that was sketched by Elgar a few years earlier: it is developed and ends with flourishes from the strings and brass joined by the glockenspiel. The opening staccato theme returns, concluded by a quiet swirling bass passage, which leads into the trio section (in the tonic major key of A) which consists of a simple tune in thirds played by the woodwind answered by the strings and brass. This section is repeated, and the march concludes with a short coda, which includes a roll on the snare drum, a loud chord in A Minor, briefly played by horns, and a final cadence.
Dedication#
March No. 3 was completed in November 1904 and published in 1905. It was dedicated “To my friend Ivor Atkins”. It was first performed on 8 March 1905, in the Queen’s Hall, London, conducted by the composer.
Instrumentation#
The instrumentation is: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in B, bass clarinet in B, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B, 2 cornets in B, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3), percussion (tenor drum, side drum, bass drum & cymbals), and strings.
Description#
March No. 3 differs from the others in its opening mood, which is solemn and described by Michael Kennedy as “slightly sinister”. It begins with a dark subdued quick march led by low clarinets, three bassoons and the horns (with drum-beats inserted between the notes of the tune), before a vigorous theme (with brass alone at the first beats), erupts from the full orchestra. The dark theme re-appears, is then restarted boldly, and then ended abruptly. The central section commences with a lively tune played by a solo clarinet with simple string accompaniment, which is followed by another of Elgar’s noble tunes played by the strings of the orchestra. All the themes re-appear and there is the final section which ends abruptly.
March No. 4 in G#
March No. 4 is as upbeat and ceremonial as No. 1, containing another big tune in the central trio section.
Dedication#
March No. 4 was completed on 7 June 1907, and dedicated “To my friend Dr G. Robertson Sinclair, Hereford”. Sinclair was then the organist of Hereford Cathedral and “G.R.S.” of the Enigma Variations, Variation XI. The march was first performed on 24 August 1907, in the Queen’s Hall, London, conducted by the composer.
Instrumentation#
The instrumentation is: piccolo (with 3rd flute), 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in B, bass clarinet in B, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in A, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3), percussion (side drum, bass drum & cymbals), 2 harps, and strings.
History#
The trio was used by Elgar in a song called “The King’s Way” which he wrote, to his wife’s words, in celebration of the opening of an important new London street called Kingsway in 1909. During the Second World War, No. 4 followed No. 1 in acquiring words: a patriotic poem by A. P. Herbert with the refrain beginning “All men must be free” was used as “Song of Liberty”. It was the first piece in the recessional music for the coronation of Charles III on 6 May 2023.
- Composer
- Edward Elgar