Music and Ceremonial at British Coronations
From James I to Elizabeth II

Range presents an in-depth study of the music within the ceremonial at British coronations from 1603 to the present.

Matthias Range (Author)

9781009366120, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 2 March 2023

341 pages, 7 b/w illus. 4 tables 4 music examples
24.4 x 17.1 x 2 cm, 0.6 kg

'This impressive study of music and ritual adds a new aspect to the literature of royal ceremonial and will become required reading for historians of music and ritual.' Archives

Coronations are the grandest of all state occasions. This is the first comprehensive in-depth study of the music that was performed at British coronations from 1603 to the present, encompassing the sixteen coronations that have taken place in Westminster Abbey and the last two Scottish coronations. Range describes how music played a crucial role at the coronations and how the practical requirements of the ceremonial proceedings affected its structure and performance. The programme of music at each coronation is reconstructed, accompanied by a wealth of transcriptions of newly discovered primary source material, revealing findings that lead to fresh conclusions about performance practices. The coronation ceremonies are placed in their historical context, including the political background and the concept of invented traditions. The study is an invaluable resource not only for musicologists and historians, but also for performers, providing a fascinating insight into the greatest of all Royal events.

1. Introduction: the British Coronation and its music
2. After Reformation and Restoration: 1603–1661 (James I, 1603
Charles I, 1626
Charles II, 1661)
3. Truncation and elaboration: 1685 (James II and Queen Mary)
4. Politics and spectacle: 1689–1714 (William III and Mary II, 1689
Queen Anne, 1702
George I, 1714)
5. The 'Concert Coronations' I: 1727 (George II and Queen Caroline)
6. The 'Concert Coronations' II: 1761 and 1821 (George III and Queen Charlotte, 1761
George IV, 1821)
7. The 'Reformed Model': 1831 and 1838 (William IV and Queen Adelaide, 1831
Queen Victoria, 1838)
8. The 'Marriage of Tradition and Innovation': the twentieth century (Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, 1902
George V and Queen Mary, 1911
George VI and Queen Elizabeth, 1937
Elizabeth II, 1953)
Appendices: A. Full texts of anthems discussed
B. Transcriptions of documents and reports
C. Synoptic table of music at British coronations, 1603–1838
D. Synoptic table of music at twentieth century British coronations, 1902–1953
Bibliography and sources.

Subject Areas: British & Irish history [HBJD1], Sacred & religious music [AVGD], Choral music [AVGC8], Music [AV]