Elgar Pomp and Circumstance

Edward Elgar's magnificent Pomp and Circumstance Marches, the first two, were first performed in Liverpool on October 19, 1901.

The Pomp and Circumstance Marches, op. 39 are a series of five Marches for orchestra composed by English composer Sir Edward Elgar. The title is taken from Act III of Shakespeare's Othello: "Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,/ The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,/ The royal banner, and all quality,/ Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!." The best known is the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, and in most musical contexts Pomp and Circumstance refers to this one alone.

It was first performed in London in October 19, 1901, along with the more reserved No. 2, and the audience demanded two encores. In 1902 the tune was recycled, in modified form, for the Land of Hope and Glory section of the Coronation Ode for King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. The words were further modified to fit the original tune, and the result has since become a fixture at the Last Night of the Proms, and an English sporting anthem.

The first two marches having proved successful, Elgar composed three more, performed in 1905, 1907 and 1930. No. 4 is as upbeat and ceremonial as No. 1, containing another big tune in the central section, while the other three are more wistful. In World War II, No. 4 also acquired words: a patriotic verse by A. P. Herbert beginning "All men shall be free."

Edward Elgar left sketches for a sixth Pomp and Circumstance march, and these sketches were turned into a performing version by the English composer Anthony Payne in 2006.


Edward Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance (March No. 1)

 

 


Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance. YouTube. Accessed October 18, 2013

Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Land of Hope and Glory) (Last Night of the Proms 2012). Uploaded Mandetriens. Accessed October 19, 2013

 

Land of Hope and Glory - Last Night of the Proms 2009. YouTube, uploaded by Perfect96CH, conducted by David Robertson with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus - backed up by the enthusiastic & lively audience at the Royal Albert Hall, and nationwide at the Proms in the Park events.  

 

Resources:

• Elgar - His Music. Pomp and Circumstance, an introduction. Accessed October 18, 2013

• Kennedy, Michael. (1987). Portrait of Elgar (Third edition ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

• Othello, Act III. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Accessed October 18, 2013.

Photo Credit:

Sir Edward Elgar. Public Domain.


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