This week’s free download features soprano Mary Bevan singing the French chanson ‘Tes yeux bleus’ (‘Your blue eyes’) by the Romantic composer and pianist Emmanuel Chabrier.

It’s taken from a new disc of French art songs by Bevan, with accompaniment from pianist Joseph Middleton, the 12 Ensemble and the Ruisi Quartet.

Alongside the song by Chabrier, perhaps best known for his evocative Spanish-flavoured tone poem España, the disc features songs by Debussy, Duparc, Chabrier, Chausson, Fauré and Ravel. Mary and co. also perform the Sérénades by Franco-Irish composer Augusta Holmès, as well as Benjamin Britten’s song cycle Les illuminations, which sets poems by French poet Arthur Rimbaud to music.

‘Mary Bevan’s affinity for French song was apparent in her debut CD recital, Voyages,’ our reviewer Christopher Dingle reminds us. ‘With Visions illuminées, Bevan draws on an additional palette of instrumental colours. Despite the title, much is dark in hue, the music exploring shade amidst the light.

‘Rarely heard chamber and ensemble settings by Holmès, Chausson, Chabrier, Duparc and Fauré are supplemented by Robin Holloway’s masterfully idiomatic arrangements of songs by Ravel and Debussy. The aching remembrance of Chabrier’s magical Tes yeux bleus, in the composer’s own beautifully understated arrangement for strings (recorded here for the first time), is worth the price of the disc alone. Bevan and the conductorless 12 Ensemble move as one organism as she glides mesmerisingly over their ebbing and flowing pulse.’

In fact, the disc is full of many such highlights. ‘Bevan’s ability to combine warmth with refreshing vigour is to the fore in Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle and the Debussy songs grouped by Holloway as Quatre mélodies de Verlaine,’ Christopher continues. ‘Her effervescence in Augusta Holmès’s delectable Sérénades, another first recording, provides a sunny conclusion that perfectly balances the opening luminous nocturne of Fauré’s Clair de lune.’

Visions  illuminées is out now on Signum Classics. You can find out more and purchase the album at signumrecords.com/product/visions-illuminees/SIGCD735

Read our review in full here.

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If you have any problems downloading this week’s free download, please contact music@classical-music.com.

The world-renowned musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the 12 composers who have been asked to write music for the Coronation of King Charles. Here are more details on Lloyd Webber’s musical contribution to the big day.

• Browse all of our Coronation stories: composers, performers, concerts and more
• William Lloyd Webber: discover Andrew Lloyd Webber’s father and his music

What music has Andrew Lloyd Webber written for the Coronation?

Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed ‘Make a Joyful Noise’, a Coronation Anthem.

• Coronation Marches and Anthems: 10 of the best

‘I had the good fortune to discuss the text with His Majesty The King,’ Lloyd Webber reveals. ‘We discussed the writings of Solomon and I suggested adapting Psalm 98 with its message of “Make A Joyful Noise unto the Lord, the King”. It seems so appropriate to the moment in the Coronation service.’

• Andrew Lloyd Webber: we must fight to keep music alive

What are Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most famous musicals?

The composer’s best-known musicals include, in chronological order, 1972’s Jesus Christ Superstar; Evita, from 1978; Cats, from 1981; and The Phantom of the Opera, which made its first appearance in 1986.

Which other composers have written Coronation marches and anthems?

Edward Elgar (‘Pomp and Circumstance’) and William Walton (‘Crown Imperial’) are two of the best known composers to have written ceremonial music for Coronations past.  Then, of course, there is Handel’s supremely uplifting and ceremonious anthem, ‘Zadok the Priest’.

• What are the lyrics to Handel’s ‘Zadok The Priest’?

Which other composers have written music for the Coronation?

Alongside Andrew  Lloyd Webber, the other composers who have been specially commissioned to write a new piece of music for the Coronation include Debbie Wiseman (Wolf Hall, Wilde), Roxanna Panufnik, and Patrick Doyle (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). They are joined by Iain Farrington, who memorably composed the six-minute orchestral piece Beethoveniana for the 2020 First Night of the Proms (and for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth). Combining themes and motifs from all nine Beethoven symphonies, it was performed by all five BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers, with an accompanying film.

Judith Weir, the current Master of the King’s Music, is another of the composers who have been asked to write something. And Welsh composer Paul Mealor has the honour of writing the first Welsh-language piece ever to be performed at a British Coronation.

• Welsh hymns: the most beautiful religious songs from Wales

We  will also hear three contemporary musical responses to the much-loved Irish hymn ‘Be Thou my Vision‘, one of Charles’s favourite hymns. For ‘Be Thou my Vision – Triptych for Orchestra’, composers Nigel Hess, Roderick Williams and Shirley J Thompson have each created their own orchestral interpretation of the hymn, and woven them together into a single work.

Pic: Getty

Who is Roderick Williams?

Roderick Williams is an English baritone and composer – one of the most highly respected singers in the UK – known for the sophistication of his voice, the intelligence of his interpretations, the breadth of the repertoire he takes on and his infectious enthusiasm for life and for everything he does. He is also known for being a thoroughly nice chap, with a beaming smile.

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Roderick is also  one of the 12 composers who have been specially commissioned to write music for the Coronation of King Charles.

• Browse all of our Coronation articles: composers, performers, military bands, orchestras and more
• Coronation: the 12 new commissions unveiled

Where did Roderick Williams grow up?

Born in north London, in 1965, to a Welsh father and a Jamaican mother, Williams grew up in High Barnet and attended Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Hertfordshire.

How did he get into classical music?

He started singing as a treble when he was six years old, and also played the cello. His mother introduced him to the world of opera by singing along to recordings of Maria Callas while cooking Sunday lunch, and his father played the guitar as a hobby. However, it was listening to a section from Benjamin Britten‘s Frank Bridge Variations as background music to a short film about glass blowing that really sparked Williams’s love of classical music.

Did he go straight into singing after university?

No – despite singing as a chorister in his childhood, and then winning a choral scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford. On graduating from university he initially trained as a teacher, and worked for several years as Director of Choral Studies at Tiffin Boys’ School in Kington-upon-Thames, moonlighting as a singer at weekend concerts.

So how did he change track?

Gradually, he became aware that some of his colleagues from Magdalen College had become professional singers. But the deciding moment was a conversation with his wife, when she asked him what his ambitions were. Realising that he would love to do what his colleagues had done, and go professional with his singing, he applied, and was accepted, aged 28, on the opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama – and threw himself wholeheartedly at it. He made his debut at the BBC Proms in 1996, in a concert performance of Verdi’s Don Carlos. He has been hugely in demand ever since.

What has Roderick Williams composed for the Coronation?

As part of the pre-Coronation service, three composers – Williams, Nigel Hess, and Shirley J Thompson – have each written contemporary musical responses to the much-loved Irish hymn ‘Be Thou my Vision‘, one of His Majesty’s favourite hymns. Here’s a different version of ‘Be Thou my Vision’:

For ‘Be Thou my Vision – Triptych for Orchestra’, Hess, Williams and Thompson have each created their own orchestral interpretation of the hymn, and woven them together into a single work.

What kind of repertoire does he sing?

As an omni-enthusiast, he has sung baroque opera, Mozart, 20th-century English music – especially by Britten –  as well as new roles in contemporary works by composers including Michel van der Aa and Sally Beamish. The characters he portrays are widely varied, ranging from the idealistic Billy Budd to the villainous Scarpia from Tosca – a role, he says, that he found very cathartic, despite audiences assuming him to be far too nice to play such a repellant character. He excels in 19th century art song; he loves Bach and Rameau and recently worked on Sound Voice a project exploring the lived experience voice loss.

One thing he doesn’t particularly love is musical theatre, and even that he has dipped his toe into, singing Jerome Kern’s ‘Ol Man River’ from the 1936 musical Showboat at the 2014 BBC Proms (in his own orchestral arrangement), a performance that he repeated for charity in an online concert during the pandemic.

And his compositions?

Yep, there have been several of those too – premiered at the Wigmore and Barbican Halls, the Purcell Room and live on national UK radio. Among his choral works are World Without End – a piece to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Air Force; and Now Winter Nights composed for VOCES8. Last year, he signed to Edition Peters, which released an initial eight choral works by him in January 2021.

Does he have children?

Yes, two daughters and a son.

Where does he perform?

Although he does perform abroad, Williams prefers to remain within easy reach of his family. As a result, he has centred most of his work in the UK, performing most frequently with companies including Opera North, Scottish Opera and English National Opera.

Is there anything he wishes he could do better?

Hula-hooping. And swimming front crawl by just kicking his legs; by his own admission, he goes backwards.

Photo: Getty

Roderick Williams on… his finest moment

Martin In terra pax

Roderick Williams (baritone) et al; London Philharmonic Orchestra/Matthias Bamert

Chandos CHAN9465 (1996)

There was a mix-up with the dates for the original baritone that was booked for this recording, and so I stepped in at the last minute. It was literally a day or two before the session that I got the call. I didn’t know much Frank Martin but, having been a choral scholar, I had a background in sight reading, so I thought it was something I could do. I just found the music really exciting; it’s a really austere soundworld.

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There wasn’t time for anybody to do any French coaching with me, so I went in with my best O-Level French! There might have been a coach in the recording session to help me, but everything else was done on wits and nerves. If I could reverse-engineer my career, I’d persuade myself to take my languages to A-Level and beyond but I had no idea at that point that I was going to have a career as a singer.

The situation was quite tense, but actually in those moments, unless you do a bad job, everybody is just so grateful that you’re there to rescue the ship that they cut you a lot of slack. I was singing with Della Jones and Martyn Hill, who are my seniors and betters, so I ran with the ball and had a really great time.

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Roderick Williams on… his favourite memory

Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel

Roderick Williams (baritone); Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Martin Yates

Dutton Epoch CDLX7359 (2019)

This is a piece I know very well, so I was looking forward to the sessions. I flew to Edinburgh and planned to hire a car and drive to Dundee. But it was the day after one of those storms that’s got someone’s name – Storm Kevin, or something – and trees had been uprooted in Dundee, so it had been pretty bad.

It was pandemonium in the airport; the queue was long and I saw the time peeling away. I realised I wasn’t going to get my hire car, so I got a taxi instead and arrived late in an absolute state. Everyone calmed me down, however, and we did my sessions. The orchestra was wonderful and the Caird Hall acoustics made me sound great.

The piano version of the penultimate song, ‘Bright is the Ring of Words’, is in C, so when the orchestra put down this huge chord of D major it was a bit of a surprise. You can’t ask 80 musicians to transpose down a tone, so I girded my loins and sang it in D.

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Roderick Williams on… what he would like to have another go at

Schubert Winterreise

Roderick Williams (baritone),
Iain Burnside (piano)

Chandos CHAN20163 (2020)

I think anyone who records feels privileged and flattered to be asked to do it. But there’s also a feeling that you are putting your thoughts down for the end of all time. So anybody who puts on my recording of Schubert might be fooled into thinking this is how I believe Schubert’s Winterreise should go. I’ve sort of gone off that as an idea; I now believe that it’s more a case of ‘this is how I was singing Schubert with Iain Burnside during that recording session in June of last year’. Possibly the next day, Iain and I might perform and indeed record Winterreise quite differently. And the day after that I might perform it with a different pianist and record it wholly differently again.

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There’s that age-old argument about recording jazz; you think by preserving it, you’re already limiting your choices. The thing I love about performing the three Schubert song cycles – but Winterreise more than any of them – is the differences I notice along the way. I love that about the piece and that’s why I’d like to return to it again, perhaps at ten-year intervals.

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Roderick Williams’s new release ‘Das Mädchen spricht’ from SOMM Recordings is out now

How can I watch the coronation processions?

You can watch the coronation processions in person at viewing areas along the procession route, on both sides of the Mall and Whitehall, which will be open from 6am on Saturday 6 May. Be prepared for queues!

After the Coronation Procession has passed down The Mall, the police will open the route to allow people to walk down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, to watch the balcony appearance. For more information on viewing areas, click here. 

And the coronation itself?

Aside from the 2000-odd guests invited to the coronation, all of us will be watching the ceremony itself on a screen of some sort. But you can still feel like you are taking part.

More than 30 locations across the UK, from Bournemouth to Belfast, will host big screens, with Hyde Park expected to draw the most epic crowds. Those wanting to get as close as possible to the action can also try the sites at Green Park and St James’s Park, but these are smaller than Hyde Park, and are likely to reach capacity very quickly. Otherwise, of course, you can watch it all on telly, from the comfort of your sofa.

how can i watch the coronation on television?

The entire BBC network, including BBC America, is expected to broadcast live from the ceremony, and has already said that it will give audiences ‘a front row seat’ to the ceremonial events. Sky News will broadcast live via their YouTube channel. In addition, reports from the ceremony are due to be covered on ITV1, CNN and Fox News. 

Who will be presenting BBC coverage of the coronation?

Kirsty Young will be in a studio at Buckingham Palace on the day, while JJ Chalmers will speak to members of the military as they prepare for their parade. Huw Edwards will provide commentary as the doors of Westminster Abbey open, Sophie Raworth will speak to guests outside as they arrive, Clare Balding will provide commentary for the ceremonial route, and Anita Rani will be joining the gathered crowds.

What is pastoral music?

Derived from the Latin word ‘pastor’ – meaning ‘shepherd’ – pastoral music is, in short, that which depicts and celebrates the countryside. Ever since Roman times – not least when, through the poems of Virgil and Horace, the emperor Augustus urged his people to get off their backsides and head to the great outdoors – pastoral themes have been a constant in literature, art and, of course, music.

• What is an ode? And how has it developed through history?

Sometimes, composers have portrayed specific sounds of the countryside – weather, for instance, or birdsong – while on others they have gone for a more generic depiction of the countryside and the emotions it inspires. Here are five of the finest examples…

Best pastoral music

Handel Acis and Galatea (1718)

Composed for the entertainment of the ultra-wealthy Earl of Carnarvon and his guests at his out-of-town estate, Handel’s ‘pastoral opera’ Acis and Galatea is based on a tale told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Acis, a shepherd, is in love with the nymph Galatea but, alas for him, so is the fearsome cyclops, which puts something of a spanner into the works.

Despite this, much of the work has a fresh, feel-good air, with the opening chorus ‘Oh, the pleasure of the plain’ and the Galatea’s following recitative, ‘Ye verdant plains and woody mountains’ setting the tone for what is to come.

Recommended recording: Crowe / Curnyn 

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Beethoven ‘Pastoral’ Symphony No. 6 (1808)

When the Vienna audience heard the first ever performance of Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Sixth Symphony during a bitterly cold four-hour concert on 22 December 1808, Beethoven‘s depiction of the sunnier months and the joys of the countryside must have felt a world away.

Unusually for him, the German composer gave each of the five movements of the symphony a written description to explain what is going on in the music: ‘Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside’, ‘Scene by the brook’, ‘Merry gathering of country folk’, ‘Thunder, Storm’ and ‘Shepherd’s song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm’. He scarcely needed to add those descriptions, however, as a combination of his genius and our imagination does the work for us.

• The best recordings of Beethoven’s Sixth ‘Pastoral’ Symphony

Recommended recording: Minnesota Orchestra / Osmo Vänskä

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Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique (1830)

Like Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’, Berlioz’s groundbreaking Symphonie Fantastique is in five movements, each of which comes with a title to tell you what’s happening. Among various opium-addled visions on either side, the central movement takes us into a ‘Scene in the Fields’.

As we wander dreamily around the hills, we hear a dialogue between two shepherds, as portrayed by the oboe and flute. All really rather atmospheric. Towards the end of the end of the movement, however, things start to get dark – is that the rumble of thunder we can hear? It is indeed.

Recommended recording:  Royal Concertgebouw / Mariss Jansons

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Spohr Symphony No. 9, ‘The Seasons’ (1850)

The German composer Louis Spohr (1784-1859), who deserves to be much better known, came up with the idea for his ‘The Seasons’ Symphony while lying in bed after slipping over on the ice and suffering from concussion. With one season per movement, we are treated to various sounds of the countryside, including the chirruping of birds at the beginning of ‘Spring’, the second movement.

Like both Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, we also get a few rumbles of thunder in ‘Summer’ before a rowdy post-harvest drinking song rounds off ‘Autumn’.

Recommended recording: Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana /Howard Shelley 

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Robert Schumann Waldszenen (1849)

For an excellent example of pastoral music written for solo piano, go for Waldszenen, Robert Schumann’s set of nine short pieces for piano – the title means ‘Forest scenes’. As we wander among the trees, the German composer serenades us with all manner of woodland sounds, ranging from the ‘Hunters on the lookout’ to the atmospheric song of ‘The Prophet Bird’.

If ‘Haunted Place’ may put us on edge, we soon find a more comforting place in ‘Friendly Landscape’ and then ‘The Inn’ – Schumann’s pub is more cosy, less boisterous than Spohr’s. And as we reach the end of the end of the set, familiar faces return as we hear the ‘Hunting Song’.

Recommended recording: Marc-Andre Hamelin

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More details have been revealed about the 12 brand new pieces, from composers including Judith Weir, Roxanna Panufnik and Andrew Lloyd Webber, which have been commissioned for the Coronation of King Charles.

• Browse all our Coronation stories: composers, performers and more

As we revealed in a previous article, Charles has been an active supporter of classical music for many years.  A lifelong music enthusiast and champion of the arts, His Majesty has overseen, influenced and been personally involved in the commissioning process and the detail of the music programme, which will showcase and celebrate musical talent from across the United Kingdom and further afield.

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The musical commissions offer contemporary interpretations of centuries of musical tradition, bringing together world-class composers from across the classical, sacred, film, television and musical theatre fields. Their compositions span the different musical forms, including orchestral, choral and solo voice works.

What works will be performed just before the Coronation Service?

Six of the new commissions have been composed for orchestra and will be performed before the Service, prior to Their Majesties’ arrival at the Abbey, complemented by a programme of mainly British music spanning 350 years.

The first pre-service commission will be a short overture composed by Judith Weir, Master of The King’s Music. Titled ‘Brighter Visions Shine Afar’, Weir’s piece will mark the very first performance by the specially-formed Coronation Orchestra.

• Seven notable Masters of the Queen’s/King’s Music

Speaking about the significance of the composition, Weir said: ‘The opening passage highlights the horns, an instrument historically associated in music and art with nobility. The title borrowed from the Christmas hymn ‘Angels from the Realms of Glory’ and the optimistic rising scales of the music suggest renewal and hope for the future.’

Membership of the Coronation Orchestra comes from eight leading orchestras of the former Prince of Wales’ Patronages, from across the UK and Canada. These are the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Regina Symphony Orchestra (Saskatchewan, Canada), English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Opera House Orchestra and Welsh National Opera Orchestra.

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The Coronation Orchestra is conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director for the Royal Opera House. and is led by Vasko Vassilev, Principal Guest Concert Master at the Royal Opera House Orchestra.

The Coronation Orchestra will be joined by the Royal Harpist Alis Huws, for Sir Karl Jenkins’ ‘Tros y Garreg (Crossing the Stone)’. Reflecting the King’s long-standing support of Welsh culture, the piece is a new arrangement of Jenkins’ setting of a Welsh folk song, and uses a combination of harp and strings.

The piece was originally commissioned by the then Prince of Wales over two decades ago. As The Prince of Wales, The King revived the traditional role of the Royal Harpist in 2000.

The pre-coronation service music will continue with a rendition of ‘Sacred Fire’ by composer Sarah Class, performed by acclaimed South African soprano Pretty Yende.

A composer working across both classical and film music, Sarah Class was commissioned by the former Prince of Wales in 2021 to compose the anthem for His Majesty’s Terra Carta environmental initiative. ‘Sacred Fire’ conjures imagery from the Bible with its powerful lyrics. Through music, the composition evokes a bridge between the angelic and human realms.

• Who is Pretty Yende, the soprano performing at King Charles III’s coronation?

The next musical items are three contemporary musical responses to the much-loved Irish hymn ‘Be Thou my Vision‘, one of His Majesty’s favourite hymns. For ‘Be Thou my Vision – Triptych for Orchestra’, composers Nigel Hess, Roderick Williams and Shirley J Thompson have each created their own orchestral interpretation of the hymn, and woven them together into a single work.

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The pre-coronation ceremony continues with a commissioned organ work by composer Iain Farrington, who is perhaps best known for his 2020 commission Beethoveniana. Written for the First Night of the Proms and for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Beethoveniana is a six-minute orchestral piece combining themes and motifs from all nine Beethoven symphonies. It was performed by all five BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers, with an accompanying film.

Earlier this year, His Majesty paid tribute to the diversity of the Commonwealth, and Farrington’s organ commission ‘Voices of the World’ is a celebratory, joyful musical offering which combines traditional tunes from across the family of nations. The music is ‘all mixed together in a joyful, jazzy and dance-like character,’ says Farrington, who hopes ‘it will get people’s toes tapping!’

The last musical element of the pre-coronation service will be the ‘King Charles III Coronation March’ by the acclaimed film composer Patrick Doyle, known for his work on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire among others. Composed to celebrate the life of His Majesty, the March will commence with a bold, heraldic opening, which is ceremonial and full of pageantry. The following section moves forward at pace, reflecting the passing of time, and carrying a strong Celtic influence.

The third part of the March is joyous, before a romantic and reflective sequence which will build to a triumphant finale. Speaking about the March, Patrick Doyle said: ‘The composition can be described as an Overture March in that it tells a story, and at times reflects aspects of His Majesty’s own character. Overall, the piece is jubilant and uplifting. It is written to embrace the excitement and celebration of the historic day.’

What works will be performed during the Coronation Service?

Next, we move on to the music to be performed during the main Coronation Service itself.

This musical programme will be directed by Andrew Nethsingha, organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey. It will feature the combined choral forces of the Choir of Westminster Abbey and The Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace. They will be joined by girl choristers from Truro Cathedral and Methodist College, Belfast, and singers from the Monteverdi Choir.

A series of fanfares marking ceremonial moments in the Service has been specially written for the occasion by Christopher Robinson, and will be performed by the Fanfare Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force, conducted by Wing Commander Piers Morrell.

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Next, we will hear the first-ever Welsh language performance at a Coronation. The ‘Coronation Kyrie’ by Welsh composer Paul Mealor will be sung by Paul’s compatriot, the bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, and the Choir of Westminster Abbey. On the inspiration for his composition, Mealor said: ‘It is a meditative, introspective piece based on a blend between Gregorian chant and ‘Cerdd Dant’ (Welsh Penillion singing – an important part of eisteddfodau).

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‘I was inspired by the great Welsh tunes– Aberystwyth, Cwm Rhondda (‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer’), Ar Lan Y Môr – and the composition is coloured by the harmonies of these songs. It is a cry from the deep soul of the hills and valleys of Wales for hope, peace, love and friendship.’

The next commission we will hear is ‘Alleluia (O Clap your Hands)’ and ‘Alleluia (O Sing Praises)’, a two-part commission by award-winning TV and film composer Debbie Wiseman. ‘O Clap Your Hands’ will be sung by the expanded Westminster Abbey Choir, while ‘O Sing Praises’ will be performed by The Ascension Choir, the first gospel choir to sing at a Coronation.

Among many other TV and film scores (Wilde, Wolf Hall), Debbie Wiseman wrote the music for the official coverage of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The piece, entitled ‘Elizabeth Remembered’, proved very popular with viewers. Performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra with Debbie conducting, it was released as a single by Silva Screen Records, with all proceeds going to The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.

Next, we have ‘Make a Joyful Noise’, a Coronation Anthem by the world-renowned musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. ‘I had the good fortune to discuss the text with His Majesty The King,’ Lloyd Webber reveals. ‘We discussed the writings of Solomon and I suggested adapting Psalm 98 with its message of “Make A Joyful Noise unto the Lord, the King”. It seems so appropriate to the moment in the Coronation service.’

• Coronation Marches and Anthems: 10 of the best

The penultimate specially commissioned work is the ‘Coronation Sanctus’ by composer Roxanna Panufnik (pictured top). Introducing her piece, Roxanna says: “The piece starts a little mysteriously with an atmosphere of awe and wonderment as Isaiah describes his vision of heaven. The music quickly builds and finishes ecstatically, with organ fanfares and flamboyantly colourful harmonies.”

The last of the 12 specially commissioned pieces is an ‘Agnus Dei‘ written by Anglo-American composer Tarik O’Regan. Charles first heard O’Regan’s music at Lincoln Cathedral in 2006, and was so impressed that he asked the composer to write the ‘Agnus Dei’ for a reflective moment during the Coronation Service.

Tarik O’Regan said: ‘I wanted to explore influences from my own varied heritages within the context of the Agnus Dei in the British choral tradition. So, a unison melody is slowly fragmented to create myriad timbres, much as one might hear in some Arab or Irish traditional music.

‘This melodic shifting is also reminiscent of ‘phase music’, strongly connected with San Francisco, where I wrote this work. Finally, there is an alternating verse anthem structure: a nod to Orlando Gibbons, who became Organist of Westminster Abbey exactly 400 years ago.’