Sixty years a Queen

Sunday 1 July 2012

Sixty years a Queen

1 July, 2012 - 19:30 Exeter College Chapel

A diamond retrospective of music from royal occasions of the past sixty years

The Diamond Jubilee has provided an opportunity to perform much of the grand choral music for royal ceremonial, notably from the coronation service, despite the sixtieth anniversary of the coronation not falling until 2013. Our concert instead provides a retrospective of music used during the major royal events during the Queen’s reign thus far- weddings of the royal family, anniversaries, services of thanksgiving (including previous jubilees) and funerals.

We present a piece from each occasion chronologically through the Queen’s reign, starting in 1953 and ending with the most recent royal wedding in 2011. Many of the pieces will be familiar, and include some of the best loved choral pieces known today. As you’d expect British composers (such as Britten, Vaughan-Williams and Parry) are heavily, but not exclusively, represented.

Organist Steven Grahl joins us once again, and his organ solos will attempt to capture the grandeur of the organs of Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Tickets £10/8 concessions on the door.

Directed by: James Brown