The National Anthem (Benjamin Britten)
| "The National Anthem, arr. Benjamin Britten" | |
|---|---|
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| Single by London Symphony Orchestra | |
| Format | Vinyl |
| Recorded | 1962 |
| Genre | Classical music |
| Label | Decca |
| Writer(s) | Henry Carey |
The National Anthem is a 1962 choral and orchestral arrangement of God Save the Queen by Benjamin Britten. The arrangement has been described as an "extraordinary progression from pianissimo prayer to pealing, overlapping choral fortissimo".[1] It was performed in 1971 for Queen Elizabeth II at the reopening following fire of the inaugural Aldeburgh Festival[2] followed by Britten's overture The Building of the House.[3]
Release
The arrangement was released by Decca both as a single (45-71146) and as 45 EP (SEC 5119) 1962, Track A1: Benjamin Britten, L.S.O. And Chorus - The National Anthem, Arranger Britten, Track A2: "Air" of Bach's Orchestral Suite No.3 in D Major, Sir Adrian Boult, with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden B1 Granville Bantock's arrangement of Bach's Cantata No.208 Sheep May Safely Graze Was Mir Behagt. then B2 "Purcell's" Trumpet Voluntary (now known to be by Clarke) conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, London Symphony Orchestra.
References
- ↑ Neil Powell A Life for Music 2014 -0099537362 Page 410 "... for a concert which opened with Britten's arrangement of the National Anthem, with its extraordinary progression from pianissimo prayer to pealing, overlapping choral fortissimo, afterwards, ... "
- ↑ Paul Kildea Benjamin Britten: A Life in the Twentieth Century 2013 0141924306 "The Queen inspected the auditorium, with its beautiful honeyed timber ceiling and Victorian redbrick walls, and then looked out over the marshy expanse towards Aldeburgh. The audience stood for the national anthem in Britten's arrangement ..."
- ↑ Eric Walter White, John Evans Benjamin Britten, His Life and Operas 0520048946 1983 Page 66 "... first two pieces of music in the Inaugural Concert programme — Britten's setting of the National Anthem for chorus and orchestra, and his overture The Building of the House (composed specially for the occasion) — the audience realized that ..."