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Revealed: The three Jewish maestros called up by the King for his big day
Composers tell of their joy to be invited to write music for Coronation
February 23, 2023 11:01
Composers tell of their joy to be invited to write music for Coronation
February 23, 2023 11:01When composer Roxanna Panufnik got a call saying that the King wanted her to compose a new work for his coronation in Westminster Abbey, she had to draw breath.
“My heart stopped,” she said. “This is the commission of all commissions.”
Ms Panufnik was one of three Jewish composers — out of a total of 12 — who were asked to contribute.
The other two were Debbie Wiseman, celebrated for her score for the TV production of Wolf Hall; and Nigel Hess, composer of the much-loved soundtrack for film Ladies in Lavender.
Deborah Wiseman conducting
Mr Hess was no less blown away by the magnitude of the request. “After I got the initial call, I had to spend the next half-hour gathering myself together!” he said. “While writing, I tried to forget how public the event will be,” he added. “Otherwise, you’d become so daunted that you could become stylistically paralysed.”
He is, however, more familiar with this kind of project: in 2007 the then Prince of Wales commissioned him to write a piano concerto in memory of the Queen Mother.
Ms Wiseman has previously written pieces for Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, her Diamond and Platinum Jubilees and for the BBC TV live coverage of her funeral last year.
Is there a secret to composing for this kind of event?
“When I write film music, I have the scenes in front of me. For this, I picture the occasion in my mind, and write almost as if I’m sitting there listening to it. I’m thinking only of the performers, the space and the mood it needs to create,” she said. “The King has absolutely shaped this programme,” she added.
Nigel Hess
