Pomp and Circumstance Marches

The Pomp and Circumstance Marches (full title "Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches"), Op. 39 are a series of marches for orchestra composed by Sir Edward Elgar.

The title is taken from Act III, Scene 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!".

but also on the score Elgar set a verse from Lord de Tabley's poem 'The March of Glory' beginning with the flowery diction

      Like a proud music that draws men on to die
      Madly upon the spears in martial ecstasy,
      A measure that sets heaven in all their veins
      And iron in their hands.
      I hear the Nation march
      Beneath her ensign as an eagle's wing;
      O'er shield and sheeted targe
      The banners of my faith most gaily swing;
      Moving to victory with solemn noise,
      With worship and with conquest, and the voice of myriads.

proclaiming the "shows of things": the naive assumption that the splendid show of military pageantry - "Pomp" - has no connection with the drabness and terror - "Circumstance" - of actual warfare. The first four marches were all written before the events of World War I shattered that belief, and the styles wars were written about which spurned the false romance of the battle-song. Elgar understood this.

The Marches

The Pomp and Circumstance marches are

• March No. 1 in D 1901)
• March No. 2 in A minor (1901)
• March No. 3 in C minor (1904)
• March No. 4 in G (1907)
• March No. 5 in C (1930)
• March No. 6 (written as sketches, elaborated by Anthony Payne in 2005-06)

The first five were all published by Boosey & Co., as Op. 39.

Each of the marches is dedicated to a particular friend of Elgar's.

March No. 1 in D

March No. 1 was composed in 1901 and dedicated "To my friend Alfred E. Rodewald and the members of the Liverpool Orchestral Society".

The instrumentation is: 2 Piccolos (2nd ad. lib.), 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in A, Bass Clarinet in A, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in F, 2 Cornets in A, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani (3), Percussion (Bass Drum & Cymbals, Triangle, Side Drum, Jingles), 2 Harps, [Organ]], and Strings.

The best known of the set, it had its premiere, along with the more reserved No. 2, played by the Liverpool Orchestral Society conducted by Alfred Rodewald, in Liverpool on October 19th 1901. Both marches were played two days later at a London Promenade Concert in the Queen's Hall London, conducted by Henry Wood, with the No. 1 march played second, and the audience "... rose and yelled .. the one and only time in the history of the Promenade concerts that an orchestral item was accorded a double encore."

The trio contains the tune known as Land of Hope and Glory. In 1902 the tune was re-used, in modified form, for the Land of Hope and Glory section of his Coronation Ode for King Edward VII. 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.

In the United States, March No. 1 is sometimes known simply as "Pomp and Circumstance", and as "The Graduation Song," when associated with graduation ceremonies. It was first played at such a ceremony on June 28, 1905, at Yale University, where the Professor of Music Samuel Sanford had invited his friend Elgar to attend commencement and receive an honorary Doctorate of Music. Elgar accepted, and Sanford made certain he was the star of the proceedings, engaging the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the College Choir, the Glee Club, the music faculty members, and New York musicians to perform two parts from Elgar's oratorio The Light of Life and, as the graduates and officials marched out, Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1. The tune soon became de rigueur at American graduations.

March No. 2 in A minor

March No. 2 was composed in 1901 and dedicated "To my friend Granville Bantock".

It was first performed at the same concert as March No. 1.

The instrumentation is: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in A, Bass Clarinet in A, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in F, 2 Cornets in A, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani (3), Percussion (2 Side Drums, Triangle, Glockenspiel & Jingles, Bass Drum & Cymbals), and Strings.

It is perhaps the most simply constructed of the marches, and the composer Charles Villiers Stanford is said to have preferred this march to No. 1, and thought this the finest of all the marches. After what seems like a loud call to attention from the brass, a simple staccato theme, tense and repetitive, is played by the strings, which is gradually joined by other instruments and builds up to a decisive climax. This section is repeated. The second theme, confidently played by horns and clarinets, is one which was sketched by Elgar a few years before: this is developed and ends with flourishes from the strings and brass joined by the glockenspiel. The opening staccato theme returns, concluded by a quiet swirling bass passage, which leads into the trio section which consists of a delightfully simple tune in thirds played by the woodwind (flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons), answered conclusively by the strings and brass. This trio section is repeated, and the march concluded with a brilliant little coda.

March No. 3 in C minor

March No. 3 was completed in November 1904 and published in 1905. It was dedicated "To my friend Ivor Atkins".

It was first performed on March 8th 1905, in the Queen's Hall, London, conducted by the composer.

The instrumentation is: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets in B♭, Bass Clarinet in B♭, 3 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in B♭, 2 Cornets in B♭, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani (3), Percussion (Tenor Drum, Side Drum, Bass Drum & Cymbals), and Strings.

The third march differs from the others in its opening mood. It begins with a dark subdued march led by low clarinets, three bassoons and the horns, with percussion off-beats, before a vigorous theme erupts from the full orchestra. The dark theme re-appears, but is then re-started boldly. There is beautiful central section which commences with perky tune played by a solo clarinet, and is followed by another of Elgar's noble tunes played by the strings of the orchestra. All the themes re-appear before the work comes to a wild conclusion.

March No. 4 in G

March No. 4 was completed on 7th June 1907, and dedicated "To my friend Dr. G. Robertson Sinclair, Hereford"

It was first performed on August 24th 1907, in the Queen's Hall, London, conducted by the composer.

The instrumentation is: Piccolo (with 3rd Flute), 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets in B♭, Bass Clarinet in B♭, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in A, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani (3), Percussion (Side Drum, Bass Drum & Cymbals), 2 Harps, and Strings.

March No. 4 is as upbeat and ceremonial as No. 1, containing another big tune in the central "Trio" section.

The "Trio" was used by Elgar in a song called "The King's Way" which he wrote, to his wife's words, in celebration of the opening of an important new London street called Kingsway.

In World War II, No. 4 also acquired words: a patriotic poem by A. P. Herbert beginning "All men shall be free" was used as Song of Liberty.

March No. 5 in C

March No. 5 was composed in 1930, much later than the others, and dedicated "To my friend Dr. Percy C. Hull, Hereford".

It was first performed on September 20th 1930, in the Queen's Hall, London, conducted by Sir Henry Wood.

The instrumentation is: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets in B♭, Bass Clarinet in B♭, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in B♭, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani (3), Percussion (Side Drum, Bass Drum & Cymbals), and Strings.

March No. 6

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.

References

• Kennedy, Michael (1987). Portrait of Elgar (Third edition ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0192840177. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
• Maine, Basil (1933). Edward Elgar: His Life and Works, vol. 2: Works. London: G. Bell & Sons Ltd. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• McVeagh, Diana M. (2007). Elgar the Music Maker. London: Boydell Press. ISBN 9781843832959. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Moore, Jerrold N. (1984). Edward Elgar: a creative life. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0193154471.
• Wood, Henry, My Life of Music (London, 1938)

External links

• Free scores by Pomp and Circumstance Marches at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)