April 2011:
Music Fit for a King

( image: Kate and William's iconic balcony kiss)

A momentous event occurred on April 29, 2011. I am not referring to the devastating tornado that ravaged Alabama and killed more the 300 people. Nor am I talking about the exchange of vows between Kate and William, before 1/7th of the world's population who, like they have for milleniums, gawked at the royal couple with sycophantic fascination. No, most notable to me is the fact that these same one billion people shared an experience in which classical music played a central role. There has perhaps been no other time in history when so many people were simultaneously exposed to the wonders of Bach. And many of Britain's finest composers (whom most people have never heard of) made the playlist too. As someone who has strived to grow the classical music listening audience throughout my career, this fact thrills me. Enough that I stayed up until 3 am to participate in the collective global experience.

It's been a week full of collective experiences. I watched my first ever Canucks game when my city and home for eight years was so feverishly excited to cheer their team past Game 7 into the quarter-final found that I would have had to be a robot not to catch the buzz. I shamelessly followed American Idol's Final Six Week, proud that the public's taste had kept a jazzer, a bluesy babe and a gospel singer in the race this long, over numerous candy pop divas. And though I'm sad to see Casey go (if you haven't checked out this bass-playing, scatting, all-around best musician-the-show-has-ever-seen, watch this!), his pleas to his fans to keep their minds open and check out more great jazz was enough to convince me to keep supporting the show as a worthwhile platform.

So, if you have to be on of the 15% of the world that was glued to the telly when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walked down the aisles of Westminster Abbey, or even if you weren't, here's an itunes style, "if you like, then you'll like" highlighted list of some of the music from the ceremony, along with other recommended pieces written by these under-exposed composers. You can buy the entire Royal Wedding Soundtrack here. And by clicking on the links below, you can check out other music by composers selected for the ceremony.

Pre-Processional Music
Edward Elgar, Serenade for Strings in E minor
Enigma Variations This recording also includes his Cello Concerto performed by the inimitable Jacqueline DuPre, whose tragic end to her career due to MS, was made famous by the movie, Hilary and Jackie.

Benjamin Britten, Courtly Dance V: Galliard from Gloriana (Symphonic Suite)
Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings This performance features tenor, Peter Pears, Britten's lover for three decades who was infamous for his somewhat odd but expressive voice brought to prominence through nepotism. That aside, he's accompanied by the brilliant and perhaps the most recorded horn player ever, Barry Tuckwell.

Ralph Vaughan-Williams, Fantasia on Greensleeves
Lark Ascending for violin and orchestra This beautiful performance byviolinist Gwen Hoenig and Canada's own Winnipeg Symphony is conducted by Bramwell Tovey, now director of my own city's Vancouver Symphony, with whom I've often had the pleasure to work. The CD also features works by many of these same English composers.

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Farewell to Stromness
Eight Songs for a Mad King I remember well, from a freshman music histroy course, my first experience of this radical piece for its time. I was impressed with its bravery and range. The extended vocal techniques that Davies employed, opened the way for an entire new sonic world of exploration for composers to come. And the disturbing but dramatic vocal effects do, indeed, sound mad.

Anthem Commissioned for the Ceremony
John Rutter, The Anthem, ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made’
Requiem If you have ever sung in a choir you have undoubtedly sung one of this composer's 100 plus choral works. His light, tonal, accessible music is considered moving by some and cheesy by others. You be the judge.

Recessional Music
Charles-Marie Widor, Toccata from Symphonie V  
Suite for flute and piano I had to include this recording by the man considered to be the father of the American Flute School, William Kinkaid, who was principle flute of the Philadelphia Orchestra for almost 40 years, until 1960. My beloved first flute teacher, Michele Sahm, also studied with him, and I can only hope that his influence can be heard in my own playing. You can also enjoy many other flute classics on this CD.

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