Royalty (week 1)
To celebrate our Queen’s 70 years on the throne we have curated a seven week Jukebox on the theme of royalty. There are many fairly obvious choices, but in our usual eclectic and sometimes eccentric style, there are some pieces you would never have associated with the theme. If you are new to Jukebox you can expect music from most or all of the following genres: classical, opera, musical theatre, film, comedy, (fairly) modern, jazz, ballet, world music, and of course one or two Tonic Choir performances.
Monday April 18
Crown Imperial
Sir William Turner Walton (1902–1983) was an English composer. His best-known works include Façade and the British coronation anthem Crown Imperial. Crown Imperial is an orchestral march first performed at the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and substantially revised in 1953. Walton originally composed the march for performance at the planned coronation of Edward VIII, but as Edward abdicated the piece received its first performance at George's coronation. The piece was also performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, along with another Coronation March written by Walton, Orb and Sceptre. Crown Imperial was performed more recently at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. It was one of my early favourites during childhood.
Recording
Tuesday April 19
The King’s New Clothes
Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky, 1911–1987) was a much loved and multi-talented American actor. Kaye starred in 17 films, notably The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), The Inspector General (1949), Hans Christian Andersen (1952), White Christmas (1954), and The Court Jester (1955). He was the first ambassador-at-large for UNICEF (1954) and received the French Légion d'Honneur in 1986 for his work with the organisation. The King's New Clothes is a literary folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about a vain monarch. The tale has been translated into over 100 languages.
Recording
Wednesday April 20
Mayerling
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 4)
Mayerling is a ballet choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan to the music of Franz Liszt. This powerful ballet is based on the Mayerling incident, a series of events surrounding the apparent murder–suicide in 1889 of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and his lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera. The ballet premiered on 14 February 1978, at the Royal Opera House.
The Bedroom pas de deux is danced here by Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae.
Performance
Thursday April 21
🇬🇧🎈🇬🇧 🎉🇬🇧🍰🇬🇧
Wishing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II a very happy 96th birthday
When You’re Good to Mama
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Although Latifah had previously received some critical acclaim, she gained mainstream success after being cast as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton in the 2002 movie of the musical, Chicago, that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Latifah herself received the nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role.
Performance
Friday April 22
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 6)
George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, and anthems. Handel received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of his career and became a naturalised British subject in 1727. Handel wrote his oratorio, Solomon, in 1748. Act 3 begins with the very famous sinfonia known as The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, a lively orchestral piece featuring oboes which has often been used outside the context of the oratorio as a processional piece.
Performance
Crown Imperial
Sir William Turner Walton (1902–1983) was an English composer. His best-known works include Façade and the British coronation anthem Crown Imperial. Crown Imperial is an orchestral march first performed at the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and substantially revised in 1953. Walton originally composed the march for performance at the planned coronation of Edward VIII, but as Edward abdicated the piece received its first performance at George's coronation. The piece was also performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, along with another Coronation March written by Walton, Orb and Sceptre. Crown Imperial was performed more recently at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. It was one of my early favourites during childhood.
Recording
Tuesday April 19
The King’s New Clothes
Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky, 1911–1987) was a much loved and multi-talented American actor. Kaye starred in 17 films, notably The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), The Inspector General (1949), Hans Christian Andersen (1952), White Christmas (1954), and The Court Jester (1955). He was the first ambassador-at-large for UNICEF (1954) and received the French Légion d'Honneur in 1986 for his work with the organisation. The King's New Clothes is a literary folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about a vain monarch. The tale has been translated into over 100 languages.
Recording
Wednesday April 20
Mayerling
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 4)
Mayerling is a ballet choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan to the music of Franz Liszt. This powerful ballet is based on the Mayerling incident, a series of events surrounding the apparent murder–suicide in 1889 of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and his lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera. The ballet premiered on 14 February 1978, at the Royal Opera House.
The Bedroom pas de deux is danced here by Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae.
Performance
Thursday April 21
🇬🇧🎈🇬🇧 🎉🇬🇧🍰🇬🇧
Wishing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II a very happy 96th birthday
When You’re Good to Mama
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Although Latifah had previously received some critical acclaim, she gained mainstream success after being cast as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton in the 2002 movie of the musical, Chicago, that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Latifah herself received the nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role.
Performance
Friday April 22
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 6)
George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, and anthems. Handel received his training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he spent the bulk of his career and became a naturalised British subject in 1727. Handel wrote his oratorio, Solomon, in 1748. Act 3 begins with the very famous sinfonia known as The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, a lively orchestral piece featuring oboes which has often been used outside the context of the oratorio as a processional piece.
Performance