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A KNIGHT’S PROGRESS A KNIGHT’S PROGRESS According to the rubric in the service book for the 1953 Coronation, the Queen, as soon as 1 I was glad Hubert Parry (1848-1918) [4.57] Born in the seaside town of Bournemouth, Sir she entered at the west door of the Church, 2 The Twelve William Walton (1902-1983) [11.49] Charles Hubert Hastings Parry went on to study was to be received with this anthem and, while Soloists: Oscar Simms treble at Eton and then at Oxford University where it was being sung, she was to pass through Benedict Davies treble Tom Williams alto he subsequently became Professor of Music. the body of the Church, into and through the Thomas Guthrie tenor From 1895 until his death he was also Director Choir, and up to her Chair of Estate beside Christopher Dixon bass of the Royal College of Music in London. He the Altar. On that occasion the Queen’s Our present charter * Nico Muhly (b.1981) wrote music of all kinds, including an opera, Scholars of Westminster School led the choir 3 I. First [4.02] symphonies, chamber and instrumental music, in singing the central section of this anthem – 4 II. Thy Kingdome Come, O God [4.21] oratorios and church music. However, he is ‘Vivat Regina Elizabetha!’ – a section that 5 III. The Beatitudes [4.22] perhaps best known nowadays for his famous nowadays is ususally omitted in concert 6 IV. Nullus Liber Homo Capiatur [4.45] setting of William Blake’s poem, Jerusalem. performances, as it is on this recording. Soloists: Max Todes treble which was composed in 1916. Soon this William Towers alto hymn was taken up by the Suffragette Another composer whose music was heard at Christopher Dixon bass Movement and later was to become an the 1953 Coronation was William Walton who 7 Mother of God, here I stand John Tavener (1944-2013) [2.30] indispensible part of the programme at the Last had composed a setting of the Gloria and the march Orb and Sceptre especially for the 8 Valiant-for-Truth Ralph Vaughan-Williams (1872-1958) [5.02] Night of the Proms. Soloist: David Allsopp alto occasion. Some twelve years later, in May 1965, For the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 Walton and his wife went to stay for a few days 9 Blessed City, heavenly Salem Edward Bairstow (1874-1946) [8.33] Parry composed the anthem I was glad, a in the Deanery of Christ College, Oxford. Also Soloist: Emerson Murphy treble setting of verses from Psalm 122 which was staying there that weekend were the poet 0 Te Deum in C Major, HOB XXIIIc:2 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) [8.17] also performed at the Coronation of Edward W.H.Auden (1907-1973) and the notorious * World Premiere Recording VII’s great-granddaughter, the present Queen. Labour M.P., Tom Driburg. The Dean at that Total timings: [58.45] More recently, it was sung at the wedding time was, in Driburg’s words, ‘a hospitable and of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 friendly old Canadian named Cuthbert Simpson’. CHOIR OF THE TEMPLE CHURCH April 2011. On the Sunday, Driburg was to be the ‘Select GREG MORRIS ORGAN Preacher’ at the University Church of St Mary ROGER SAYER DIRECTOR the Virgin and, as such, to deliver the University www.signumrecords.com - 3 - Sermon. In his autobiography (Ruling Passions), it, at his home on the island of Ischia. The which was given its first performance by English Muhly’s Our present Charter is in four sections. Driburg describes how he was led through performance at Evensong on 16 May 1965 National Opera in June 2011. The first of these – simply entitled First and the streets of Oxford by the so-called Bedel in was conducted by Sydney Watson with Robert making much use of this word – is a setting Divinity, bearing his wand of office, and that Bottone playing the organ. Walton dedicated Our present Charter was commissioned for of the opening words of the charter. The second the scarlet-robed Vice-Chancellor was also in the work to Christ Church and its Dean. Later, the Choir of the Temple Church to celebrate section is a setting of the hymn Thy kingdom attendance. Apparently he had a ‘satisfactory he was to orchestrate it for use at a concert the 800th Anniversary of the sealing of Magna come, O God! which has words by Lewis Hensley full house’ for his sermon which was ‘broadly on 2 January 1966 to celebrate the 900th Carta on 15 June 1215. It was given its first (1824-1905) while the third takes its text Socialist in content’ but ‘about five minutes Anniversary of the founding of Westminster complete performance at the Temple Church on 18 from The Beatitudes. In the final section – too long’. Abbey. On that occasion it was the composer December 2014, the fourth section having Nullus liber homo capiatur (No freeman shall be himself who conducted the London Philharmonic already been performed on 6 November at the taken or imprisoned) – the words are again Later that evening, the Choir of Christ Church Choir and Orchestra. Library of Congress in Washington, DC, at the taken from the Magna Carta. This is the only gave the first performance of The Twelve, an opening of the exhibition, Magna Carta: Muse movement in which the organ is silent, the choir anthem for the feast of any of the apostles. Its Nico Muhly was born in Vermont but brought and Mentor. This exhibition, with the Lincoln singing a cappella the two clauses from the music was by Walton, who had himself been up in Providence, Rhode Island, where, as a Cathedral copy of the charter as its centre point, charter now numbered 39 and 40. These promise a chorister at Christ Church in his youth, and child, he was to sing in the choir at the Grace had been designed to demonstrate the importance that no freeman will be imprisoned except by words by Auden, who had read Literature there Episcopal Church. He began playing the piano of Magna Carta in the drawing up of both the law of the land and that no one will be as an undergraduate in the 1920s and had at the age of ten and then, after completing the Declaration of Independence of 1776 and refused ‘right or justice’, the words of clause returned as Professor of Poetry some thirty years his schooling in Providence, went to New the American Constitution eleven years later. 40 being sung in both English and Latin. Just later. According again to Driburg, this anthem York to study English at Columbia University as the choir is about to sing the text in Latin, ‘made us sit up’ and he went on to describe and music at the Juilliard School. His first It was at the Temple Church in January 1215 small sections of which are enclosed in how ‘the sound was dynamic, almost violent’ attempts at composition had been when he that King John was persuaded of the need for a rectangular boxes, the composer gives the and that ‘the words raced and leaped and was about twelve years old with what he charter which would limit his powers and protect following instruction: ‘singer by singer, repeat tumbled, like rivers joining in a waterfall’. remembers was ‘probably a sacred choral the rights of his subjects. Three of those to boxed phrase in individual tempo; take care piece’. In his early twenties he was working witness the sealing of this charter on the banks not to coordinate with other singers; each bar The driving force behind the creation of this with the likes of Björk and Philip Glass and, in of the River Thames at Runnymede – William should last 5–8 seconds’. The resulting effect anthem had been the Dean who had asked 2006, he released his first album which was Marshal (Earl of Pembroke and the King’s chief is rather like that of entering a crowded room Auden for the words back in 1962. Walton entitled Speaks Volumes. Subsequently he has advisor), his son William and Brother Aymeric in which everyone is talking. worked at setting to music this ‘somewhat written, amongst much else, music for the (Master of the Order of Knights Templar in obscure and difficult-to-set text’, as he called Britten Sinfonia and an opera – Two Boys – England) – are all buried in the Temple Church. - 4 - - 5 - In an article which appeared in the Guardian told his bioprapher, Piers Dudgeon, that he John Toulmin having been Chairman of the It seems that it was the death of Dorothy on 13 November 2013, Nico Muhly wrote as thought the idea was ‘ludicrous’ as nothing Temple Church Committee. Writing in the Guardian Longman, an old friend of Vaughan Williams, follows: ‘As a chorister, I always looked forward like this had ever been done before. Writing about his experience of attending the first which prompted the composer to set to music Mr to singing Tavener’s Hymn to the Mother of in his book, Lifting the Veil, Dudgeon told of performance of The Veil of the Temple, Simon Valiant-for-Truth’s speech from The Pilgrim’s God…it is delicious to hear, and even more his own experience of attending that first Poole recalled that at 1.02am he was ‘entranced Progress. (In the play, this character introduces toothsome to sing.’ Later in that same article performance, of how there was cushion on by the setting of a Lermontov poem that himself thus: ‘I am one whose name is he went on to suggest that ‘to study Tavener’s each seat along with two bars of chocolate begins Mother of God’ and claimed that he Valiant-for-Truth.

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