Edward Elgar’s “Imperial March” was originally written to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, scored for full orchestra.
It was first performed by massed bands at the Crystal Palace, and then at a royal garden party, a state concert, and at the Albert Hall by the Royal Artillery Band. At the time it was written it proved extremely popular, capturing the mood of civic pride and national confidence at the end of Victoria’s reign. It has retained its popular appeal as the years have gone by.
Various organ arrangements have been made over the years, including this particularly successful one by George Martin (not the Beatles producer, but the organist of St Paul’s Cathedral from 1888). While one could hand-register the piece, it’s so much easier to manage with some pistons set up in advance, then you can handle some of the rapid changes in dynamics without having to grab fist-fulls (you might prefer fists full?) of stops.
Read more about this piece: [ Ссылка ]
About the Organ being played:
In 2015 Regent Classic rebuilt the organ at St Mary’s, Witney, a tale that you can read about in a separate story. The bespoke organ now has three manuals and an enlarged specification, with a separate choir division in the chancel.
Francis Rumsey, the organist at St Mary’s, and a consultant to Regent Classic, shares some of the recordings he’s made there in the recent past. These demonstrate the versatility and tone quality of the organ, as well as offering some interesting repertoire.
Read about the organ installation at St Mary's Witney: [ Ссылка ]
