Master of the King's Music (or Master of the Queen's Music, or earlier Master of the King's Musick) is a post in the
Royal Household of the United Kingdom
The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, ...
. The holder of the post originally served the
monarch of England
This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Kingdom of Wessex, Wessex, one of the heptarchy, seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled ...
, directing the court orchestra and composing or commissioning music as required.
The post is broadly comparable to that of
poet laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
. It is given to people eminent in the field of classical music; they have almost always been composers. Duties are not clearly stated, though it is generally expected the holder of the post will write music to commemorate important royal events, such as coronations, birthdays, anniversaries, marriages and deaths, and to accompany other ceremonial occasions. The individual may also act as the sovereign's adviser in musical matters. Since 2004 the appointment has been for a fixed term of ten years rather than for life, as previously.
The King's Musick
In the 14th century professional music-making in England was theoretically regulated by the Crown. Musicians known as the "
King's Minstrels" or the "King's Musick" wore the royal livery and exercised some control of other musicians, although the musicologist Leonard Duck describes that control as "nominal".
[Duck, Leonard]
"Masters of the Sovereign's Music"
''The Musical Times'', June 1953, pp. 255–258
Henry VI appointed a Royal Commission to regulate unlicensed minstrelsy and in 1469
Edward IV
Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
granted the royal minstrels a
Guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
charter. According to the charter, "no Minstrel of our Kingdom ... shall henceforth in any way practise or publicly exercise the art or occupation within our Kingdom aforesaid, unless he belong to the said Brotherhood or Guild". This led to legal difficulties between the royal minstrels and the City Company under the patronage of the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
, chartered by
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
in 1604 to perform in the City and three miles outside it.
The King's Minstrels requested and received a charter from
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
in 1635 to "have the survey, scrutinie, correction and government of all and singular the musicians within the kingdome of England".
[
]
First Masters of the King's Musick
The first appointed Master of the King's Musick was the only one seriously to attempt to rule all the musicians in the kingdom as a guild. This was Nicholas Lanier,[ appointed by Charles I in 1626 as Master of the King's Musick (the spelling was changed to "Music" in the 20th century, during ]Sir Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
's tenure).["Master of The Queen's Music"]
The British Monarchy, retrieved 26 May 2015[Cudworth, Charles]
"Masters of the Musick"
''The Musical Times'', August 1966, pp. 676–677 At that time the holder of the post took charge of the monarch's private band, a responsibility which continued until the band was dissolved in 1901 by Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
.[
The position lapsed during the period of military rule following the ]Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, but on the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 Lanier returned from exile to resume the revived post.[ After Lanier's death in 1666, Charles II appointed a French violinist, ]Louis Grabu
Louis Grabu, Grabut, Grabue, or Grebus (fl. 1665 – 1690, died after 1693) was a Catalan-born, French-trained composer and violinist who was mainly active in England.
While he was probably born in Catalonia – he was later referred to as 'Lo ...
, to the post. Grabu was primarily concerned with organising the music for the court, and the Westminster musicians' guild fell into decline, coming to an end after 1697.[ Neither Grabu nor his successor ]Nicholas Staggins
Nicholas Staggins (died 13 June 1700) was an English composer.
Staggins first studied music under his father. He was made Master of the King's Music by Charles II in 1674. In 1682, he was granted a musical doctorate by Cambridge University, and ...
, who served from 1674 to 1700, was a talented composer; they turned to established composers such as Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer.
Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...
to supply music for important occasions.[
]
18th century
Staggins was succeeded by John Eccles, who was appointed by William III William III or William the Third may refer to:
Kings
* William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198)
* William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702)
* William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...
in June 1700. Eccles was the longest-serving Master, holding the post for 35 years; he is also the only one to have served four monarchs (William III, Anne
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
, George I George I or 1 may refer to:
People
* Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631)
* George I of Constantinople (d. 686)
* George I of Antioch (d. 790)
* George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9)
* George I of Georgia (d. 1027)
* Yuri Dolgor ...
and George II George II or 2 may refer to:
People
* George II of Antioch (seventh century AD)
* George II of Armenia (late ninth century)
* George II of Abkhazia (916–960)
* Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051)
* George II of Georgia (1072–1089)
* ...
). He was already a well-known composer before his appointment, described by ''Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians
''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the History of music, ...
'' as "undoubtedly the greatest of the Restoration theatre composers" after Purcell. He nevertheless continued his predecessors' practice of commissioning works from other composers, including Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
, who supplied the Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne
''Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne'' ( HWV 74) is a secular cantata composed by George Frideric Handel to a libretto by Ambrose Philips, of which the first line, "Eternal source of light divine", provides an alternative title for the work. It w ...
(1713).[ Duck comments that Handel's eminence as a composer "evidently did not qualify him as a suitable candidate for the honour of Master of the King's Music – the Hanoverian kings clearly played safe by choosing musicians of unimpeachable native breeding".][
After Eccles's death in 1735 his post was filled by Maurice Greene, who already held the posts of organist of ]St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
and organist and composer of the Chapel Royal
The Chapel Royal is an establishment in the Royal Household serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the British Royal Family. Historically it was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarch. The term is now also applie ...
. He held the post for twenty years, but his health was never robust, and he frequently called upon his former pupil William Boyce William Boyce may refer to:
*William Boyce (composer) (1711–1779), English-born composer and Master of the King's Musick
* William Binnington Boyce (1804–1889), English-born philologist and clergyman, active in Australia
*William Waters Boyce ( ...
to compose music for the birthday and New Year odes written by the Poet Laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
in honour of the king.[ After Greene died in December 1755, Boyce succeeded him as Master of the King's Musick, and later in the Chapel Royal appointment. It was probably in the latter capacity rather than the former that Boyce provided what ''Grove'' calls "an imposing and deeply felt orchestral anthem" for the funeral of George II on 11 November 1760, "a splendid setting of 'The King shall rejoice"' for the wedding of ]King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
and Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to:
People
* Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1694–1715), wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter II, Emperor of Russia
* Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761), wife of ...
on 8 September 1761, and eight anthems for the coronation of the king later in the same month.
Boyce died in 1779, and was succeeded as Master by another former pupil of Greene, John Stanley, who held the post until he died in 1786. He composed fifteen birthday and New Year odes, but none of them have survived.[ The last Master appointed in the 18th century was Sir William Parsons. He was viewed by his contemporaries as an affable man but a musician of limited ability, although his court music cannot be assessed, having mostly been lost.][Middleton, L. M]
"Parsons, Sir William (1745/6–1817)"
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press 2004, retrieved 27 May 2015 He is believed to be the first professional musician to have been knighted in Britain, although it was said that the honour was more for "the score of his merits than because of the merits of his scores".
19th century
Parsons held the post of Master until 1817, when he was succeeded by William Shield
William Shield (5 March 1748 – 25 January 1829) was an English composer, violinist and viola, violist. His music earned the respect of Haydn and Beethoven.
Life and musical career
Shield was born in Swalwell near Gateshead, County Durham, th ...
, best known as a theatre composer: he composed or arranged music for at least thirty-six operas and seven pantomimes and ballets. Shield's tenure is most notable for the abandonment of the traditional provision of court odes. By custom, the Poet Laureate of the day wrote the words for the odes, a task that the then holder, Robert Southey
Robert Southey ( or ; 12 August 1774 – 21 March 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic school, and Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death. Like the other Lake Poets, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Southey began as a ra ...
, found uncongenial. After the death of George III in 1820 the odes were discontinued. The post of Master of the King's Musick continued because George IV maintained the traditional small orchestra, which Shield's successor, Christian Kramer, directed. That remained the chief function of the Master through the tenures of Franz Cramer
Franz Anton Dorotheus Cramer or François Cramer (12 June 17721 August 1848) was an English people, English violinist and conductor who was Master of the Queen's Music, Master of the King's/Queen's Musick from 1834 until his death.
He was born ...
(Master 1834–48), George Frederick Anderson
George Frederick Anderson (14 December 1793– 14 December 1876) was a British violinist and Master of the Queen's Music.
Anderson was born in London in 1793. He was engaged as violinist in a variety of orchestras. In July 1820 he married t ...
(Master 1848–70), and Sir William Cusins (Master 1870–93). The last of these produced a few works for royal occasions, including a jubilee cantata, "Grant the Queen a Long Life" (1887).
The last Master appointed in the 19th century was Sir Walter Parratt, organist of St George's Chapel, Windsor
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...
. His tenure lasted thirty-one years from 1893, under the reigns of three monarchs – Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
, Edward VII and George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
. In Duck's view, Parratt's role was chiefly that of musical adviser to the Crown. Among his actions in that capacity were inviting Elgar to set A. C. Benson's verses as a Coronation Ode for Edward VII in 1901, and writing an anthem for the anniversary of Queen Victoria's death in 1909. Parratt's own official compositions included a contribution to a collection of choral songs by various composers in honour of Queen Victoria and a ''Confortare'' for the coronation service of Edward VII.[
]
20th century
After Parratt's death in 1924, there was a body of opinion that the position of Master was an anachronism, with neither a royal band to direct nor regular royal odes to compose.[ Elgar, who was well regarded by the royal family, pressed the case for retaining the post. According to the music writer Nicholas Kenyon, he also "lobbied shamelessly" for his own candidacy for it. Other names, including that of ]Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
had been suggested, but George V and his advisers took the view that "if the post is to go to the most eminent musician it would hardly be possible to go beyond Elgar." Elgar's appointment was announced in May 1924; ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' commented, "it is entirely fitting that in the changed condition of the office he should be made Master of the King's Musick and the Musician Laureate of the British people."["Master of the King's Musick", ''The Times'', 5 May 1924, p. 16] Elgar was not required to write any official music in his new capacity, but in 1931 he dedicated his ''Nursery Suite
The ''Nursery Suite'' is one of the last compositions by Edward Elgar. Like Elgar's ''The Wand of Youth'' suites, it makes use of sketches from the composer's childhood.
There are seven movements and a coda:Kennedy, p. 2
:1. Aubade (Awake)
:2. ...
'' to the Duchess of York
Duchess of York is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of ...
and her two daughters. He used his influence as Master to track down the original instruments of Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
's band, to ensure the royal music library was well ordered, and to secure recognition for other musicians, including a knighthood for Granville Bantock
Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (7 August 186816 October 1946) was a British composer of classical music.
Biography
Granville Ransome Bantock was born in London. His father was an eminent Scottish surgeon.Hadden, J. Cuthbert, 1913, ''Modern Music ...
and the Companion of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements. Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire, it is sometimes ...
for Delius
Delius, photographed in 1907
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius ( 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934), originally Fritz Delius, was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family, he resisted atte ...
. As musical aide to the king he gave advice about such topics as the foundation of a national opera company, the correct version of the national anthem to be broadcast by the BBC, and the musical events at which members of the royal family should be present.[
Elgar died in 1934. He was succeeded by Sir Walford Davies, organist of St George's Chapel, Windsor, who had been rumoured to be in the running for the post in 1924. In a 1966 retrospective of the various Masters, Charles Cudworth wrote that Davies was "a fine musician, a good composer,
and was even better-known as one of the world's first great broadcasters, so the appointment was
popular."][ When Davies died in 1941, Sir Arnold Bax replaced him, to the surprise of many in the musical world, given his strong affinities with republican Ireland, and no record of writing occasional music.][ Bax did write a few pieces for royal occasions, including a march for the ]coronation of Elizabeth II
The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...
.
Bax died in 1953; many expected his successor to be Sir William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade (entertainmen ...
, but to Walton's own relief the post went to Sir Arthur Bliss
Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (2 August 189127 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor.
Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he qu ...
. In ''The Times'', the critic Frank Howes commented, "The duties of a Master of the Queen's Music are what he chooses to make of them, but they include the composition of ceremonial and occasional music".[Howes, Frank, "Sir Arthur Bliss – A modern romantic",'' The Times'', 27 April 1956, p. 3] Bliss, who composed quickly and with facility, was able to discharge the calls on him as Master, providing music as required for state occasions, from the birth of a child to the Queen, and the funeral of Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
, to the investiture of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
.
When Bliss died in 1975, Walton and others lobbied for the appointment of Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music ...
. There was some surprise that Bliss's actual successor was the Australian composer Malcolm Williamson
Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson, (21 November 19312 March 2003) was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death.
Biography
Williamson was born in Sydney in 1931; his father was an A ...
; Walton attributed the appointment to the need for "cementing the cracks in the Commonwealth".[ Williamson held the post from 1975 until his death in 2003, composing works including ''Lament in Memory of ]Lord Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of Germa ...
'' (1980), ''Ode for Queen Elizabeth'' (1980), and ''Songs for a Royal Baby'' (1985).
21st century
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music.
As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Music ...
was appointed to the Mastership in 2004 in succession to Williamson. For the first time the appointment was for a fixed, ten-year, term rather than for life, with the aim of making the post more attractive to composers.[ Maxwell Davies' work as Master included a Christmas carol for the Queen which was recorded by the Chapels Royal, and a work to accompany a poem by the Poet Laureate, ]Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio reco ...
, to mark the Queen's eightieth birthday in 2006.[ He played a key role in the creation of the Queen's Medal for Music.][
After the end of Maxwell Davies' term, ]Judith Weir
Judith Weir (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer serving as Master of the King's Music. Appointed in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir is the first woman to hold this office.
Biography
Weir was born in Cambridge, England, to Scottish paren ...
was appointed in 2014, again for a ten-year term.[Service, Tom]
" Judith Weir prepares to be a radical master of the Queen's music"
''The Guardian'', 21 July 2014 Reporting the appointment, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said that rather than writing pieces for royal occasions,
Weir would concentrate on supporting and speaking up for her composer colleagues, challenging the function that contemporary music fulfils in society, and embarking on a nationwide exploration of the state of music education in order to create pieces that will be useful for schoolchildren and amateur musicians.[
]
However, Weir has composed several works for state events, including ''The True Light'' for the First World War centenary
The First World War centenary was the centenary of the First World War, which began on 28 July 2014 with a series of Centenary of the outbreak of World War I, commemorations of the outbreak of the war organised across the continent of Europe, and ...
in 2018, ''By Wisdom'' for the Platinum Jubilee
A platinum jubilee is a celebration held to mark an anniversary. Among monarchies, it usually refers to a 70th anniversary.
The most recent monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the other Co ...
and '' Like as the hart'' for the Queen's state funeral.
Office holders
See also
* ''Kapellmeister
(, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...
''
Notes
Sources
*
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*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Master of the Queen's Music
Positions within the British Royal Household