Coronation Te Deum

for double mixed chorus, boys' chorus, orchestra, and military brass

General Information – Performing Forces – Manuscript – Publication – Arrangements – Recordings – Text

General Information:

Composition:
1952

First Performances:
2 June 1953. Westminster Abbey, London. The Coronation Choir and Orchestra, trumpeters of the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall (Lt.-Col. Meredith Roberts director), Osborne Peasgood organ, Sir William McKie conductor. Coronation Service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Duration:
About 10 minutes

Text:
From the Book of Common Prayer
Click here for complete text.

Tempo:
Allegro vigoroso – Vivo – Risoluto

Craggs Catalogue Number:
C58

Performing Forces:

2 mixed choruses (SATB) – 2 semi-choruses (SSSATB) – boys' chorus (SA)

3 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon – 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba – timpani, 3 percussion (side drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals) – harp – organ – strings

Military brass (optional), consisting of: 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 4 side drums

Note: A note in the published vocal score reads: "The triple woodwind may be reduced to double woodwind if necessary.

Manuscript:

The British Library, Manuscript Collections. Manuscript Add. 47898. Autograph full score, in pencil.

Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 629. Autograph vocal score. 34 pages.

Publication:

Oxford University Press. Vocal score, 1953, 019 3385015. Vocal score in Latin, 1956, now available on hire only. Score and parts are available on hire.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Vocal score]

Arrangements:

Arranged for choir and organ, by Garrett O'Brien, 1977.

Arranged for choir and organ, with optional brass, by Simon Preston, 1982. Organ reduction by Mark Blatchly.
A note on the printed score reads: "The vocal parts have been slightly rearranged to facilitate performance by smaller choirs."
Performing Forces: Double chorus (SATB/SATB) – 4 trumpets, 4 trombones – organ.
Publication: Oxford University Press. Vocal score, 1988, 019 3534878. The brass accompaniment is discontinued.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Vocal score, arr. Preston/Blatchly]

Arranged for choir, brass and organ, by Christopher Palmer, 1989.
Instrumentation: 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba – timpani, 3 percussion – harp – organ
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score and parts are available on hire.

Arranged for choir, brass and organ, by Naylor.
Instrumentation: 4 trumpets, 4 trombones – organ
Publication: Oxford University Press. Score and parts are available on hire.

Recordings:

Chorus and Orchestra Conductor Year Compact Disc Timing
London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir Sir William Walton 1966 BBC Legends 4098-2 10'25"
Choristers of Worcester Cathedral, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Louis Frémaux 1976 EMI Classics 7 64201 2 9'19"
Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus Sir Alexander Gibson 1977 Chandos CHAN 6547 9'51"
The Bach Choir, The Philharmonia Sir David Willcocks 1989 Chandos CHAN 8760 9'10"
The Finzi Singers, Andrew Lumsden organ  [arr. Preston] Paul Spicer 1992 Chandos CHAN 9222 10'15"
Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge, Christopher Whitton organ  [arr. Preston] Christopher Robinson 2001 Naxos 8.555793 9'49"
Polyphony, The Wallace Collection, James Vivian organ  [arr. Palmer] Stephen Layton 2002 Hyperion CDA67330 9'14"

 

Text:

We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually to cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs praise thee.
The Holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee the Father of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true, and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage.
Govern them and lift them up forever.
Day by day we magnify thee; And we worship thy Name, ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

                        — Book of Common Prayer

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Choral Music