Discover

(Redirected from Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1)

The '''Pomp and Circumstance'' Marches', Op. 39 are a series of five marches for orchestra composed by Sir Edward Elgar.
The title is taken from Act III of Shakespeare's ''Othello'':
:"Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
:The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
:The royal banner, and all quality,
:Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!".^[1]
The best known of the set is the ''Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1''. It had its premiere, conducted by the composer, in Liverpool in October 1901, along with the more reserved No. 2, and the audience demanded two encores. No. 1 was dedicated to the ''Liverpool Orchestral Society''. In 1902 the tune was recycled, in modified form, for the ''Land of Hope and Glory'' section of his ''Coronation Ode'' for King Edward VII. The words were further modified to fit the original tune, and the result has since become a fixture at the Last Night of the Proms, and an English sporting anthem.
The formula having proved successful, Elgar composed three more, performed in 1905, 1907 and 1930. No. 4 is as upbeat and ceremonial as No. 1, containing another big tune in the central section, while the other three are more wistful. In World War II, No. 4 also acquired words: a patriotic verse by A. P. Herbert beginning "All men shall be free." ^[2]
Elgar left sketches for a sixth ''Pomp and Circumstance'' march, and these sketches were turned into a performing version by the English composer Anthony Payne in 2006.
In the United States, March No. 1 is sometimes known simply as "the graduation song", and is irrevocably associated with graduation ceremonies. It was first played at such a ceremony on June 28, 1905, at Yale University, where the Professor of Music Samuel Sanford had invited his friend Elgar to attend commencement and receive an honorary Doctorate of Music. Elgar accepted, and Sanford made certain he was the star of the proceedings, engaging the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the College Choir, the Glee Club, the music faculty members, and New York musicians to perform two parts from Elgar's oratorio ''The Light of Life'' and, as the graduates and officials marched out, ''Pomp and Circumstance'' March No. 1. The tune soon became ''de rigueur'' at American graduations.^[3]

Contents

The March in popular culture

Media

References

External links

The March in popular culture

★ The music was used by American professional wrestler Gorgeous George and later "Macho Man" Randy Savage used the song as his theme music to enter the ring. Most recently, TNA wrestler Jay Lethal has adopted a re-mixed version of the music as his entrance theme.

★ A similar melody is to be found in Antonín Dvořák's ''Legends'', Op. 59 of 1881, but the similarity is believed to be a coincidence.

★ "Pomp and Circumstance" was the signature tune for the entrance of New York Yankees relief pitcher Sparky Lyle into ballgames, much like "Enter Sandman" is today for current Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

★ The escape artist Harry Houdini used the march as his entrance theme.

★ The Finnish metal band Stratovarius uses a version as the intro-theme for their shows.

★ The band Accept and its guitarist Wolf Hoffmann in his solo career cover the No. 1 in a heavy metal/rock style

★ Australian former senator Amanda Vanstone has written new lyrics for a patriotic song, Under Southern Stars.

★ The song was also used liberally (or in some cases referred to) on the British comedy series The Goodies; the music would start playing every time Tim Brooke-Taylor made a patriotic speech, as in such episodes as ''2001 and a bit'' or ''The End'', and in the episode ''Bunfight at the O.K. Tea Rooms'' it is revealed that he even has a record of it. All three of them even actually perform a pop interpretation of in ''The Music Lovers''.

★ In SpongeBob SquarePants, this song is heard over SpongeBob's speech in the episode ''.

★ The chorus is raucously and proudly chanted, without musical backing, as the triumphant and inspiring college song of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne for sporting victories and to mark the end of official college events, and has done so for between 25 and 40 years. It is added to with echoed exclamations and percussive sounds to increase the emotion of the chanters and those around, before finishing with a traditional-style spelling out of the college name. This was originally performed to the annoyance of the English-born neighbouring college, Trinity College, as a mock-reminder of Ormond's Scottish background and sporting dominance over their more English counterparts, before actually evolving into the officially recognised college song.

★ Korean Air frequently used this song in its commercials and in-flight videos.

★ The ending theme of Japanese anime Atashin'chi, ''Kite Kite Atashin'chi'', is adapted from the music by Sir Edward.

★ This song is also used to the effect in the Disney film ''Fantasia 2000''

Media

References

1. Full text / script of the play Othello Act III by William Shakespeare
2.
3. Why Americans graduate to Elgar Elgar Foundation

External links

★ free easy piano arrangement of "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 - 2nd Theme" by Edward Elgar (1857-1934) plus midi sound file

★
★ Sheet 1 of 3

★
★ Sheet 2 of 3

★
★ Sheet 3 of 3