Run time: Approx. 8 minutes

Orb and Sceptre, written by William Walton for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, is the successor to his earlier coronation march, Crown Imperial, composed in 1936 for the coronation of her father, George VI. For both works, Walton took their titles from a speech in Shakespeare’s Henry V, and he once remarked that he was reserving the phrase “bed majestical” for King Charles III, though he may never have imagined how many years it would be until the monarchy next changed hands. The speech reads as follows:

I am a king that find thee, and I know

‘Tis not the balm, the sceptre and the ball,

The sword, the mace, the crown imperial,

The intertissued robe of gold and pearl,

The farced title running ‘fore the king,

The throne he sits on, nor the tide of pomp

That beats upon the high shore of this world,

No, not all these, thrice-gorgeous ceremony,

Not all these, laid in bed majestical,

Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave.

 The orb and the sceptre are references to two key pieces of the Coronation Regalia, part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The Sovereign’s Orb and the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross were both made in 1661 for the coronation of Charles II and used in every coronation since. The sceptre contains the largest colorless cut diamond in the world.

Orb and Sceptre was commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain, and Walton obtained permission to dedicate the piece to the Queen, a considerable honor, as such permission was rarely granted.

Musically, the piece is exactly what one would want in a coronation march. It’s celebratory, poised, and joyful, but never over-excited. The structure is straightforward, with a brisk opening, a stately middle section, and a return to a triumphant conclusion.