Pomp & Circumstance No. 1
"Land of Hope and Glory"
Sir Edward Elgar
General Information
Instrumentation
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Program Note
Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 is the first in a series of five marches for orchestra by English composer Sir Edward Elgar. The title is derived from William Shakespeare's "Othello:"
Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th'ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!
Composed in 1901 and dedicated to Alfred Rodewald and the members of the Liverpool Orchestral Society, Pomp & Circumstance No. 1 has become the best-known of the group, in large part due to its ubiquitous use as commencement or graduation ceremony music. This tradition began in 1905 at Yale University's graduation, where Elgar received an honorary doctorate. By the mid-1920s, several other universities were using it as processional music, and today it is heard at almost every high school and university graduation in the United States...with one peculiar exception: Yale University, where it has not been heard since 1950.
This version is scored for brass choir with an optional percussion accompaniment, perfect for use by brass ensembles at commencement ceremonies.
Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, th'ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!
Composed in 1901 and dedicated to Alfred Rodewald and the members of the Liverpool Orchestral Society, Pomp & Circumstance No. 1 has become the best-known of the group, in large part due to its ubiquitous use as commencement or graduation ceremony music. This tradition began in 1905 at Yale University's graduation, where Elgar received an honorary doctorate. By the mid-1920s, several other universities were using it as processional music, and today it is heard at almost every high school and university graduation in the United States...with one peculiar exception: Yale University, where it has not been heard since 1950.
This version is scored for brass choir with an optional percussion accompaniment, perfect for use by brass ensembles at commencement ceremonies.