The music, performers and composers were drawn from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Five of the composers were women, seven were men. It was the first time music composed by women
was included in the Coronation Ceremony.
Performers included Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, South African Soprano, Pretty Yende and British-Jamaican Baritone Roderick Williams. A modern organ arrangement by Iain Farrington
referenced familiar themes and well-known tunes commonly associated with countries from across the Commonwealth.
Twelve newly commissioned pieces of music were performed at the Coronation, showcasing musical talent from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. A range of musical styles and performers
blended tradition, heritage and ceremony with new musical voices, reflecting The King’s life-long love and support of music and the arts.
His Majesty personally commissioned the new music and shaped and selected the musical programme for the Service.
Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey, oversaw all musical arrangements and directed the music during the Service.
Sir Antonio Pappano, Music Director for the Royal Opera House, conducted the Coronation Orchestra which comprised a bespoke collection of musicians drawn from orchestras of The former Prince of
Wales’ Patronages including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Six orchestral commissions, five choral commissions and one organ commission were specially composed for the occasion by world-renowned British composers whose work includes classical, sacred,
film, television and musical theatre. Commissioned works included a new Coronation Anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber, a Coronation March by Patrick Doyle, a new commission for solo organ embracing
musical themes from countries across the Commonwealth by Iain Farrington plus new works by Sarah Class, Nigel Hess, Paul Mealor, Tarik O'Regan, Roxanna Panufnik, Shirley J. Thompson, Judith Weir,
Roderick Williams, and Debbie Wiseman.
Soloists included bass-baritone, Sir Bryn Terfel; soprano, Pretty Yende and baritone, Roderick Williams. The organ was played by Sub-Organist, Westminster Abbey, Peter Holder, and Assistant
Organist, Westminster Abbey, Matthew Jorysz.
The official Royal Harpist Alis Huws performed as part of the Coronation Orchestra in recognition of The King’s long-standing and deeply held relationship and affiliation with Wales. One of the
liturgical sections of the ceremony was performed in Welsh.
At the request of His Majesty, in tribute to his late father His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Greek Orthodox music also featured in the Service performed by the Byzantine
Chant Ensemble.
The Service was sung by The Choir of Westminster Abbey and The Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, together with girl choristers from the Chapel Choir of Methodist College,
Belfast and from Truro Cathedral Choir. The Ascension Choir, a handpicked gospel choir, also performed as part of the Service and The King’s Scholars of Westminster School proclaimed the
traditional ‘Vivat’ acclamations.
Fanfares were played by The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry and The Fanfare Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force.
Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducted The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque soloists in a pre-Service programme of choral music. A small group of singers from The Monteverdi Choir also joined the
main choral forces for the Service.
Music by William Byrd (1543–1623), George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934), Sir Henry Walford Davies (1869–1941), Sir William Walton (1902–1983), Sir Hubert Parry
(1848–1918) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) has historically featured in the Service over the past four centuries and was included in the programme along with the music of one of Britain’s
most loved and celebrated living composers, Sir Karl Jenkins.