The Music of Kings & Queens

by Damian Lewis, Helen Mirren, Debbie Wiseman

Overview

The Music of Kings & Queens was released in 2021 to mark the 95th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, honored with both a fanfare at the beginning and a place in the cavalcade of English monarchs at the end. The list dates back to William I, William the Conqueror, and each monarch gets a spoken introduction, alternating between Helen Mirren and Damian Lewis, together with a short musical selection by composer Debbie Wiseman. It would be too much to call these portraits, for they relate only in the most general way to the personalities of the kings and queens involved. Wiseman is a film and television composer, and the music is meant to evoke the monarchy in a general way. This it does quite successfully and without mawkishness, and the commercial success of this album among a British public always willing to soak up celebrations of the monarchs is no surprise. The texts are by Simon Brooks-Ward CVO OBE TD VR, a military officer best known as an organizer of equestrian events. They contain a corker of a dangling modifier ("Brought up in as normal an environment as was possible for a member of the royal family, dogs and ponies featured heavily in her life ...") but could serve as an instant refresher in some highlights of English history. One might note that the National Symphony Orchestra that furnishes the accompaniment is not the Washington-based group but a London orchestra specializing in musical theater. An album that will be heard throughout Elizabeth's 95th year and beyond. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	06/11/2021
Label:	Decca
UPC:	0602435989907
Rank:	256214

Tracks

1. The Music of Kings & Queens~Elizabeth II Fanfare
2. The Music of Kings & Queens~Introduction
3. The Music of Kings & Queens~William I Introduction
4. The Music of Kings & Queens~William I
5. The Music of Kings & Queens~Richard I Introduction
6. The Music of Kings & Queens~Richard I
7. The Music of Kings & Queens~Henry VIII Introduction
8. The Music of Kings & Queens~Henry VIII
9. The Music of Kings & Queens~Elizabeth I Introduction
10. The Music of Kings & Queens~Elizabeth I
11. The Music of Kings & Queens~Charles II Introduction
12. The Music of Kings & Queens~Charles II
13. The Music of Kings & Queens~Anne Introduction
14. The Music of Kings & Queens~Anne
15. The Music of Kings & Queens~George II Introduction
16. The Music of Kings & Queens~George II - Inspired by Handel's "Zadok the Priest"
17. The Music of Kings & Queens~George III Introdution
18. The Music of Kings & Queens~George III
19. The Music of Kings & Queens~Victoria Introduction
20. The Music of Kings & Queens~Victoria
21. The Music of Kings & Queens~Edward VII Introduction
22. The Music of Kings & Queens~Edward VII
23. The Music of Kings & Queens~George VI Introduction
24. The Music of Kings & Queens~George VI
25. The Music of Kings & Queens~Elizabeth II Introduction
26. The Music of Kings & Queens~Elizabeth II

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Damian Lewis   Primary Artist,Spoken Word
Helen Mirren   Primary Artist,Spoken Word
Debbie Wiseman   Primary Artist
National Symphony Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra,Orchestra
Jack Liebeck   Violin
Dougie Squires   Music Direction

Technical Credits

Andrew Dudman   Engineer,Recording
Debbie Wiseman   Composer,Music Production Supervisor
Reynold Swan   Mixing
Giles Keyte   Photography
Matthew Scrivener   Leader
Martyn Goddard   Photography
Amanda Edwards   Photography
Simon Brooks-Ward   Text
Tony Wharmby   Composer's Assistant,Music Copyist
Spoken Word   Composer
Lana Thompson   Marketing
Damian Lewis   Narrator
Andrew Sunnucks   Producer
Daniel Hayden   Scoring Recordist
Ali Johnson   Executive Producer
Helen Mirren   Narrator
Kit Houghton   Photography
Dougie Squires   Liner Notes
Mike Brown   Mastering Engineer,Mastering
Ren Swan   Mixing