London, Saturday 6th May, 2023 – Decca Classics is thrilled to announce that The Official Album of the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla is now available! After an undertaking of immense scale and precision (with 192 microphones in the Abbey and using over 7 miles of cable) the final recording was safely delivered and uploaded to digital streaming platforms across the globe, ready to be enjoyed by the public from this evening, complete with an official photograph from the Coronation ceremony as the album cover.
Described as an “incredibly three-dimensional experience sonically” by the multi-Grammy-nominated album producer Anna Barry, this is also the first time an event of this magnitude has been recorded in high definition surround sound, with the size of the building and the music performed lending itself perfectly to an immersive listening experience.
Marking an unprecedented event in both recorded music and British royal history, this album becomes the fastest recording of its size, with the full process, from performance to release, taking place over the course of a single day.
The physical version of the album (featuring the entire service and all new commissions) will be available in stores globally from 15th May, with a special Deluxe Collectors CD and vinyl to follow later in the year.
Every moment from the historic ceremony, which was watched by millions around the world, including all music and spoken word, as well as the pre-service music, is captured here on the new album, which is over 4 hours long. This marks the first time ever a recording of a Coronation ceremony – a tradition which can be traced back more than 1000 years – has been available globally to stream and download on the day of the service itself, thanks to advances in modern technology.
In an unparalleled celebration of contemporary and traditional British music, the major ceremonial occasion featured a wide range of musical styles and performers blending heritage with the new musical voices of today, all reflecting The King’s life-long love and support of music and the arts. Amongst the performances were 12 newly composed pieces of music (six orchestral commissions, five choral commissions and one organ commission), showcasing talent from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, in a programme of music – spanning from 9th century to the present day – that was shaped and selected by His Majesty The King himself.
A standout moment of the ceremony was the ‘Coronation Anthem’, a brand new commission written for the occasion by Lord Lloyd Webber, entitled ‘Make A Joyful Noise’. With its rousing opening and closing fanfare played by the Fanfare Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force and jubilant chorus sung by The Choir of Westminster Abbey, accompanied by the Coronation Orchestra, the words “Make A Joyful Noise unto the Lord, the King” (from Psalm 98) are entirely fitting. A pre-recorded studio version of this piece is also released today as a standalone single.
The Official Coronation Album is produced by one of the world’s finest classical record producers, Anna Barry, who has produced over 500 recordings of distinction over 35 years, including the wedding of the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018, previous works by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and recording projects from artists such as José Carreras, Elina Garanča, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Andrea Bocelli, the Sistine Chapel Choir, Lorin Maazel, Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE and many more.
Co-Presidents of Decca Label Group, Tom Lewis and Laura Monks add, “We feel incredibly proud of Decca Classics’ involvement in this momentous, joyous event. It is not a privilege we take lightly but is an honour for a label that has always been at the forefront of musical excellence and representing British music around the world.”
THE OFFICIAL ALBUM OF THE CORONATION SERVICE – NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Official Album of the Coronation has been recorded in high definition ‘Dolby Atmos’.
At His Majesty’s request, performing the orchestral commissions is the Coronation Orchestra, whose membership comprises some of the world’s greatest musicians drawn from eight leading orchestras of The former Prince of Wales’ Patronages, from across the UK and Canada: the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Regina Symphony Orchestra (Saskatchewan, Canada), English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Opera House Orchestra and Welsh National Opera Orchestra. Music Director for the Royal Opera House and Chief Conductor Designate of the London Symphony Orchestra (from Sept 2023), Sir Antonio Pappano, will be conducting the Coronation Orchestra. Fanfares will be played by The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry and The Fanfare Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force directed by Wing Commander Piers Morrell OBE.
For more information on the music for the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey please go to:
www.royal.uk/coronation-music-commissions
www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-news/buckingham-palace-announces-music-for-the-coronation
THE CORONATION OF THEIR MAJESTIES KING CHARLES III & QUEEN CAMILLA:
THE OFFICIAL ALBUM, RECORDED AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY ON 6TH MAY, IS OUT NOW
THE CD (FEATURING THE ENTIRE SERVICE & ALL NEW COMMISSIONS)
WILL BE AVAILABLE IN STORES GLOBALLY FROM 15TH MAY
THE SPECIAL ‘DELUXE COLLECTORS’ CD & VINYL OUT LATER THIS YEAR
WITH THIS RELEASE DECCA WILL BE SUPPORTING THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION & AGE UK CHARITIES:
Decca will make a minimum donation of £40,000 to be split equally between The Royal British Legion Trading Limited which gives its taxable profits to The Royal British Legion (registered charity number: 219279) and Age UK (registered charity number: 1128267). In addition, for each full price album sold in excess of the following units in the territories below, Decca will donate the following amounts per excess unit, to be split equally between the aforementioned charities:
Territory Units Donation
United Kingdom 120,000 £2.70
world Ex-United Kingdom 30,000 £1.30
In respect of the album and “Make a Joyful Noise”, 40 permanent downloads, 6,000 premium streams, 20,000 ad-funded streams shall each equal one full price album unit. In addition, 16 copies of the “Make a Joyful Noise” physical single sold at full price shall equate to one full price album sale.