Abbey music to be crowning moment for ‘gender divide’

THE King’s Coronation music will reflect Britain’s “ethnic diversity and gender divide”, according to a conductor who is to perform at the ceremony.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner will conduct the pre-service programme of choral music during the May 6 ceremony in Westminster Abbey, the first coronation of a British monarch in seven decades. The 79-year-old said that both historic traditions and modern sensibilities will be reflected.

“Some of the music will reflect historic traditions and magnificent music written for earlier coronations by composers like Purcell, Elgar, Parry and Handel,” he told BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme yesterday.

“But also a much wider range of music specially commissioned for this occasion, which I think will reflect Britain’s ethnic diversity and crosscultural influences and across the gender divide.”

The British conductor, known for his performances of Bach’s works, revealed that he is “not quite sure what the final make-up of the music is going to be” at the service, but that it will be a “real celebration”.

He will conduct the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque soloists in the pre-service programme and will be joined by Sir Antonio Pappano, who will be conducting the Coronation Orchestra.

When asked what kind of emotions are expected to be evoked from the chosen music at the ceremony, he said: “I think it’s going to be exhilaration and surprise from the sheer attractiveness and sheer zest of the music-making.

“I’m enormously honoured and really thrilled to be part of such an incredible opportunity to celebrate the Coronation of our new King through music, and music of such variety too,” he added.

“It will be a celebration of how our current King is a great patron of the arts, a great patron of music – much more so than any of his predecessors.”

The King has long enjoyed classical music and his patronages include the Royal Opera House, the Royal Philharmonic and the English Chamber Orchestra.