Walton composed Crown Imperial as a Coronation March for the anticipated coronation of Edward VIII in 1936, but it was instead played at the coronation of George VI in 1937.
Compositional Technique
For Belshazzar's Feast, Sir Thomas Beecham suggested Walton add more brass, leading the composer to include two brass bands, each with seven players, placed on either side of the orchestra.
Composition History
Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, originally conceived for a 'small chorus, small orchestra of not exceeding fifteen and soloist' for the BBC, grew into a massive-scale composition.
Critical Reception
The 1931 premiere of Belshazzar's Feast was a phenomenal success, hailed by performers, audience, and critics alike as the finest large-scale choral work since Elgar's Dream of Gerontius of 1900.
Composer Biography
William Walton, the composer, was born into a musical family; his father was a singing teacher and church organist, and his mother was an amateur singer.
Composer Biography
Walton became a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, at the age of ten, where he composed one of his finest church anthems, A Litany, at just fifteen.
Performer Biography
The Huddersfield Choral Society, founded in 1836, is known for its performances of Handel's Messiah and has an international reputation for British amateur choral singing.
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