King Charles III: The Soundtrack to a Coronation

There is no doubt that the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London will be solemn, with music befitting the occasion.

Wanting a contemporary feel, King Charles III commissioned 12 new musical pieces, among others from musical legend Andrew Lloyd Webber and film composer Patrick Doyle. The latter contributed a coronation march and Webber had the honor of writing a new coronation hymn.

The orchestra was assembled just for the coronation ceremony. Some of the musicians are from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Renowned soloists will play; various choirs, including a gospel choir, will also perform. There will be Greek Orthodox music in honor of Charles’ late father, Prince Philip, who was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church in his youth.

When the Archbishop of Canterbury places the crown on the king’s head at noon, the trumpets will sound, accompanied by a salvo of gunfire.

Concert at Windsor Park

The day after the coronation ceremony, the royal family holds a grand concert in the garden of Windsor Castle, featuring live music by pop stars such as Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, both ambassadors for the King’s various foundations and charities. Around 20,000 guests were invited.

Pop band Take That will take the stage in their current trio lineup, but rumor has it that Jason Orange may not want to pass up the opportunity to join his former band to sing for the newly crowned royal couple. Robbie Williams made it clear earlier this year that he would not participate.

Take That has played for Queen Elizabeth a few times over the years, but this event is special even for the former boy band. “A huge live band It is orchestra, The choir, military drummers, the Background in windsor castle and the celebration on one new king. We can’t wait,” said the pop icons.

Some big name pop stars are missing

Opera fans can expect Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli in a duet with Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel. Singer-songwriter Freya Ridings is performing a duet with Alexis Ffrench, a composer and pianist who combines classical music with soul.

There will be a special Coronation Choir made up of singers from across the UK, including slum singers, farmers, taxi drivers and reggae groups – supported by a virtual choir featuring singers from across the Commonwealth.

Other famous British pop stars that immediately come to mind, including Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Adele, weren’t invited to perform or had to cancel for scheduling reasons, like Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue.

Pop Classics on Spotify Playlist

The British Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has put together a “Coronation Celebration Playlist” on Spotify that features 26 songs from seven decades of British pop music.

It starts with the Beatles (“Come Together”) and spans the decades with songs by Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Take That, Harry Styles, Pet Shop Boys and many more.

Many of the pop classics are great dance songs, and one out of five is about reaching for the stars.

The newest song on the playlist is “Space Man” by Sam Ryder. He came second in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, shortly after Ukraine’s entry. As the winning country will not be able to host the event because of the war, the popular music competition will be held in the UK this year.

Few Commonwealth countries

At first glance, the playlist looks good, but critics soon addressed individual issues.

Originally, the list had 28 tracks, but Dizzee Rascal was pulled after those responsible learned that the rapper is in the appeal process following a conviction for assaulting his ex-fiancée.

Track number 27 also disappeared from the playlist. Scottish rock duo The Proclaimers had this space with the hit “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”, but were dropped due to the band’s anti-monarchy views.

A closer look also reveals that there are no artists from African or Pacific Community countries. Only three are non-British artists: Jamaican Grace Jones, Canadian Michael Buble and German-Caribbean band Boney M. There aren’t other artists from the 50-plus Commonwealth countries, like Rihanna, who hails from Barbados, and Kylie Minogue, from Australia.

Critics also point to a lack of diversity: too many white artists, too few women.

This article was originally written in German.