“He’s been brought up with marches, playing as part of that world that he inhabits, which is a unique world compared to the rest of us. So you had to redesign how you thought of your normal way of composing for a symphony orchestra, so that was a challenge, as well as coming up with the piece itself.”ĭoyle has worked around this by using instruments played at the extremes of their range – so violins go down to join the violas and the bass trombone sounds like a horn at the top of its register, to appeal to King Charles’ broad taste. “It was three violas and only four cellos and only one trombone, a bass trombone two horns instead of three horns, four horns and so on. The size of the organ loft in Westminster Abbey means there is a physical limit on the number of musicians who can perform at the venue.

That’s not to say there aren’t restrictions. But I got the sense he’s quite a romantic person, the poet in him, and loves the arts and loves all music.”ĭoyle, one of several composers tapped to create new music for the royal event, says King Charles has been “extremely generous” at remaining hands-off and trusting everyone to do their job. “And the final movement is, is reflective and romantic, and it leads to a triumphant climax. “The third movement is joyful and fun and it’s got sort of fireworks in it,” says Doyle. It moves from a “bold heraldic opening that’s ceremonial and full of pageantry,” to a pacey, Celtic-influenced march, he explains. Doyle says the four-minute piece is a march to commemorate King Charles’ life so far, compiled of four identifiable sections.

That’s part of what the Oscar-nominated composer calls the “rollercoaster” he’s been on, ahead of hearing the finished work performed on the global stage of Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6. The film composer had been commissioned to write the music for King Charles’ Coronation March, so he quickly recorded the idea on his phone. LONDON - Patrick Doyle woke up in the middle of the night hearing trumpets.

Sense and sensibility cliff notes