The Queen’s musical tastes were not limited to Abba or Elton John. Whether as a monarch or as an enlightened amateur, she contributed to the revival of English classical music much more than we think.
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In 70 years of reign, Elizabeth II will have had to deal with fifteen prime ministers. But it has also known, during its existence, seven different Masters of Music, who bear witness to the evolution of the English classical landscape over nearly a century… And to the often overlooked role that the sovereign was able to play in this “palace revolution.” Of Sir Edward Elgar, whom some rightly regard as one of the founding fathers of the revival of English music – and who dedicated to her and to Princess Margaret an orchestral suite in the form of a lullaby when they were only children. To the composer Judith Weir, whom the monarch herself appointed to the post of Master of Music to the Queen, in 2014. A post “honorary above all else”, as the English media have often reminded of each new appointment. But emblematic, since it was created as early as… 1626, by the first of the Kings Charles!
Certainly, apart from Elgar, few composers…
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