The Royal Duke

The Royal Duke is an arrangement of The Duke of Gloucester’s March by Jeremiah Clarke (1674 – 1707). Clarke was an English composer, born in London, and is best remembered for his keyboard music and The Prince of Denmark’s March, otherwise known as Trumpet Voluntary, formerly attributed to Purcell. He wrote many attractive and popular pieces of which The Duke of Gloucester’s March is a fine example. Shortly after finishing this arrangement I was driving through East London and passed a public house called The Royal Duke and decided that would make a most suitable title for this music.

The arrangement stays faithful to the form of the original but uses the different colours and textures of the wind orchestra together with some contemporary drumming rhythms. The piece starts with drums over which a solo piccolo gives the first statement of the tune. It is then passed through different instrumental groups and various guises, never sounding the same twice, and eventually the whole ensemble plays together in a triumphant ending.

Published by de Haske

Recorded on Sword of Honour de Haske LC 1530,
and Pacifica Fentone Records FR 1-001-3

£57.00