Orb and Sceptre is amarch for orchestra written byWilliam Walton for thecoronation of Queen Elizabeth II inWestminster Abbey, London, on 2 June 1953. It follows the pattern of earlier concert marches byElgar and Walton himself in consisting of a brisk opening section followed by a broad melody in the middle,trio, section and a return to the lively first theme to conclude the piece after a second appearance of the big tune.

Walton had composed the marchCrown Imperial, in 1936 for thecoronation of Elizabeth II's father,King George VI.^[1] It was generally well received – the BBC predicted that it would be ranked alongsideElgar'sPomp and Circumstance Marches^[1] – but disappointed those of Walton's admirers who thought of him as an avant-garde composer.^[2] By 1953 Walton was no longer perceived as avant-garde, and a ceremonial march in the Elgar tradition was generally expected.Orb and Sceptre was commissioned by theArts Council of Great Britain,^[3] and Walton obtained permission to dedicate the piece to the Queen, a considerable honour, as such permission was rarely granted.^[4]

Walton said that he had taken the title ofCrown Imperial from a speech inShakespeare'sHenry V:

Turning to the same speech for the title of his new work, he said he jibbed atBall and Sceptre and turned it intoOrb and Sceptre. (He said he was reservingBed Majestical for the coronation ofKing Charles III.)^[5]

Orb and Sceptre was recorded for the gramophone twice before its public debut at the Coronation service. Walton flew from his home inIschia to conduct the piece with thePhilharmonia Orchestra forColumbia on 18 March 1953 at theKingsway Hall,^[6] andSir Malcolm Sargent conducted the work with theLondon Symphony Orchestra (LSO) forDecca at the same venue.^[7] The public premiere was given by the Coronation Orchestra (a specially convened ensemble comprising leading players from British orchestras and string quartets)^[8] conducted bySir Adrian Boult.^[6] The first concert performance was by the LSO conducted bySir John Barbirolli at theRoyal Festival Hall five days later.^[9] Walton conducted the first American performance of the work at theHollywood Bowl on 13 August 1953, in his debut conducting appearance in the US.^[10]

The criticFrank Howes finds the opening section of the work more thematically complex than that ofCrown Imperial. It begins in the key ofE major with bright trumpetfanfares before leaping into the march section, heavilysyncopated and brightly orchestrated. This section moves briefly through what Howes calls a "drastic modulation" intoC major before returning to E.^[11]

As withCrown Imperial the middle section is a quietertrio in C, markedmeno mosso. This theme is heard subdued on the strings, before being repeated in its more stately and grand form. The main march section is then heard again, building up to the final hearing of the trio section back in the home key of E. This time Walton uses the whole orchestra, the tune shared between fortissimo strings and fanfare-like brass. A short, fast coda ends the piece.^[12]

Orb and Sceptre is scored for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, cymbals, bass drum, tambourine, harp, organ (optional), and strings.

Walton struggled to find inspiration for the piece, and during its composition he thought it would not be as good asCrown Imperial.^[13] He later convinced himself that it was not inferior to its predecessor. His biographerMichael Kennedy disagrees, feeling thatOrb and Sceptre lacks as fine a central tune and such "vigorous panache" in the fast outer sections as those ofCrown Imperial.^[9]The Times found the work joyous and youthful, with, in the trio:

Orb and Sceptre has been arranged for organ bySir William McKie, for piano and for small orchestra, both byRoy Douglas, and formilitary band.^[15]

• Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir William Walton, 1953
• London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent1953
• Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Groves, 1969
• City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Louis Frémaux1976
• Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, David Hill, 1991
• Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir David Willcocks, 1991
• Robert Gower organ [arr. Gower], 1996
• English Northern Philharmonia, Paul Daniel, 2001
• The Band of the Scots Guards [arr. Richardson], Major R. J. Owen, 2002

Source: Walton Trust.^[16]

• Howes, Frank (1973).The Music of William Walton. London and New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-315431-5.
• Kennedy, Michael (1989).Portrait of Walton. Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-816705-1.
• Lloyd, Stephen (2002).William Walton: Muse of Fire. Woodbridge: Boydell.ISBN 978-0-85115-803-7.
• Tierney, Neil (1984).William Walton: His Life and Music. London: Robert Hale.ISBN 978-0-70-901784-4.

• 1953 compositions
• Orchestral compositions by William Walton
• Compositions in E major
• Orchestral marches
• Music for orchestra and organ
• Coronation of Elizabeth II
• British marches

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