ThePrince of Denmark's March (Danish:PrinsJørgens March), commonly called theTrumpet Voluntary, was written around 1700 by the English composerJeremiah Clarke, the first organist of the then newly-rebuiltSt Paul's Cathedral.[1]
For many years the piece was attributed incorrectly to Clarke's elder and more widely known contemporaryHenry Purcell. The misattribution emanated from an arrangement for organ published in the 1870s by William Spark, the town organist ofLeeds, England. It was later arranged for several different ensembles bySir Henry Wood.[2]
The oldest source isA Choice Collection of Ayres,[3] a collection of keyboard pieces published in 1700. A contemporary version for wind instruments also survives.[4] According to some sources,[5] the march was written in honour ofPrince George of Denmark, husband ofQueen Anne of Great Britain.
Clarke also composed "King William's March" in honour of Prince George's brother-in-lawWilliam III.
Popular aswedding music,[6][7][8] the march was played during thewedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981[6] and during the wedding ofPrince Joachim of Denmark andAlexandra Manley in 1995.[citation needed]
The march was broadcast often byBBC Radio duringWorld War II, especially when programming was directed tooccupied Denmark, since the march symbolised a connection between those two countries. The broadcasts were introduced by the first bars of the tune voiced over by the words "Her er London. BBC sender til Danmark." ("This is London. BBC is broadcasting to Denmark.") In Denmark the march thus became strongly associated with the opposition to Nazi occupation and propaganda. It is still performed during the annual celebrations of the liberation.[9] For many years, the Trumpet Voluntary remained the European Service signature tune of theBBC World Service.[10][11]
It is the corps march, both slow and quick, of the British Army'sRoyal Army Chaplains' Department.[12]
A variant of the tune is used in the final chorus ofJohn Gay's ballad opera,Polly, (premiered 1777), where the original is called 'The Temple'.
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