When and why did Walford Davies write his 'Confortare' anthem?
Henry Walford Davies wrote it, as Master of the King's Music, for the 1937 coronation of King George VI.
Where is the text taken from?
The text comes from 1 Kings 2.2, the final words to King Solomon from his father, King David.
'Confortare' lyrics
'Be strong, and show thy worth: keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.'
How would you describe the work's style?
Lyrical and exuberant. As a student at the Royal College of Music, Walford-Davies was taught by Hubert Parry and Charles Villiers Stanford, and this proudly Romantic piece bears the hallmark of both.
What forces is the work scored for?
It is scored for cantor (baritone), choir, organ and orchestra
At what point did it appear during George VI's coronation service?
It was performed immediately after the crowning of the King.
And at King Charles's coronation?
The anthem will be sung just after the pledging of allegiance to the King and just before the coronation of the Queen.
