Patrick Doyle woke up in the middle of the night hearing trumpets. The film composer had been commissioned to write the music for King Charles’ Coronation March, so he quickly recorded the idea on his phone.
That’s part of what the Oscar-nominated composer calls the “rollercoaster” he’s been on, ahead of hearing the finished work performed on the global stage of Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6. Doyle says the four-minute piece is a march to commemorate King Charles’ life so far, compiled of four identifiable sections. It moves from a “bold heraldic opening that’s ceremonial and full of pageantry,” to a pacey, Celtic-influenced march, he explains. “The third movement is joyful and fun and it’s got sort of fireworks in it,” says Doyle. “And the final movement is, is reflective and romantic, and it leads to a triumphant climax. But I got the sense he’s quite a romantic person, the poet in him, and loves the arts and loves all music.”
