Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The Music of Kings & Queens was released in 2021 to mark the 95th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, honored with both a fanfare at the beginning and a place in the cavalcade of English monarchs at the end. The list dates back to William I, William the Conqueror, and each monarch gets a spoken introduction, alternating between Helen Mirren and Damian Lewis, together with a short musical selection by composer Debbie Wiseman. It would be too much to call these portraits, for they relate only in the most general way to the personalities of the kings and queens involved. Wiseman is a film and television composer, and the music is meant to evoke the monarchy in a general way. This it does quite successfully and without mawkishness, and the commercial success of this album among a British public always willing to soak up celebrations of the monarchs is no surprise. The texts are by Simon Brooks-Ward CVO OBE TD VR, a military officer best known as an organizer of equestrian events. They contain a corker of a dangling modifier ("Brought up in as normal an environment as was possible for a member of the royal family, dogs and ponies featured heavily in her life ...") but could serve as an instant refresher in some highlights of English history. One might note that the National Symphony Orchestra that furnishes the accompaniment is not the Washington-based group but a London orchestra specializing in musical theater. An album that will be heard throughout Elizabeth's 95th year and beyond.
© James Manheim /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Helen Mirren, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damian Lewis, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Jack Liebeck, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Helen Mirren, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Jack Liebeck, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer - Damian Lewis, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer - Helen Mirren, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Jack Liebeck, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damian Lewis, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Helen Mirren, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Jack Liebeck, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damian Lewis, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damian Lewis, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Helen Mirren, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Helen Mirren, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Jack Liebeck, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer - Damian Lewis, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Damian Lewis, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Helen Mirren, Spoken Word, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Brooks-Ward, Author
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited
Matthew Scrivener, Leader - Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Mike Brown, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Debbie Wiseman, Composer, Music Production, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reynold Swan, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Sunnucks, Producer - Ali Johnson, Unknown, Other
℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Album review
The Music of Kings & Queens was released in 2021 to mark the 95th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, honored with both a fanfare at the beginning and a place in the cavalcade of English monarchs at the end. The list dates back to William I, William the Conqueror, and each monarch gets a spoken introduction, alternating between Helen Mirren and Damian Lewis, together with a short musical selection by composer Debbie Wiseman. It would be too much to call these portraits, for they relate only in the most general way to the personalities of the kings and queens involved. Wiseman is a film and television composer, and the music is meant to evoke the monarchy in a general way. This it does quite successfully and without mawkishness, and the commercial success of this album among a British public always willing to soak up celebrations of the monarchs is no surprise. The texts are by Simon Brooks-Ward CVO OBE TD VR, a military officer best known as an organizer of equestrian events. They contain a corker of a dangling modifier ("Brought up in as normal an environment as was possible for a member of the royal family, dogs and ponies featured heavily in her life ...") but could serve as an instant refresher in some highlights of English history. One might note that the National Symphony Orchestra that furnishes the accompaniment is not the Washington-based group but a London orchestra specializing in musical theater. An album that will be heard throughout Elizabeth's 95th year and beyond.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 26 track(s)
- Total length: 01:06:18
- Main artists: Debbie Wiseman Helen Mirren Damian Lewis
- Composer: Debbie Wiseman
- Label: Decca (UMO) (Classics)
- Genre: Classical
© 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited ℗ 2021 Universal Music Operations Limited / Audio Network Limited
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.
