The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) announces ‘Sing for the King’, a special choral music commission from acclaimed British singer and composer Joanna Forbes L’Estrange to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III on 6 May 2023.
The Mountains shall bring peace uses words from the Psalms, including ‘Give the King they judge, O God’, ‘The mountains shall bring peace’; and ‘Sing to the Lord a new song’, and is suitable for all choirs in a range of settings. It has enough grandeur for large choirs to sing on formal occasions, while its accessible melodic sweep lends an intimacy that will be enjoyed by smaller groups and gatherings.
Following its very successful and popular Platinum Project to commemorate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the RSCM is once again inviting choirs across the UK, the Commonwealth and beyond to join in song to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III by learning and singing The Mountains shall bring peace.
There are two versions of the music – one for SATB choir and organ/piano and one for union voices with piano. The accompaniments are interchangeable and those choirs not wishing to learn the full five-minute piece can still join in the project by learning the broad, hymn-like melody of the closing section, making it appealing for young or less experience singers.
Choirs and choral groups are invited to share their rehearsals and performances on social media using the hashtag #singfortheking
RSCM Director Hugh Morris says: “We were delighted that in 2022 many hundreds of choirs were united in singing a piece specially written for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Now, in 2023, we hope that even more will want to learn Joanna’s The Mountains shall bring peace and join with choirs from around the world to celebrate the first Coronation in 70 years.”
Composer Joanna Forbes L’Estrange says: “I was keen to find words which reflected not only King Charles’s faith but also something of his passion for the natural world and his love of the outdoors. When I think of our former Prince of Wales, I picture him walking in the Welsh mountains or in the Scottish Highlands. I’m also all too aware that this Coronation is taking place during a very turbulent time for our country and our planet and so I was searching for words which would in some way give us all hope for the future. Central to the commission brief was a big, singable tune, the kind of memorable melody which anyone and everyone can enjoy singing at the tops of their voices.”
The Mountains shall bring peace is available from the RSCM’s webshop (www.rscmshop.com) at £24.95 (RSCM members £19.95) for the downloadable music pack (this includes ALL versions, and is licenced to the purchasing choir/institution so can be shared with all choir members) and £2.95 for printed copies (£2.21 for RSCM Members). Full learning resources, including performance backing tracks, will be available from the RSCM’s dedicated Sing for the King website, which also includes further information about the project, a social media wall, and an interactive map showing where choirs can register their performance (www.rscm.org.uk/singfortheking)
Taster of the music here
Follow the project on social media using hashtag #singfortheking
