March for A History of the English Speaking Peoples

In 1959, William Walton was commissioned to compose music for the opening and closing credits of a television series based on Winston Churchill's History of the English-speaking Peoples. The resulting work, March for the History of the English-speaking Peoples, was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra in May of that year and later published by Oxford University Press. However, the television project never materialized, and consequently Walton's score, which might have become one of his more familiar among popular audiences through television exposure, was all but forgotten. With the moderate surge in popularity that Walton's music enjoyed in the last decade of the twentieth century, this and other little-known pieces have become available for consideration. Concert Bands will enjoy the majesty and drama of this piece, very appropriate for concerts, ceremonies, and graduations.