Benjamin Britten: King Arthur: Orchestra: Score

King Arthur was the first of 28 scores Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) composed for radio between 1937 and 1947. It was an ambitious dramatisation of King Arthur’s life and times – part pageant part play part cantata – written by D.G. Bridson. This colourful suite incorporates the Introduction a dramatic Wild Dance some of the music underscoring the scenes for Galahad and The Holy Grail and two vivid battle scenes ending with The Final Battle and Apotheosis. King Arthur (scenes from a radio drama) for brass band should not be confused with a much longer orchestral suite which Paul Hindmarsh devised from the same source in1995. King Arthur (scenes from a radio drama) will be played by the 20 First Section finalists on 16th September 2018 at this year’s National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

The first broadcast of the incidental music for D.G. Bridson's radio drama King Arthur was given on 23rd April (St. George's Day) 1937. The first performance of this Suite for Orchestra was given on 21st October 1995 atthe Snape Maltings Concert Hall by the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lutz Köhler. It has been recorded for Chandos by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Richard Hickox.