Wilkinson’s dramatic musical setting for narrator and orchestra brings Alfred Tennyson’s Arthurian legend vividly to life. The work opens at the height of a Celtic battlefield, where King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table are locked in conflict. Mortally wounded, Arthur summons Sir Bedivere and entrusts him with one final, fateful command: to take the legendary sword Excalibur and cast it into the lake.
Twice, Sir Bedivere falters, unable to surrender the magnificent blade and tempted by its power and beauty. Twice, Arthur sees through his knight’s false account and demands the truth. At last, Bedivere hurls Excalibur into the water. In a moment of wonder, an arm rises from the lake, seizes the sword, brandishes it above the waves, and draws it beneath the surface. Knowing that his final command has been fulfilled, the dying king passes into peace. Laid upon a barge, Arthur drifts away through the mist, vanishing across the lake into legend.
The Orchestra
The work is for narrator and orchestra: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets in Bb, Bass Clarinet in Bb, 2 Bassoons, Contra Bassoon, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in Bb, 2 Tenor Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, 3 Percussion, (Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Tenor Drum, Tam Tam, Clashed Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Whip, 3 Wood Blocks, Maracas, Triangle, Wind Chimes, Wind Tube, Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Tubular Bell in C#), 4-part female voices and/or keyboard/vocal synthesizer, Piano, Harp, and a full complement of Strings.
The Publication
The duration of the work is approximately 25 minutes, and it is suitable for younger audiences and youth orchestra performances. Full orchestral scores are available, along with an A4 study score and an A3 orchestral score. The text comes directly from the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, adapted for narration.
All are available from the publisher United Music Publishing Ltd.
The orchestral parts are also available for hire from UMP Ltd.
Related Works
Visit the Compositions Page for other orchestral works. For Narrator and Orchestra, see Tom Sawyer’s Treasure Adventure, which is suitable for younger audiences. Bon Voyage! is an award-winning sea suite for orchestra. Other orchestral works include Symphony No. 2, a large-scale work with optional Organ for church and cathedral performances, and the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra. Also available is a full-scale orchestral setting of the Christmas carol, O Come All Ye Faithful, including fanfare, introductions and verses.
Links to all works are listed on the Publications Page.