Master of the King's Music

Duties are not clearly stated, though it is generally expected the holder of the post will write music to commemorate important royal events, such as coronations, birthdays, anniversaries, marriages and deaths, and to accompany other ceremonial occasions.

[2] The King's Minstrels requested and received a charter from Charles I in 1635 to "have the survey, scrutinie, correction and government of all and singular the musicians within the kingdome of England".

This was Nicholas Lanier,[2] appointed by Charles I in 1626 as Master of the King's Musick (the spelling was changed to "Music" in the 20th century, during Sir Edward Elgar's tenure).

[1] The position lapsed during the period of military rule following the Civil War, but on the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 Lanier returned from exile to resume the revived post.

The post of Master of the King's Musick continued because George IV maintained the traditional small orchestra, which Shield's successor, Christian Kramer, directed.

His tenure lasted thirty-one years from 1893, under the reigns of three monarchs – Queen Victoria, Edward VII and George V. In Duck's view, Parratt's role was chiefly that of musical adviser to the Crown.

Among his actions in that capacity were inviting Elgar to set A. C. Benson's verses as a Coronation Ode for Edward VII in 1901, and writing an anthem for the anniversary of Queen Victoria's death in 1909.

[12] Parratt's own official compositions included a contribution to a collection of choral songs by various composers in honour of Queen Victoria and a Confortare for the coronation service of Edward VII.

"[15] Elgar's appointment was announced in May 1924; The Times commented, "it is entirely fitting that in the changed condition of the office he should be made Master of the King's Musick and the Musician Laureate of the British people.

[16] He used his influence as Master to track down the original instruments of Edward VII's band, to ensure the royal music library was well ordered, and to secure recognition for other musicians, including a knighthood for Granville Bantock and the Companion of Honour for Frederick Delius.

[18] In a 1966 retrospective of the various Masters, Charles Cudworth wrote that Davies was "a fine musician, a good composer, and was even better-known as one of the world's first great broadcasters, so the appointment was popular.

[21] Bliss, who composed quickly and with facility, was able to discharge the calls on him as Master, providing music as required for state occasions, from the birth of a child to the Queen, and the funeral of Winston Churchill, to the investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales.

[23] There was some surprise that Bliss's actual successor was the Australian composer Malcolm Williamson; Walton attributed the appointment to the need for "cementing the cracks in the Commonwealth".

[23] Williamson held the post from 1975 until his death in 2003, composing works including Lament in Memory of Lord Mountbatten of Burma (1980), Ode for Queen Elizabeth (1980), and Songs for a Royal Baby (1985).