London Suite (Coates)

{{Short description|Musical suite composed by Eric Coates in 1933}} {{italic title}} The '''''London Suite''''', also known as '''''London Every Day''''', is a suite of orchestral music by the English composer [[Eric Coates]].

The Suite was completed in 1933 when Coates was 47.<ref name="farnon">[http://www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk/index.php/legends/eric-coates Robert Farnon Society]. robertfarnonsociety.org.uk. Retrieved on 2017-01-30.</ref>

It consists of three movements: : I. [[Covent Garden]] ([[Tarentelle]]) : II. [[Westminster]] (Meditation) : III. [[Knightsbridge]] (March)

The work was extremely popular when it was first published, no doubt helped by part of the third movement, Knightsbridge, being used as the theme tune for a [[BBC]] Radio chat show programme called ''[[In Town Tonight]]'' which was broadcast initially on the [[BBC National Programme|National Programme]] from 1933 and then switched to the [[BBC Home Service|Home Service]] in 1939 where it continued until 1960. The BBC received such a large number of requests for the name of the piece by post that they had slips of paper printed specifically to help with the demand.<ref name="farnon" />

[[Gerrard Williams]] arranged the military band edition of the suite for Chappell's Army Journal. [[Paul V. Yoder]] also arranged the march for Chappell & Co.

== Orchestration ==

The ''London Suite'' is scored for:

:Violin I & II :Viola :Cello :Bass :Flute I & II :Clarinet I & II :Oboe I & II :Horns I – IV :Trumpets I & II :Trombones I & II :Harp :Timpani :Percussion: Triangle, Side Drum, Bass Drum, Cymbals (clashed), Cymbal (suspended), Glockenspiel, Tubular Bells and Gong.

== Musical features == The first movement quotes the English folksong ''[[Cherry Ripe (song)|Cherry Ripe]]'', mimicking the call of [[street vendor]]s. The second movement quotes the [[Westminster Quarters]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Coates Eric: London Suite |url=https://www.bhso.org.uk/work/coates-eric-london-suite-2/ |website=Burgess Hill Symphony Orchestra}}</ref>

==''London Again''== Such was the popularity of the ''London Suite'' that in 1936 Coates wrote a sequel to it called the '''''London Again Suite'''''; the title pre-empted critics that he was writing about "London again".<ref>[http://www.bhso.org.uk/repert-254-Coates-Eric-London-Suite.htm Coates Eric – The London Suite] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927224958/http://www.bhso.org.uk/repert-254-Coates-Eric-London-Suite.htm |date=2011-09-27 }}. bhso.org.uk. Retrieved on 2011-05-30.</ref><ref name=payne>Michael Payne, ''The Life and Music of Eric Coates'' (Routledge, 2016), p.111</ref> The movements are as follows:

: I. [[Oxford Street]] (March). A busy shopping thoroughfare. : II. [[Langham Place, London|Langham Place]] (Elegie). Langham Place is the location of BBC [[Broadcasting House]]. : III. [[Mayfair]] (Valse). A fashionable and expensive residential area of London.

The second movement references the composer's close association with the BBC, being based on a B♭ B♭ C motif; this movement quotes the "Knightsbridge" March made famous by ''In Town Tonight'' and concludes with the chimes of Big Ben which closed down broadcasting for the day.<ref name=payne/> The work received its premiere by the BBC Theatre Orchestra under [[Stanford Robinson]].<ref name=payne/>

==Other "London" works by Coates== *''London Bridge'', March (1934) *''London Calling'', March (1943) *''Holborn'', March (1950)

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Compositions by Eric Coates]] [[Category:Orchestral suites]] [[Category:Compositions for symphony orchestra]] [[Category:1933 compositions]] [[Category:Music about London]]