# London Suite (Coates)

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Musical suite composed by Eric Coates in 1933

The ***London Suite***, also known as ***London Every Day***, is a suite of orchestral music by the English composer [Eric Coates](/source/Eric_Coates).

The Suite was completed in 1933 when Coates was 47.[1]

It consists of three movements:

- I. [Covent Garden](/source/Covent_Garden) ([Tarentelle](/source/Tarentelle))

- II. [Westminster](/source/Westminster) (Meditation)

- III. [Knightsbridge](/source/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](/source/BBC) Radio chat show programme called *[In Town Tonight](/source/In_Town_Tonight)* which was broadcast initially on the [National Programme](/source/BBC_National_Programme) from 1933 and then switched to the [Home Service](/source/BBC_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.[1]

[Gerrard Williams](/source/Gerrard_Williams) arranged the military band edition of the suite for Chappell's Army Journal. [Paul V. Yoder](/source/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](/source/Cherry_Ripe_(song))*, mimicking the call of [street vendors](/source/Street_vendor). The second movement quotes the [Westminster Quarters](/source/Westminster_Quarters).[2]

## *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".[3][4] The movements are as follows:

- I. [Oxford Street](/source/Oxford_Street) (March). A busy shopping thoroughfare.

- II. [Langham Place](/source/Langham_Place%2C_London) (Elegie). Langham Place is the location of BBC [Broadcasting House](/source/Broadcasting_House).

- III. [Mayfair](/source/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.[4] The work received its premiere by the BBC Theatre Orchestra under [Stanford Robinson](/source/Stanford_Robinson).[4]

## Other "London" works by Coates

- *London Bridge*, March (1934)

- *London Calling*, March (1943)

- *Holborn*, March (1950)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-farnon_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-farnon_1-1) [Robert Farnon Society](http://www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk/index.php/legends/eric-coates). robertfarnonsociety.org.uk. Retrieved on 2017-01-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Coates Eric: London Suite"](https://www.bhso.org.uk/work/coates-eric-london-suite-2/). *Burgess Hill Symphony Orchestra*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Coates Eric – The London Suite](http://www.bhso.org.uk/repert-254-Coates-Eric-London-Suite.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110927224958/http://www.bhso.org.uk/repert-254-Coates-Eric-London-Suite.htm) 2011-09-27 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). bhso.org.uk. Retrieved on 2011-05-30.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-payne_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-payne_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-payne_4-2) Michael Payne, *The Life and Music of Eric Coates* (Routledge, 2016), p.111

v t e Eric Coates By the Sleepy Lagoon (1930) London Suite (1932) The Dam Busters March (1942)

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