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- Clarke, Jeremiah
- Westermann, Clayton
Duration: 4 minutes
Description: The Prince of Denmark’s March was composed around 1700 by Jeremiah Clarke (c. 1674–1707), an English Baroque composer and organist of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and it became one of the most enduring ceremonial pieces of the era. For many years the work was spuriously attributed to Henry Purcell and widely known as the Trumpet Voluntary, a misattribution that persisted well into the 20th century before Clarke’s authorship was firmly established. Despite its title, the piece is not connected to a dramatic plot but was likely written for courtly or ceremonial occasions associated with the Danish-born Prince George of Denmark, consort of Queen Anne. No specific premiere documentation survives, though it would have been performed in London in royal or ecclesiastical settings. The 1966 orchestration by Clayton Westermann adapts Clarke’s stately trumpet-and-strings texture for modern ensemble forces while preserving its dignified Baroque character. The Prince of Denmark’s March remains a staple of ceremonial repertoire, frequently heard at weddings, state occasions, and formal celebrations. Instrumentation: 2+1(Picc).2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(1): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).