Francis Pott

Jubilate Deo

This setting was commissioned early in 2023 for the Choir of the Chapels Royal, H.M. Tower of London, as part of a service celebrating the Coronation of H.M. King Charles III. It was first performed by the Choir of the Chapels Royal conducted by its Director of Music, Colm Carey, with Christian Wilson, organist. On the day following the Coronation, the filmed service was broadcast online throughout the Commonwealth.

My brief was to create something which, while outgoing and energetic, could be prepared by a professional choir in relatively short rehearsal time, therefore lending itself to regular subsequent performance at Matins services. The music offsets its simple 3/4 time signature with intermittent dancing cross-rhythms in 6/8. In the interests of brevity, most of it is chorally homophonic, moving verbally and rhythmically in lockstep and only occasionally diversifying into brief flurries of imitative counterpoint. I was, however, encouraged by Colm Carey to write with an organist of international virtuoso standing in mind. The result represents the best accommodation I could make between Christian Wilsonʼs brilliance and that aforementioned hope of regular performances.
Francis Pott, 2024