Like so many of his countrymen during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, British composer Edward Elgar was ardently patriotic. Combined with his natural militaristic turn (he had, after all, married the daughter of an army general) and love of ceremony, this patriotism made Elgar perfectly suited to author a long and distinguished line of Marches; ultimately, these would take a place not only in the traditional occasional music of his own country, but also in that of Britain's sister-nations across the Atlantic. The five Pomp and Circumstance marches, published collectively as Opus 39 but actually composed over a period of almost thirty years, are without a doubt the best known of his pieces in this peculiarly British genre. Though their collective title, drawn from a line in Shakespeare's Othello describing "the pomp and circumstance of glorious war," clearly allies them with the British military tradition, the musicality and variety (and even charm) of these five pieces render them enjoyable sans any nationalist association.

The first in the set, in D major (1901), earned Elgar his knighthood; it was later adapted into the Coronation Ode and given the well-known lyrics "Land of Hope and Glory." The famous trio section is as recognizable as the Union Jack, now virtually ubiquitous at high school and university graduation ceremonies. If one can put aside its over-familiarity, this is a very beautiful theme; as the composer himself described it in very unceremonious language, "I've got a tune in my head that's going to knock 'em dead!"

The A minor march that follows was composed almost simultaneously with the preceding one; it has never achieved anything like the fame of its sister-piece, and yet it is in many ways a better work. The trio in particular could hardly be a more striking contrast to the G major melody of the first march.

Elgar must have been in a particularly dramatic mood when he penned the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 3 in C minor (completed in 1904). This is no militaristic exercise, but rather a dramatic orchestral poem. Three bassoons offer vague hints of a melody during the subdued opening, but the quietude is not sustained for long, as a massive brass-laden crescendo paves the way for a broad main tune. The light theme and staccato accompaniment of the A flat major trio offer a well-earned reprieve from the physicality of the march-proper.

March No. 4 in G major, composed in 1907 recalls something of the general enthusiasm of the famous first March. The main march idea is built on a single rhythmic cell, while the C major trio is marked "nobilmente."

Almost 25 years would pass before the composer completed the fifth Pomp and Circumstance March, but upon hearing the result it quickly becomes apparent that Elgar saved the best for last. The main melodic idea is all youth and exuberance (especially considering that its composer was well over seventy at the time), and Elgar provides the trio section with a broad melody that is at least the equal of the G major tune in the first March.

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No.1 in D

This first of the five Pomp and Circumstance marches is the most popular, and one of Elgar's most widely performed compositions. Its trio section contains one of the most-famous tunes ever to come from an English composer. Dedicated to conductor Alfred Rodewald and the Liverpool Orchestral Society members, the work was not conducted by Rodewald at its premiere—as was commonly thought for years—but by Elgar, who led the Liverpool Orchestral Society Orchestra in a concert that also featured Pomp and Circumstance No. 2. Rodewald conducted the other works on that evening's program. Elgar got the idea of naming the series of five marches Pomp and Circumstance from Act III of Shakespeare's Othello, where Othello refers to the "...Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!" But there is nothing warlike about Elgar's music in this piece. It opens with a rousing introduction, after which a jaunty, quite lively march tune is given. The orchestration is colorful and at times even boisterous. The famous trio march theme is then played, first in a subdued, solemn manner then blaring forth in a brass-dominated glorious rendition. After a return of the main theme, the big march tune reappears near the end. This work became so instantly popular because of its trio theme that Elgar was prompted to make immediate use of it in the finale of his Coronation Ode (1902). It was set to the words "Land of Hope and Glory" and has ever since been a popular patriotic song in England. The theme was also used on the popular American television show from the 1950s and '60s Queen for a Day.

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No.4 in G

It is, of course, the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 that rises far above the other four in popularity, owing to its famous trio theme that was also used in "Land of Hope and Glory," the final movement of Elgar's Coronation Ode (1902). But the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 here has garnered a good measure of popularity, as well. It, too, has a catchy trio theme and quite attractive music in the outer sections. This G major work is instantly recognizable as pure, festive Elgar, having those same colorful and joyous sonorities and a somewhat proud nonchalance in its trio. The piece opens with a jaunty theme played by winds and strings that grows more muscular and glittery as it proceeds. Clearly, the music here conjures images of patriotic celebrations or a colorful parade. The trio quietly begins in a somewhat carefree manner, then turns glorious. The music follows much the same formula throughout as that in the Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1. The trio tune returns near the end in a truly pompous and joyous manner, there following a coda based on the main theme. This spirited, cheerful work typically has a duration of five minutes.

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