he producer of the coronation album said the ceremony at Westminster Abbey will be an “incredible three-dimension musical experience”.
Anna Barry, who has produced more than 500 recordings over 35 years including the weddings of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011 and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018, will release a complete recording of the King’s ceremony on the day of the historic event.
It is the first time in history that such a recording has been produced, marking an unprecedented event in both recorded music and British royal history.
The Official Album of the Coronation will feature 12 brand new works commissioned by Charles, including the coronation anthem Make A Joyful Noise – composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Barry, who was at the rehearsals on Friday in Westminster Abbey, told the PA news agency: “We’re capturing the event to put it on to all digital media, on the same day, and I think it’s the first time that that has ever been done in surround so fast.
“I’m particularly excited about (balance engineer) Mike Hatch, who has done an amazing job capturing what it’s really like standing in the lobby having fanfares from Abbott’s Pew and the orchestra from the organ loft, and then the choirs from various angles.
“It’s an incredibly three-dimensional experience sonically and I think it will be phenomenal for those people who were able to experience it that way.”
She also revealed that around 192 microphones in various different places will capture the recording for four hours – featuring performances from eight choirs, six conductors, two organists, as well as a specially selected “Coronation Orchestra”, among others.
Barry added: “We’ve been here learning the event, in the rehearsals so hopefully we won’t be surprised by anything, suddenly coming from somewhere we didn’t think it was going to come from, but there are so many participants as well, it’s wonderfully inclusive.”
Physical versions of the album, featuring the entire service and all new commissions, will be available in stores globally from May 15, with a special deluxe collector’s CD and vinyl following later in the year.
It will be exclusively recorded at Westminster Abbey and released by Decca Records, with an official photograph from the day as the cover art.
The ceremony is set to feature a range of musical styles and performers, blending tradition, heritage and ceremony with the new musical voices of today to reflect Charles’ life-long support of music and the arts.
The Coronation Of Their Majesties King Charles III And Queen Camilla: The Official Album Of The Coronation will be released in support of the Royal British Legion and Age UK charities.
