“...but the finest hour came with the premiere of “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days,” by Linda Robbins Coleman, the symphony’s Composer-in Residence. The piece is a delicious blend of crisp colors and lovely lyricism. The piece is as vivacious as its composer...

Rebecca P. Lindwall, Cedar Rapids Gazette

...for anyone who doesn't know Linda's symphonic overture "In Good King Charles's

Golden Days," you should!  Really fun, really charming - and crowd pleasing!

Les Marsden, Founding Music Director and Conductor,

The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra

Mariposa, California

Music and Mariposa?  Ahhhhh, Paradise!!!

A VIDEO IS AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpD80M2DKGM

Since its premiere in April, 1995, by the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, Christian Tiemeyer, Music Director and Conductor, the symphonic overture In Good King Charles’s Golden Days has been performed and broadcast more than a hundred times in the United States and abroad. In 1998 it was performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Neal Gittleman.

    In 1999 this overture provided Coleman with her British debut, by the Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra (Manchester, UK) under the direction of Martin Hardy.

     This piece is ideal for masterworks and pops concerts.

        

    Orchestras ranging from university and community symphonies to regional and national orchestras have enjoyed this music, and it has been programmed on both pops and masterworks programs to enthusiastic audiences.

In Good King Charles's Golden Days

A Symphonic Overture

Duration: Approximately 6 minutes 50 seconds

Program Notes 

       In 1989 when I was commissioned to write overtures and incidental music to George Bernard Shaw's 1939 masterpiece, "In Good King Charles's Golden Days," I was confronted with the daunting task of capturing the play’s spirit in music. First, to evoke a sense of the late 17th century I felt the use of a harpsichord was mandatory. Since the play veered into 20th century ideas, including quantum physics, I wanted to include modern musical ideas as well.

      The play consists of brilliant and often fiery arguments between King Charles II, Isaac Newton, Nell Gwynn, George Fox, James, the Duke of York, Godfrey Kneller, and Queen Catherine of Braganza. Musically the audience will find themes reflecting these characters and their brilliant dialogue dashing through various sections of the orchestra in a merry romp.

      Since the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra premiered it in April, 1995, "Charley” has been performed and broadcast throughout the United States and abroad with orchestras ranging from the Milwaukee Symphony to various professional, amateur, and youth orchestras. In 1999 "Charley" went to England - birthplace of both King Charles and the play that inspired the music. This occasion was my British debut.

 

Performance History

Recent and upcoming performances include

Altoona Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania / Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, Indiana

Central Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra / Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Colorado

Franklin and Marshall Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania / Midland Symphony Orchestra, Michigan

Millersville Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania / Allegro Orchestra Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Western Region Orchestra of Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) / Warren Symphony Orchestra (Michigan)

In 1998, of the more than 1443 pieces performed by the major symphonies in the United States (those having annual budgets of $20 million or more), only four works were composed by women. One of those works was In Good King Charles’s Golden Days by Linda Robbins Coleman. It was performed by the Milwaukee Symphony under the direction of Neal Gittleman, on a concert with vocalist Maureen McGovern.

    “Charley” (as it has affectionately been nicknamed) was also featured on a Conductors Guild Annual Conference “New Music Program” in Los Angeles, California on January 9, 1999. It was presented by Thomas Anderson, past Guild Treasurer, and Music Director of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra in Atlanta.

In Good King Charles’s Golden Days was commissioned and premiered by the Cedar Rapids Symphony in April, 1995. It has been performed and broadcast more than a hundred times throughout the USA and abroad including Dayton Philharmonic (OH), Lexington Philharmonic (KY), Wilmslow Symphony (England), University of Wyoming Symphony, Ashtabula Symphony (OH), DeKalb Symphony (GA), Knox County Orchestra (OH), Camellia Symphony (CA), St. Cloud Symphony (MN), Owensboro Symphony (KY), Dubuque Symphony (IA), Overland Park Symphony (KS), Camilla Symphony (CA), Grand Junction Symphony (CO), Iowa State Symphony (IA), Des Moines Youth Symphony, Quad City Symphony (IA), Warminster (PA) Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Binghamton (NY) Philharmonic, etc.

    For the premiere, the composer was funded, in part, by the Margaret Fairbank Jory Copying Assistance Program of the American Music Center, made possible through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Helen F. Witaker Fund, and The Chase Manhattan Bank.

Instrumentation

Perusal scores are available to interested conductors. Please contact the composer to request a score.

    Piccolo (2nd Flute)

    2 Flutes

    2 Oboes2 Clarinets in B flat

    2 Bassoons

    4 Horns in F

    2 Trumpets in C (B-flat parts available upon request)

    3 Trombones

    Tuba

    Harp

    *Harpsichord

   

    Timpani

    Percussion: (3 players)

        Crash Cymbals   Suspended Cymbals

Snare Drum

Orchestra Bells

Xylophone

Triangle

    Violin I

    Violin II

    Viola

    Violoncello

    Double Bass

    *An quality electronic keyboard or synthesizer with a good Harpsichord setting will do just fine if it is properly amplified, and if it has enough of an octave range to cover the part. If a keyboard is used, an additional amplifier/speaker must be added to the instrument since the self-contained speaker will not be adequate.

Duration: Approximately 6 minutes 50 seconds

Copyright © 1989, 1995 by Linda Robbins Coleman. All rights reserved.

Published by Coleman Creative Services.

This music is licensed through Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)

In Good King Charles’s Golden Days

a symphonic Overture

performed by the

Binghamton Philharmonic in May, 2012

Thank You Maestro Jose-Luis Novo!

In Good King Charles’s Golden Days by

Linda Robbins Coleman Kicks Off the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s

Independence Day Spectacular!

    On June 27th, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director José-Luis Novo performed their annual Independence Day Spectacular concert before more than 15,000 people at the Anne Arundel Community College in Annapolis, Maryland.

to see a video sample of the ASO Concert using Coleman’s music, please go to:

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/video/1246169263ASOsIndependenceDaySpectacular