Pomp and Circumstance Marches march to the first, and thought this the finest of all the marches. After a loud call to attention from the brass, a simple "staccato" theme, tense and repetitive, is played quietly by the strings, being gradually joined by other instruments before building up to an abrupt climax. This section is repeated. The second theme, confidently played by horns and clarinets, with contrasting triple and duple rhythms, is one which was sketched by Elgar a few years before: this is developed and ends with flourishes from the strings and brass joined by the glockenspiel. The opening "staccato" theme returns, concluded
Symphony No. 4 (MacMillan) Symphony No. 4 (MacMillan) The Symphony No. 4 is the fourth symphony by the Scottish composer James MacMillan. The work was composed in celebration of the conductor Donald Runnicles's 60th birthday. It was premiered at The Proms on August 3, 2015 by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Donald Runnicles. The symphony has a duration of roughly 37 minutes and is composed in one continuous movement. Though MacMillan had conceived the symphony years earlier, he did not begin work on the piece until late 2014. The work quotes passages from "Missa Dum Sacrum Mysterium" by the Renaissance composer Robert Carver.