Orb and Sceptre Ball for organ by Sir William McKie, and in 2014 for Concert Band by Paul Noble. Orb and Sceptre Orb and Sceptre is a march for orchestra written by Sir William Walton for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Influenced largely by Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance Marches" 1 and 4, it begins in the key of E major with bright trumpet fanfares before leaping into the famous march section, heavily syncopated and brightly orchestrated. This section moves briefly through C major before returning to E. As with "Crown Imperial", written by Walton in 1936 for the
Pomp and Circumstance Marches timpani (3), percussion (side drum, bass drum & cymbals), and strings. Without introduction, its opening episode is extended with enormous confidence and proceeds directly into the "Trio" section. The "Trio" starts quietly in a similar way to the introduction of his First Symphony: just a moving bass line and a tune, also in the same key (A). The tune is re-stated strongly, as we expect, then developed. The re-statement of the opening employs the same instruments of the orchestra, but is this time started as soft as possible for just four bars before a quick "crescendo" restores its spirit to