Royal College of Music student composes for historic Commonwealth celebration

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Royal College of Music composition student Jack Ledger-Dowse’s new fanfare and anthem were premiered at 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth in Parliament. 

Trumpeters from the Royal College of Music heralded the start of celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth in Parliament with a specially written anthem composed by Royal College of Music student Jack Ledger-Dowse, alongside a fanfare which was performed by the Band of the Irish Guard. 

Written especially for the occasion, the anthem ‘A Celebratory Piece’, was performed by five RCM trumpeters to welcome Speakers and Presidents from Commonwealth countries to a special dinner in the historic Central Lobby also attended by Professor Colin Lawson and Kevin Porter, Director and Deputy Director of the Royal College of Music. The new anthem was performed again the following day as part of an annual flag raising ceremony in Portcullis House, attended by Members of Parliament, High Commissioners and the Commonwealth Speakers.  

Jack Ledger-Dowse, currently in his fourth year as a BMus composition student, commented: ‘It was an honour to be commissioned to compose especially for this prestigious event. Writing these pieces and conducting for the performances has been a wonderful adventure for me which, as with every project, has led me to new discoveries about the possibilities of my own musical imagination. This anniversary so important to a great many countries around the world, and I’m personally extremely grateful to the Royal College of Music for facilitating this fantastic opportunity.’

Find out more about studying Composition at the Royal College of Music.

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