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In honor of the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne, the historic staterooms and gardens of Buckingham Palace will be the setting for a series of celebratory concerts open to the public, with free tickets distributed by ballot throughout the United Kingdom. With ceremonies and pageants taking place across the land, GREAT PERFORMANCES will have its cameras ready for a live broadcast of the opening-day festivities on Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee Weekend. Take a front-row seat as the BBC Symphony Orchestra presents a regal repertoire, including works by Handel, Purcell, Elgar, and Britten, in a delightful afternoon of classical music and stately splendor from the historic grounds of the Queen's official London residence.
Read an interview with tenor Roberto Alagna, who, along with such luminaries as Mstislav Rostropovich, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and Angela Gheorghiu, will be among the featured performers at the classical music concert from Buckingham Palace. Learn more about the other unique festivities slated for the Golden Jubilee Weekend in an essay by writer Michael Coveney. For a description and explanation of the Queen's 1953 coronation, peruse an excerpt from SYMBOL AND PRIVILEGE: THE RITUAL CONTEXT OF BRITISH ROYALTY by Ilse Hayden.
Top banner photos: Her Majesty The Queen (photo provided by British Information Services), and a panoramic view of Buckingham Palace. |
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The Queen inspects the royal bodyguards, the Yeomen of the Guard (photo provided by British Information Services). |
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Buckingham Palace, the famous home of the British monarch (photo by Stuart M. Mitchell). |
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This program is available on DVD. |
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