Issue 509 – Westbury’s Jubilee anthem

WESTBURY will have its very own anthem as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, which will be premiered on Saturday 2nd June at All Saints’ Church.Composer Luke Whitlock writes music for animation, film and the concert hall, with his most recent work in Hollywood as an orchestrator. He is putting the finishing touches to the anthem, ‘Exsultate Jubilate’, which will be performed by the Westbury and District Choral Society. Written for soprano, alto, tenor, bass and accompanied by organ, the music will help the town celebrate the milestone occasion.Luke explained, “The sort of music I write is very melodious and tonal – all very singable. One of the main difficulties about writing choral work is finding the words – and if you find words you like it’s often in copyright. “This anthem I’m writing for Westbury is a mixture of my own lyrics, and is in part a poem by William Wordsworth, ‘Ode to Duty’. It is based on duty; the Queen in her speeches is often talking about duty,  whether it’s hers to the nation, or ours to family, so it’s very apt.  “The title is in Latin, ‘Exsultate Jubilate’, which is about celebrating and being joyful. This is a big celebration, so that immediately dictates a certain line. “I’ve played it to a couple of other people and they say it’s beautiful. I’m not a composer who likes sending a piece of music to people and then says ‘that’s it’ – it’s got to be a collaboration. So I’ll be meeting with the organist and then I am happy to hear what the choir think – I’m hoping it will be a process we go through together and I’m looking forward to it!”Luke studied music at Dartington College of Arts, before completing a Masters degree in composition for screen at the Royal College of Music with the internationally renowned composer Joseph Horovitz as his tutor. He works for BBC Radio 3 and 4, producing series such as The Choir, Composer of the Week, and Discovering Music; while teaching and composing on a freelance basis.