贵为英国第二国歌，《威风堂堂进行曲》在英国已经到了无人不知无人不晓的地步。4月21日是英国女王伊丽莎白二世的生日，在此特献上这首乐曲，请大家一同回顾日不落帝国的昌盛。
乐曲简介
—作者埃尔加
—主题威风凛凛，旋律大气磅礴
—乐曲地位极高
—首演时被观众要求演奏了三遍
作者爱德华·埃尔加（Edward Elgar,1857－1934）。《威风堂堂进行曲》(Pomp and Circumstance Marches, Op. 39)总共包括埃尔加在1901至1903年间陆续完成的五首短小的进行曲，其中的第一首被公认为最成功，因而也最著名。
本曲以一个短小的引子作为开始。接着，华丽而威风凛凛的主部主题强有力地呈现出来；与主部主题形成巧妙对照的是乐曲中段那具有民谣之美的旋律。可以说，这段旋律在英国的地位，几乎与国歌一样神圣。此外，甚至在美国英国许多院校的毕业典礼上，学生们也是在这支旋律的音乐声中领取文凭，就连几次英国皇室婚礼也演奏了这首《威风堂堂进行曲》，其影响之深远可见一斑。
此曲目首演是在1901年，不过演出地点，有的说法说是在伦敦，也有的说是在利物浦。不过能确定的一点是，乐曲首演时获得了巨大成功，以至于乐队在观众的要求下重复演奏了三遍，观众激动的情绪才有所好转。由此可见《威风堂堂进行曲》在英国有多么的受欢迎。甚至到了现在，该曲在英国演出也很少只演奏一遍。即便日不落帝国已经过去了很久，但是现在的英国人仍然能够随着乐队一起演唱《威风堂堂进行曲》，由此可见乐曲带给了英国人多么大的震撼和心灵上的共鸣。
《威风堂堂进行曲》歌词
曾被爱德华七世用作《加冕颂歌》)
Coronation Ode 加冕颂诗
Land of Hope and Glory (from Elgar's Coronation Ode) - choir of King's College Chapel, Cambridge
Land of Hope and Glory,
Mother of the Free,
How may we extol thee,
Who are born of thee?
Truth and Right and Freedom,
Each a holy gem,
Stars of solemn brightness,
weave thy diadem.
Tho' thy way be darkened,
Still in splendour drest,
As the star that trembles
O'er the liquid West.
Throned amid the billows,
Throned inviolate,
Though hast reigned victorious,
Though has smiled at fate.
Land of Hope and Glory,
Fortress of the Free,
How may we extol thee,
Praise thee, honour thee?
Hark, a mighty nation
Maketh glad reply;
Lo, our lips are thankful,
Lo, our hearts are high!
Hearts in hope uplifted,
Loyal lips that sing;
Strong in faith and freedom,
We have crowned our King!
英国作家豪斯曼为此写的抒情诗:
《希望和光荣的国土》
LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY
Dear Land of Hope, thy hope is crowned.
God make thee mightier yet!
On Sov'ran brows, beloved, renowned,
Once more thy crown is set.
Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
Have ruled thee well and long;
By Freedom gained, by Truth maintained,
Thine Empire shall be strong.
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty,
make thee mightier yet.
God, who made thee mighty,
make thee mightier yet.
Thy fame is ancient as the days,
As Ocean large and wide:
A pride that dares, and heeds not praise,
A stern and silent pride:
Not that false joy that dreams content
With what our sires have won;
The blood a hero sire hath spent
Still nerves a hero son.
