Henry VIII – Incidental Music

• Henry VIII was written in 1877 for a revival of the Shakespeare play at the Theatre Royal in Manchester.¹
• Simply put, incidental music is music that accompanies a theatrical work.
• The piece is comprised of 4 movements, all of which were used in the fifth act of the play:
  1. March
  2. King Henry’s Song (featuring tenor soloist)
  3. Graceful Dance
  4. Water Music²

Synopsis of the Shakespeare play, Henry VIII

1. David Eden, “Henry VIII – Incidental Music (1877),” in accompanying booklet, Sullivan: Incidental Music performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra conducted by Andrew Penny, Marco Polo 223461, 1992, compact disc.
2. Ibid.