The Score | “Pomp and Circumstance” for Graduates

With no in-person commencement ceremonies for graduating students this spring, orchestras are helping to make things more musically festive. In May, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra in Washington State released a recording of Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” to be used in virtual graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020. Jason Leng, a violinist in the orchestra, compiled recordings to create a collaborative online video. The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin provided a recording of an excerpt from “Pomp and Circumstance” to the School District of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s secretary of education, and local universities for graduation ceremonies. Many other orchestras—including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic (which collaborated with singer/songwriter Lizzo)—also offered “Pomp and Circumstance” for virtual graduations this year.