Which composer wrote the 'Trumpet Voluntary'?

Jeremiah Clarke wrote the piece commonly known as the “Trumpet Voluntary.” Its original title is The Prince of Denmark’s March, and it was composed around 1700.

Clarke was an English Baroque composer and organist who held posts at St Paul’s Cathedral and the Chapel Royal. The march was probably written in honour of Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne, although the exact circumstances of its composition are not fully certain.

A common mix-up is the work’s long-standing association with Henry Purcell. For many years, an organ arrangement published in the nineteenth century incorrectly credited Purcell, whose fame helped reinforce the mistaken attribution. Sir Henry Wood later created popular arrangements for trumpet, strings, and organ, helping establish the piece’s modern ceremonial sound.

The term “trumpet voluntary” can also describe a broader type of English organ composition that uses a trumpet stop. However, when a quiz asks for the composer of “the Trumpet Voluntary,” it normally means Clarke’s Prince of Denmark’s March. The work became especially associated with weddings, royal ceremonies, and broadcasts.