Some 30 years ago, a group of prominent knights of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order decided to record for prosperity some of the most memorable and inspiring pieces of royal and military music ever written during the existence of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Through this celebration of Royal Military Anthems and Marches, the knights desired above all else to bring to life once again the pomp and majesty of their former kingdom and offer the listener an insight into the achievements of some of its most prominent Court musicians.
The knights dedicated their original work to the honour and memory of the long and distinguished line of Grand Masters of the Sacred Military Order as well as the Sovereigns and Heads of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies. For as history has already well documented, their dynasty was one of Europe’s most eminent and respected. A dynasty that demonstrated their dignity, honesty and honour during both the triumphal and adverse pages of its history.
One of the most emotional pieces of music below is the Inno de Re (The King’s Hymn) which was composed in 1787 by Giovanni Paisiello, a distinguished musician and Maestro di Camera e di Cappella. Commissioned by His late Majesty Ferdinando IV, King of Naples and Sicily (1751-1825), this piece of music, above all others, symbolized the country’s nationhood, strength and power and hence its adoption as the National Anthem of the Kingdom.
