The occasional piece
Many Years, a charming gift to a personal friend, was composed for the fiftieth birthday of the Prince of Wales in 1998. It was first performed at Hampton Court Palace in November that year, when an alternative version for SATB chorus was heard. The greeting ‘Many years!’ is commonly used in Orthodox countries, either on special occasions or as an everyday expression.
from notes by Phillip Borg-Wheeler © 2001
