In 1958 Duke Ellington was presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II at a private reception, a meeting of such impact that he promised to compose a suite in her honour.

Inspired by the beauty and majesty of nature, The Queen’s Suite – one of Ellington’s most beautiful works – remained hidden from the public until after his death when it received its premiere in 1998.

Rediscovered by pianist Peter Edwards, the secrets of this evocative suite were revealed and brought to life by the Nu Civilisation Orchestra for the first time in 2009.

On 3 June 2022, NCO reprise their performance of The Queen’s Suite alongside additional pieces by Ellington and Strayhorn plus Peter Edwards’ original composition Above and Beyond the Horizon at the Southbank Centre, London, as a prominent part of the venue’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.