Your Crowning Glory

"Your Crowning Glory" is a song from the 2004 Disney film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, sung by Julie Andrews (Queen Clarisse) and Raven Symone (Princess Assana). It is notable for being the first time Julie Andrews sung in film following her 1997 botched throat surgery operation. Intermittent singing in films had used old recordings of her.

In the film

Within the context of the film, the song is one Princess Amelia (Anne Hathaway) heard in childhood, and she asks her grandmother to sing it as she heads to adulthood and marriage. Later, she sings it at a slumber party to Amelia and her friends, before handing it over to Assana after a remixed version starts to play.

Development

"I wish I could call it singing. I don’t want to mislead anyone. I really would like it to be made very clear that, in fact, it isn’t singing. It’s sort of speak-singing, singing-speak."

Julie Andrews to The Spokesman [1]

Andrews begins the song in a talk-sing style, then transitions to singing with a limited vocal range and noticeably raspy tone.[2] Andrews initially resisted the idea of singing in The Princess Diaries 2, and she felt it would come across to audiences as gimmicky, and slow down the action, but she was eventually convinced by husband Blake Edwards and director Garry Marshall, on the condition that she would have the right to cut the number if it was unsuccessful.[2]

Andrews then personally chose Larry Grossman to work on the film's music, and he constructed a song that was written in a single octave to avoid it from being demanding vocally for the actress.[2] Andrews asked him to keep the song simple, low, and within her 5-note range.[2] Lyricist Lorraine Feather commented "It's an old-fashioned song with classic-type lyrics".[2] Music supervisor Dawn Soler described the piece as having a classic song structure, with a hi-hop feel.[3] Andrews added the idea of a back-and-forth banter between her character and Raven's.[3] Marshall said the song made those on the set "deeply moved" and "teary-eyed".[4] In terms of stanging, Andrews insisted on it being deliberately impromptu, as opposed to it being a huge showstopping performance.[2] Trained soprano Hathaway, who had recently done a singing role in Ella Enchanted, abstained from singing in the number, one reason being she didn't think her character was one to break into song.[2] Raven deemed the experience to sing with her icon as "incredible"; meanwhile Andrews recalled the day as being "lively and full of energy".[3] 250 people (from both this project and neighbouring projects) showed up to the soundstage to watch Andrew's performance.[3]

Critical reception

Billboard thought the duet was awkward and didn't quite fit into the overall soundtrack.[5] After, the site would later comment that the moment was significant in the context of Andrews's career: "Although she downplayed this return to singing, that is exactly what it was, demonstrating that she had made at least a partial recovery from her botched throat surgery."[6] Cinema Review deemed it a "highlight" and "memorable".[3] Deseret Times thought Andrews' music moment was "botched" by the "irksome" Raven.[7] Groucho Reviews was disappointed that Andrews' quiet return to screen singing was interrupted by a dance-beat duet.[8] St Alban's Review thought the number demonstrated that Andrews had not "given up on her voice".[9]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/aug/11/in-song-again/
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thomas, Bob (2004-03-18). "Julie Andrews to sing in 'Diaries 2'". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT - Movie Production Notes...CinemaReview.com". www.cinemareview.com. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  4. ↑ "In song again". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  5. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (2004-08-14). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  6. ↑ "Julie Andrews - Biography | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  7. ↑ Vice, Jeff (2004-08-03). "Film review: Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, The". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  8. ↑ Canavese, Peter. "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) [**]". GrouchoReviews. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  9. ↑ "Julie Andrews is 80 years old: Here's 5 reasons she's an icon". St Albans & Harpenden Review. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
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