Elgar

What do we know about Edward Elgar?

He was born in Lower Broadheath near Worcester in 1857 and had no formal training as a musician which is amazing considering he was the man who supposedly, put England back on the map with his compositions. He spearheaded the revival in English music.
He is best known for the popular 'Land of Hope and Glory' from the Pomp and Circumstance Marches and the Enigma Variations.
He was a sensitive man and because he was self taught and had no formal training he felt somewhat inadequate. He married Caroline Alice Roberts, known as Alice, the daughter of a senior British army officer. Her family was horrified by her intention to marry an unknown musician who worked in a shop and was a Roman Catholic. She was disinherited.
She encouraged and inspired him both musically and socially with limited success to start. In the end, his achievements earned him many honours including a knighthood, a Baronetcy and the order of merit. He accepted these honours reluctantly, knowing they were more important to Alice  and her social class and in recognition of all she had given up to further his career.  
In her diary she wrote "The care of a genius is enough of a life work for any woman"

Elgar in his garden

He could be a difficult man to live and work with, with his mood swings sometimes causing him to give up on his music entirely. He was heard to say in one of his lower moments, "My life is one continual giving up of little things which I love". Very sad indeed. But constantly encouraged by Alice, Elgar travelled extensively and continued to compose further works of art.
Alice died in 1920 and Elgar was devastated. He lost his interest in composing and took up other hobbies such as alchemy, football, bicycling, and being chauffeured about the countryside. He sold the family home and moved back to Worcestershire where he lived from 1923 - 1927 and composed large scale symphonic works.
Elgar was involved in the pioneering days of recording. In 1926 he made a series of recordings of his own works and was the first composer to take the gramophone seriously.
In his final years Elgar experienced a musical revival and was writing an opera 'The Spanish Lady' which sadly, was not completed due to illness. He died in 1933.

This house we visited today is now The Elgar Birthplace Museum and is the house where Edward Elgar was born. It is said to be the one place Elgar felt most at home and it was the only wish he had, that this cottage should be preserved. His daughter Carice carried out this wish, gathering her father's belongings and opening the Cottage Museum in 1936
And so it is and I very much enjoyed my visit......