ELGAR’S MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 21667, 12 March 1934, Page 2

ELGAR’S MUSIC

. TO TUB EDITOR Sir,—l am delighted to be put right by such an authority as “ L.D.A.” in matters musical. I believe it is a musical convention to prefix the definite article to the names of great executants. One used to bear of ‘ The Carreuo.’ and so forth. I must plead the excuse of false analogy for ray solecism in referring to ‘ The Messiah.’ It shall not occur again. In reference to “ L.D.A. ! s ” statement that what I wrote of Handel bristles with inaccuracies—L am sorry I cannot quote his exact words—will “ L.D.A.” deny that 1 Messiah ’ was produced in Dublin after Handel bad been practically hounded out of London as a would-be composer of operas in the Italian manner? Appreciation of ‘ Messiah ’ followed in London, and the Foundlings’ Hospital benefited, as

to-day the Great Ormond Street Hospital benefits through the munificence of Sir James Barrie. “ L.D.A.” admits that ‘ The Dream of Gerontius ’ was received with acclamation in Southern Germany, and that the initial performance in England was hot appreciated or understood: I do not see that my statement that Elgar was an essentially English composer is vitiated by the above facts, as I have read them. Wordsw'orth is essentially an English poet, but the ‘ Lyrical Ballads ’ wore not appreciated by the English at first. It is true that it was a Scot who damned the ‘ Lyrical Ballads.’ With regard to ‘ Pomp and Circumstance,’ it seems to me that false analogy has tripped up “ L.D.A.” What has Jekyll and Hyde to do w'ith it? ‘ Land of Hope and Glory ’ is known to the layman like myself as a song. 1 freely admit that I do not know whether this song was incorporated into ‘ Pomp and Circumstance ’ or whether, to use a technical term not unknown to writers, it was “ lifted ” from * Pomp and Circumstance ’ after the composition of that work. Rather 1 should say I did not know until “ L.D.A.” supplied me with the information, for which T thank him. It is odd that the only glaring inaccuracy in my little sketch escaped the censure of “ L.D.A.” 1 inadvertently referred to the Sheffield Male Choir. I attempted to rectify this slip by the use of the hack-stop and the hyphen line on my typewriter, and I also directed my amanuensis to delete the word “Male” but our combined efforts did not succeed in banishing the unwelcome intruder. The news of Sir Edward Elgar’s death came as a shock to me, as it did, doubtless, to many. Ho bad done his work, one_ must suppose, but one could have wished for him a longer period in which to enjoy the worship—to use the term in its old sense—of the British people.—l am. etc., C. R. A r.r.r.NMarch 10.