The Man and Woman Behind the Music
4th April 2017
As a child, Edward studied the music available to him in his father’s shop, taught himself to play several instruments, and started composing at the age of ten. Later, Edward took over from his father as organist at St George’s Church, Worcester. For several years he conducted and composed for local musical organisations, and eventually, in 1889, he married one of his pupils, Alice Roberts, against her family’s wishes. Alice was well connected and proved a great support to Edward.
After Alice’s death in 1920 Edward developed other female friendships including, particularly, another Alice.
Elgar first big success came with ’Variations on an an original theme’(Enigma) in 1899, a masterpiece in form and presentation.
Our speaker, during his research on Sir Edward Elgar, thought he might have cracked the ‘Enigma’ of the variations, written mainly in the key of G major, with some in the minor, but ending in G major; Edu….in….G major becomes E ni Gma. Will we ever know?
