Elgar

[organist]

If you missed it check Iplayer for the 90 minute programme about Elgar which was on BBC4 on Friday - fascinating!

[musicus]

Yes, it was an excellent programme in many ways - but, while it said a good deal about his complex personality, it really didn't explore the religious and spiritual side of his life at all. Nothing about God being against Art, or about his "terrible" last words, for example.

[dmu3tem]

One of the most striking - and least remarked - aspects of Elgar's religious-musical personality is the lack of influence exerted from Stanbrook Abbey, just outside Worcester, re . plainchant. As far as I can tell he does not appear to have visited the place. I note that as a young man he played the organ at St Thomas church, Worcester, which was a Jesuit establishment. As a rule the Jesuits at this time were fairly resistant to the plainchant styles purveyed by Solesmes via Stanbrook. They continued to used the heavy slow measured chant current in the late nineteenth century. Thus, although he quotes plainchant in pieces like 'The Dream of Gerontius' the rather supple melodic 'line' Elgar so often uses may not have come directly from this idiom as is sometimes supposed.

It might also be fruitful to compare Elgar's melodic and harmonic style in church music (e.g. in 'Ave Verum') with that employed by other contemporary English Catholic composers, such as William Maher and Francis M. De Zulueta. When placed alongside them his style does not appear quite so distinctive.

[presbyter]

I note that as a young man he played the organ at St Thomas church, Worcester, which was a Jesuit establishment.

I think you mean St George's, dmu3tem. There's an informative page or two in the parish's published history on the music-making there which in Edwardian times was of a high standard. I have never had the opportunity to browse through the shelves of music in the choir loft but I think so doing would be an interesting research project for someone.

[dmu3tem]

Thank you for the correction - a slip on my part.

Yes, I visited the church some years ago and have seen some of the music up by the Organ. Some of the items are interesting but as I recall they only throw an indirect light on Elgar; although they do illustrate some aspects of the later musical culture of the church. I was told that the Organ was not the same as the one Elgar used. The parish history is very good.

[presbyter]

I was told that the Organ was not the same as the one Elgar used. The parish history is very good.

The organ that Elgar played - http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=E01269

was incorporated into the Nicholson (et al) rebuilds - http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N03283

The drawstop labels have an engraved "E" to show the ranks that Elgar would have played and heard. The original organ case remains in the gallery and the additional pipework is in a chamber adjacent to it. I admit to an slight attack of vertigo at the console when I last played the instrument a few years ago. There's not a lot between the player's back and the possibility of a precipitous descent from the gallery.

[organist]

What are the "terrible last words"?

[organist]

I too have seen the organ at St George's. Elgar defintely visited Belmont Abbey as we confirmed when we visited Broadheath. The monks used to sing an Alleluia based on the Angel's Alleluia in Gerontius.
He quoted plainchant directly in The Kingdom and Gerontius. He also used Hebrew melodies.
I have no doubt Lady Elgar forced him to compose and her family looked down on him hence the desire to be a Knight and Nobilmente on the scores! I gather Lady Walton did the same and used to lock Sir William in his composing hut. He worked out a strategy to get a student through the the window who played some Waltonesque bars on the piano while Sir William escaped through the window to a bar in the town!

[musicus]

What are the "terrible last words"?

It is reported that the priest who heard Elgar's last words refused to repeat them because "they were too terrible". I cannot recall the printed source for this right now, so I will do a little research and report back.