LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY
On the edge of Hereford, at the junction of Hampton Park Road and Vineyard Road, and overlooking the River Wye, stands an impressive white house, shielded by trees. This is a property with a distinguished history: between 1904 and 1912, composer Sir Edward William Elgar lived there. It was from the seclusion of this house, then called Plâs Gwyn, and its private grounds that Elgar was at his most prolific. He composed the Introduction and Allegro for Strings here in 1905 as well as both of his symphonies, in 1908 and 1911, and his Violin Concerto in 1910, plus many other works. Plâs Gwyn means ‘White House’ in Welsh. The property has since been converted into flats and renamed Elgar Court. Born on 2 June 1857 in Broadheath, a village three miles from Worcester, it is perhaps unsurprising that Elgar pursued a career in music. The son of a piano tuner and music shop owner, he spent his childhood studying music and teaching himself a variety of instruments. He became a violin tutor and, in 1889, married one of his students, Caroline Alice Roberts. It was Roberts’ unwavering faith in her husband’s musical abilities that played a vital role in his becoming a world-renowned composer. Elgar’s works include Froissart in 1890, the Imperial March, 1897, and Variations on an Original Theme (Enigma), 1899. He built on this with his Pomp and Circumstance marches of 1901; the first containing the famous section that would later become Land of Hope and Glory. In 1904, Elgar was knighted and, partly to escape the spotlight, he moved to Hereford. It was here that he focused on symphonic work, such as his Symphony No. 1 in A flat major, and travelled around the world for hundreds of performances. It was the zenith of his career and one that led to his appointment to the Order of Merit in June 1911; an honour limited to 24 holders at any time for distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature or for the promotion of culture. Following the First World War and the loss of his wife in 1920, Elgar became contemplative and withdrawn, and his musical style lost its pomp and grandeur. However, he continued to compose, with his only opera, The Spanish Lady, in 1930 and a third symphony two years later. He died in Worcester on 23 February 1934.