Southern

St. Lawrence Parish Room, Colebrook Street, Winchester SO23 9LH

At the height of his fame as a composer, Edward Elgar publicly admitted that he owed much of his success to the influence of his mother.

Our speaker Michael Trott tells the story of that inspirational mother, Ann Greening, who gave her son love, security and understanding – the best possible start in life.

Despite her poor background and basic education, her interests were wide-ranging – the natural world, literature and chivalry – and she had a strong religious faith and sense of fun.  She epitomised the Victorians’ enthusiasm for self-improvement, and, in spite of not being musical, she played a crucial role in nurturing her son’s genius.

Michael Trott’s talk is based on his book ‘Ann Greening – Mother of Edward Elgar’ which he co-authored with Hilary Elgar (Ann Greening’s great-granddaughter) and Dr. Brenda Watson.    

The Spring, 56 East Street, Havant, PO9 1BS 

Andrew Dalton of the London Branch of the Elgar Society will speak about Billy Reed, who was a leader of the London Symphony Orchestra and a long-standing and very close friend of Elgar. 

St. Lawrence Parish Room, Colebrook Street, Winchester SO23 9LH 

The mezzo-soprano and pianist Jacqueline Edwards discusses and illustrates the life and career of her distant ancestor, the celebrated Edwardian contralto for whom Sir Edward Elgar composed a number of works including his song cycle ‘Sea Pictures’. 

St. Lawrence Parish Room, Colebrook Street, Winchester SO23 9LH

This talk will consider Elgar’s two oratorios The Apostles and The Kingdom within the context of the late romantic central  European symphonic tradition. It will consider to what extent Elgar’s travels in Europe in the 1890s impacted on his compositional development and how his 1902 visit to the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth may have left its imprint on The Apostles.  In broader terms it will examine how the dramatic design and tonal architecture of both works bears comparison not only with the long-breathed tonal spans of Wagnerian opera, but also with the large-scale symphonic structures of, amongst others, Brahms, Mahler and Richard Strauss.

Roger Allen is Emeritus Fellow in Music of St Peter’s College in the University of Oxford. His research interests are in music of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with a particular focus on Elgar’s place within wider European tradition of symphonic composition.

He is the author of a variety of articles and books reflecting his research interests; his study of the conductor and fervent champion of Elgar Arthur Nikisch is to be published by Boydell & Brewer in the Spring of 2025.  

St. Lawrence Parish Room, Colebrook Street, Winchester SO23 9LH

We warmly welcome Chris Cope, Chair of The Holst Society. The details of his talk will be announced shortly.