Two German students' approach to this controversial topic

Isabelle Trick and Katharina KrugerEven though the Football World Cup in 2006 has brought some long overdue changes to Germany and people are no longer afraid of showing national pride, there are still some things which are considered inappropriate. Singing the first two stanzas of the national Anthem containing lyrics like "Germany above all" belongs into said category. The 150th anniversary of one of Britain's most famous composers, Edward Elgar, has broached a similar controversial topic because celebrations to honour his oeuvre were not supported by the Arts Council England which led to one burning question: Why? Is Elgar too imperialistic, too patriotic for modern times?Edward Elgar created a great variety of compositions, among them the renowned Pomp and Circumstance March, the first part of which is nowadays world famous as the informal British anthem Land of Hope and Glory. Especially at the Last Night of the Proms this stirring piece of music makes people get up, wave their banners and enthusiastically chant the chorus "Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set". Naturally, there is no denying the imperialistic character of this piece, but does this make Elgar a composer who can be reduced to being a nationalistic, jingoistic tub-thumper who does not deserve to be supported by the Arts Council England? First of all, one must not forget that Elgar did not aim at composing an anthem which is today used by drunken football hooligans. "He was a product of his time", as Sue Fairchild, archivist at the Elgar Birthplace Museum, stated, a time when the British Empire was at its pinnacle and when a healthy dose of patriotism was nothing out of the ordinary.

Therefore one should not just value his music rashly, because it is essential to see his compositions through the eyes of his time. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your country, because Elgar himself was proud of being British and was deeply inspired by his country. Subsequently there is also nothing wrong with joining the crowd at the Last Night of the Proms, as long as people are aware of the historical background and don't misunderstand Land of Hope and Glory as a call to return to outdated imperialism.

With this in mind it's deplorable that the Arts Council England took political correctness over honouring Worcester's greatest son whose work contains far more than some imperialistic flag-waver's hymn.