Next week, Saturday, June 2, marks the 150th anniversary of Sir Edward Elgar’s birth, though you would not have thought so by the actions of some of those in positions of authority.
Arguably Elgar has been Britain’s most beloved composer and remains so to this day.
Tunes from the Pomp and Circumstance Marches and the Dream of Gerontius are still hummed through the land in a way that is not the case of any other British composer, and Elgar wrote more than 150 separate compositions.
The composer is especially revered in Worcestershire where he was born in Broadheath and where he roamed the Malvern Hills in search of inspiration.
What is strange is the way that several authorities have reacted to this important anniversary of his birth. First there was the case of the Bank of England choosing this year to remove his image from the back of the £20 note. Several of us made contact about it with the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King; but there was no reprieve. Then there was the issue of signposting. A move was made last year to improve the signing giving the direction to Elgar’s birthplace and homes in the county.
It was felt appropriate that there should be signs on the M5 motorway.
Approaches were also made to the local highways authority asking them to improve the signage in the county. The response to these overtures was negative.
Most recently, as has been highlighted by Harriett Baldwin, there was the proposal to run a steam train on June 2 from London to Great Malvern and Worcester to mark the birth date.
This was flatly turned down by Network Rail who claimed that there was no suitable slot on the track to accommodate the journey.
Those of us who travel regularly by rail to and from Worcestershire and London are deeply aware of the constraints of the single track, particularly between Evesham and Oxford; and we are delighted by the fact that Network Rail is planning to dual this as soon as possible. However, the idea that they find it impossible to accommodate a single extra train during the day is unbelievable.
It seems to be one thing for the nation to join in with Elgar on the Last Night of the Proms; it seems to be quite another matter for the authorities to mark his life as a major feature of our national – and in Worcestershire’s case, local – heritage.