A REMARKABLE letter revealing composer Sir Edward Elgar was scraping the pennies in his later years is set to go under the hammer.

In the correspondence, dating from 1922, the Lower Broadheath-born composer admits he is "hard up".

It was written at a time when Elgar was desperate to extract money for an arrangement he had made of a work by J S Bach.

His publishers baulked at the money Elgar demanded and in the letter he writes: "I am of course, hard up (more or less) but I didn't want my memory to be cursed by generations of impoverished shareholders."

Auctioneers' documents expert Richard Westwood-Brookes said: "After writing his famous Cello Concerto in 1991 and the death of his beloved wife in the following year, Elgar virtually abandoned serious composition - but this, of course, left him with a serious cash crisis.

"As a result, he was forced to do what he could to earn a living, arranging other composers' works and writing trifles - indeed anything which would help pay the bills of the succession of rather large homes in which he chose to live. It was at this time Elgar even thought about selling all his wonderful manuscripts in order to raise funds. Thankfully, he decided against such drastic action."

The letter is expected to reach up to £600 and is one of several being auctioned at the Mullock Madeley specialist sale of historical documents, autographs and ephemera at the Clive Pavilion, Ludlow Racecourse, on Wednesday, April 20.

Also included are Elgar's calling card and three publications of his works.

These include a rare original booklet of words on his short-lived Pageant of Empire, produced to commemorate the King's visit to India in 1912.

Other letters include a postcard sent to his friend and mentor August Jaeger.