ILLUSTRATED talks and insights into the composer's life and times have been lined up for the Elgar Society's new season.

Its first event, a coffee and croissants breakfast before a David Owen Norris recital on Wednesday, August 20, has already sold out.

Michael Messenger OBE will introduce his new book, Elgar's Legacy: A Centennial History of the Malvern Concert Club, at September's meeting.

A members-only trip to Symphony Hall in Birming-ham to see a performance of The Apostles will take place in October.

November will see an illustrated talk Barbirolli's Elgar given by Michael Trott at the Old Palace, Deansway, Worcester.

Wendy Hillary will follow that with another talk to the December meeting on the theme of Edward Elgar: The Other Women in his Life. It will take place at the Elgar Birthplace Museum in Lower Broadheath.

The annual lunch party in Malvern's Christchurch Hall in January is another members-only event.

February will see the letters and diaries of Kathleen Ferrier analysed by Christ-opher Fifield, author of a new book on the subject, in another talk at the museum.

A talk entitled Forgotten but not Gone will be given at the branch's annual meeting in March.

Hugh Cobbe OBE, who has served as head of music at the British Library, will round off the events accessible to the general public with a talk on the correspondence between Elgar and Vaughan Williams in April.

The society welcomes new members, and non-members are also welcome to most of its events for a small fee. More information on the new programme telephone 01684 562692 or 01684 567917.