AN exhibition celebrating the centenary of Malvern Concert Club has gone on show at the Elgar Birth-place Museum, Lower Broadheath.

The club was founded in 1903 by the famed composer, who enlisted the aid of friends such as Malvern architect Arthur Troyte Griffiths.

During the last 100 years, the club has organised nearly 500 professional recitals, and among its celebrated soloists and visitors have been Sir Henry Wood, Percy Grainger, Dame Janet Baker, Paul Tortelier and Joshua Bell.

"One hundred years of unbroken concert promotion is a rare, possibly unique achievement for a local music club," said Michael Messenger, club committee member and chairman of the museum's management committee.

Mr Messenger has just written an illustrated history of the concert club, which will be published in June.

Also at the museum is an exhibition about the use of Elgar's music for ballet.

Elgar only composed one ballet score, the Sanguine Fan, but several of his masterpieces have been used for ballets since his death.

Both exhibitions are on until September 30.