Michael Kennedy, well-known broadcaster, critic and author of Portrait of Elgar, gave this talk presented jointly by Malvern Concert Club and the Elgar Society.

To compliment the subject examples of recorded music were played as illustrations.

Elgar's wind quintets of 1878 were considered first. Scored for friends who played two flutes, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (on which Elgar himself performed), these short pieces were practiced in a shed behind the Worcester music shop. By trial and error Elgar's mastery of sonority was founded.

Sarabande-Largo of 1879 revealed evidence of the composers' consummate skill. In 1933 this same music was revamped and found in Elgar's sketches for his unfinished opera The Spanish Lady; Percy Young arranged it later, for full orchestra. Other examples of Elgar returning to earlier compositions for re-use later were mentioned.

Time spent in the Sussex countryside, at Brinkwells during the latter stages of the war, saw the completion in 1918-19 of the String Quartet, dedicated to the Brodsky Quartet, who inspired Elgar to compose for this medium when he had heard it perform in Malvern. The Piano Quintet and Violin Sonata belong to this period also.

A recording of the Windflower Theme from this sonata brought Kennedy's talk to a conclusion.

The acoustic of St Edmund's Hall is a difficult one, hence the introduction was inaudible mainly, and straining was necessary to hear some of Kennedy's talk (if one was sitting in the rear part of the hall, at least).

Jill Hopkins