In reply to Richard Penhaligon (Your Letters, June 23), Elgar's music is not 'about' Worcestershire, or the Malvern Hills, as is often misleadingly supposed.

His work has far deeper roots than mere local landscape, which is one reason why it has survived into the 21st Century and is played all over the world.

Of course it is 'elitist', because it is the work of genius. But this has nothing to do with 'community spirit', if 'community spirit' means countenancing the drivel that central Malvern was subjected to during June 2-4.

We may indeed be 'doomed as a community', but not for the reasons suggested by Mr Penhaligon; and the very activity that I deplored in my previous letter (June 16) is evidence of this.

Elgar once said: "Music is in the air: you just take what you want."

What was in the air during June 2-4 tainted the (hallowed?) air, destroying the living beauty that he created. The phrase in Mr Penhaligon's letter about "giving something to our community that embodies what is here now" was fatally all-too-well expressed, except that if it is "here now" - why is there a need to give something extra?

IAN BERESFORD GLEAVES, Broads Bank, Great Malvern.