Papers of Edward Elgar

Diaries: of Sir Edward Elgar, 1892-1928; of Caroline Alice Elgar, 1889-1920; of Carice Elgar, daughter of Sir Edward and Lady Elgar, later Mrs Elgar Blake, 1922-1939; transcripts of the diaries. Correspondence: of Sir Edward Elgar to John West of Novello's (Publishers), 1898-1923; of Sir Edward Elgar to Frederick Gaisburg (Barbarossa) of The Gramophone Company, 1919-1933; of Sir Edward Elgar to Owen Mase of the BBC, 1933; of Sir Edward Elgar to Herbert Lambert, photographer, 1931-1932; of Carice Elgar Blake to Frederick Gaisberg of The Gramophome Company, 1933-1940. Books, scores and other printed material, 1900-1933.

Sir Edward William Elgar, baronet, 1857-1934, composer; son of an organist and music seller in Worcester; studied violin but gradually turned to composition in which he was encouraged by his wife (married, 1889); works include Frossiart overture, 1890; The Light of Life and Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf , 1869; Enigma Variations , 1899; and The Dream of Gerontius , 1900 set the seal upon his fame. There followed The Apostles , 1903; The Kingdom , 1906; Pomp and Circumstance marches, 1901-1907; overture Cockaigne , 1901; Introduction and Allegro for strings, 1905; Symphony in A Flat , 1908; Symphon in E Flat , 1911; violin concerto, 1910; Falstaff , 1913; and the violoncello concerto, 1919. Elgar composed little after his wife's death in 1920. He was master of the King's Musik, 1924-1934; knighted in 1904; OM, 1911 and Baronet in 1931.

Reference: The Dictionary of National Biography: The Concise Dictionary Part II ( Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1982 ).

The collection is arranged chronologically within the series described above.

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

This collection was purchased in 1994 with financial assistance from the Barber Trust, the Friends of the National Library, the Douglas Turner Charitable Trust and the University's Faculty of Arts.

Please see online catalogue for further information.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the University Archivist, Special Collections. Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Further deposits are not expected.

Other letters of Edward Elgar can be found in the Letters Additional Collection (GB 150 LAdd)

University of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department also holds the papers of other Birmingham Composers including Granville Bantock (GB150 GB) and Christopher Edmunds (GB150 CE).