The Elgar Sinfonia of London

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The Elgar Sinfonia of London

An orchestra dedicated to the performance of British music

03/07/2025

Thank you to all the players and the choir, soloists and those behind the scenes who enabled yet another successful concert. It was warm , and we appreciate your efforts.
****Check out this fantastic review of our last concert****
VE Day Celebration Concert on 22nd June 2025

Elgar to the Fore

Since its inception under Adrian Brown, the Elgar Sinfonia has gone from strength to strength. Brown can now be considered the senior legacy holder for the performance of Elgar’s music, not least his championing of the many less well known choral works.
This VE Day Celebration Concert, performed by the Elgar Sinfonia, conducted by Adrian Brown was held on Sunday 22 June 2025 at 4.30 pm at St. Andrew’s Church, Holborn, London. The concert was in memory of Ronald Corp, OBE.
True to form in the performance of Elgar’s choral music, Brown chose the two powerful Psalms, Nos 48 and 29, sung lustily by The London Chorus. In this church acoustic, No 48 seemed to be the more successful due to the lighter orchestration used by Elgar. The heavier, and more sophisticated No. 29 orchestration somewhat submerged the chorus at the outset and this prevented the qualities in the music to be fully appreciated. Nick Marsden was the baritone soloist in No. 48.
In between came Sospiri, a work full of premonitions of the sorrows soon to be felt in WW I. Brown gave a beautifully crafted account and turned what is often an overlooked work into one of serious contemplation representing Elgar at his most heart-felt.
The second half of the concert opened with Introduction and Allegro by Sir Arthur Bliss, in honour of the 50th anniversary of his Passing. Brown was in his element in this impressive early work, a product of the esteem he held when hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra , conducted by Stokowski whilst he spent time in America in 1922 for the premiere of The Colour Symphony given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Monteux.
The Introduction and Allegro was completed in 1926 and revised in 1937. It would be interesting to hear the changes he made. What we do know is that Bliss sought inspirations from a number of sources including Elgar and Stravinsky, which makes it an intriguing work! Given the demands Bliss makes on his musicians, Brown achieved a thoroughly virtuosic account.
The big choral work by Elgar was The Spirit of England composed in 1915-1917 and is largely a reflection of the sacrifices and waste of war, as described through the poems of his collaborator Laurence Binyon. Set in three sections, The Fourth of August, To Women and For the Fallen; only the last section remains in Great Britain’s heart alas. It opens with the immortal words; They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.
The choral singing was at a very high level and the soprano soloist, Nicola Ihnatowicz was in resplendent voice, not only clearly heard but with a depth of tone that made a most moving contribution to this sadly neglected work.
Heard today The Spirit of England still carries a powerful impulse through Elgar’s moving sensitivity to the horrors of war, albeit he hated the death of horses as much as soldiers!
Brown gave a truly wonderful performance aided by The London Chorus in great form.
Edward Clark

02/07/2025

Thanks to the audience, orchestra and choir for your continued generosity 😍

Tickets now on sale. We Got Tickets or contact elgarsinfonia@yahoo.comThe Elgar Sinfonia on June 22nd will perform a spe...

10/04/2025

Tickets now on sale. We Got Tickets or contact [email protected]
The Elgar Sinfonia on June 22nd will perform a special concert acknowledging the 80th VE Day Celebrations in the beautiful spiritual setting of St Andrew’s Holborn, London
The music will be reflective, respectful of the sacrifice, moving and celebratory.
Elgar wrote his choral work ‘The Spirit of England’ during WW 1 setting the poems from ‘The Winnowing Fan’ by Binyon that have become part of our national experience of mourning. Elgar wrote music deeply felt about the very day the War started, the Women left behind and the memory of the end of the conflict. It resonates as a reminder of the tragedy of all wars. That Binyon wrote these poems of such profundity is even more astonishing given their date; Autumn 1914- so prophetic.
The magnificent settings of Psalms 29 and 48 are grand and celebratory, composed for special services in St Paul’s Cathedral. The drama of the words is vividly portrayed in our great composers setting. Quiet reflective relief comes in our concert with Edward’s ‘Sospiri’ (Sighing) for Strings, short and meditative, played first at London’s First Night of the Proms Concert in 1914 a few days after War had been declared.
Sir Arthur Bliss was Master of the Queen’s Music in the 1960’s and 70’s and wrote much glorious music in celebration. Musicians this year are remembering him on the 50th anniversary of his passing.
His was wife, Lady Trudy Bliss, was a great personal friend of me and my family, living for well over a century! She came to many of my concerts and would be delighted we are playing her husband’s ‘Introduction and Allegro’. Written in the 1930’s for the USA and the Conductor Leopold Stokowski (he of the ‘Fantasia’ and Mickey Mouse fame), this compact, brilliantly written piece for our orchestra will expand the emotions to be heard in this varied and stimulating programme. Conducting the Bliss will take me back 53 years to the fact that I conducted it for my Royal Academy Exam!!
Adrian Brown.

09/04/2025

The last concert was a real treat. A journey through Edward Elgar's life through his music. It was a great success and enjoyed by all. I think we can all agree that we now know so much more about our namesake.
For those of you wanting more, we have our next concert just around the corner. Keep your eyes peeled for details. Thanks as always for the continued support and effort made by the players, soloists and the audiences.

12/03/2025

Amazing total!! Thanks as always for your generosity!!

07/03/2025

This weekend!!! Please buy tickets in advance if you can via the get tickets website to avoid disappointment and speed up entrance the venue!!
Looking forward to seeing you all there.

06/02/2025

A summary of our next concert.....
This unique concert will take you in 'musical time' through the life of Edward Elgar, England's Greatest Composer. It is a story of lowly upbringing to the very heights of National fame. A tale of early struggle for recognition through triumph resigning to a long 'sunset' as a composer following the passing of his dear wife, Alice. The story will be told in an informal and informative way as usual by an experienced communicator, the conductor, Adrian Brown
The Elgar sinfonia was formed in 2018 to expressly give live, invigorating concerts of not only the well-known works of Edward Elgar but all the compositions rarely heard in public by this great musician. This includes much choral music for which we have been joined by The London Chorus. Also, music by many other British composers have been featured including works by Finzi, Vaughan Williams and Arthur Bliss; most recently his Piano Concerto brilliantly performed by Rustam Khanmurzin. Many distinguished artists have joined us including Janice Watson and Sasha Rohzdestvensky. The orchestra convenes a week before our concerts for intense rehearsal, players selected by Music Director, Adrian Brown in our home, St Andrews Holborn.
Adrian is a distinguished and respected conductor of British music not least Elgar for which he was presented with the Elgar Medal at a concert in 2020. He always introduces the programme of music giving what audiences feel to be a real insight into what they are to about to hear. In that sense our concerts are friendly and are appreciated in many different ways.
This Concert will, with linked narration telling of Elgar's circumstances and life, proceed from early works; Three Characteristic Pieces and Salut D'amour; gradual recognition with music from Caractacus; his 'arrival' as the successful Sir Edward with parts of Enigma Variations and the Prelude to 'The Dream of Gerontius'; Elgar at the height of his powers in music from 'The Kingdom'; and the 'Severn Suite' and 'Mina' from those years of sunset.
Mina was a tribute to his pet dog, so close to him in his final years.
The music will demonstrate his composing skill and its amazing variety; the Elgar that was always 'there' and unrecognised, growing to the most powerful utterances from any composer.
You are invited to join us on this profound musical journey.
Advanced Tickets Now Available

06/02/2025

Check out this fantastic review from the last concert..... published in 'Musical Opinion'

Highways and Byways
Adrian Brown is the doyen of Elgarians, meaning he sets out to tickle our fancies with each concert he plans. The result speaks for itself. A full house.
The Elgar Sinfonia of London was conducted by Adrian Brown and the two soloists were Drew Steanson, piano and Midori Komachi, violin. The concert was held in St. Andrew’s Church, Holborn on Sunday 24 November 2024 at 4.30 pm.
This enterprising concert opened with a real Elgar rarity, even for me, a committed Elgarian for over sixty years! The King Arthur Suite, edited and arranged for full orchestra by R. H. Kay was composed in or around 1923. The lavish production of Binyon’s play with incidental music by Elgar was set for its premiere at Covent Garden but due to illness among the cast it was cancelled. Lillian Baylis was offered another opportunity at the Old Vic Theatre but in a scaled down version where it enjoyed a short run.
The Suite contains six numbers, allowing an insight into Elgar’s late composing abilities. The 1920’s were generally fallow for the aging composer and so this early example offers glimpses of his style as he later was to draw upon in his sketches to his Third Symphony from the early 1930’s (to be reconstructed into the Third Symphony by Anthony Payne).
All the expected finger prints are heard with some premonitions too. The Suite offers ceremonial Elgar with less inspired Elgar before ending with the best of Elgar; the Death of Arthur is a truly poignant farewell, using the earlier Arthur theme to make a final tragic appearance before fading away into darkness.
Gerald Finzi never finished his promised Piano Concerto, perhaps because sketches were criticised by Vaughan Williams among other reasons. Instead Howard Ferguson prepared the score out of the truncated remains for performance with the title Eclogue, premiered in 1957. The solo pianist, here the talented Drew Steanson with accompanied strings, produced a serene atmospheric sound throughout, but perhaps denying future generations with what we might have received if the concerto had been finished in the planned three movements.
This rarity was followed by a First Public Performance of the Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra by Imogen Holst, another coup for Adrian Brown. Ms Holst was always backwards in coming forwards whenever here music was under discussion, hence presumably the late arrival at this concert. She championed student performances of her works and this is now ripe for every school possessing a decent string orchestra to take this lovely work up, with the expectation that there is also a competent violin soloist available too. The work has a marked Irish folk flavour which makes it very amenable to young ears. Brown and Ms Midori Komachi produced a warm, welcoming sound that never exaggerated its claims to anything other than offering pure enjoyment.
Brown played all Five Pomp and Circumstance Marches , Op.39 after the interval. We moved from rare Elgar to world famous Elgar in the twinkle of an eye. Played in reverse order, Brown reminded us that March No.5 was a very late one, from 1930, with clues as to how Elgar would create the sound world of his unfinished Third symphony. If it fails to compete with the early Marches in quality of inspiration it was valuable to hear what Elgar was capable of in the dying days of celebrating the British Empire.
Marches One to Four are all marvellous wallows in nostalgia today and we do Elgar a disservice if we disparage his celebration of what was, in the early years of the new century, the greatest Empire that ever existed. So thank you maestro Brown for allowing us a peak into Elgar’s motivation to set pulses going with one of the world’s greatest tunes.
Edward Clark

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