The Elgar Society was founded in 1951 to promote performance of the music of British composer
Edward Elgar, especially the more rarely performed items. Registered as a
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* C ...
on 22 January 1988, It is particularly concerned with introducing the composer and his music to younger audiences and, by making grants to appropriate educational activities, to enhance the quality of life of members of the public. It also supports the
Elgar Birthplace Museum
The Firs in Broadheath, Worcestershire, Lower Broadheath, Worcestershire, England was the birthplace of Edward Elgar. The cottage now houses a museum administered by the National Trust. Edward Elgar was born at the house on 2 June 1857, and lived ...
with an annual grant with the objective of widening accessibility to the location and its contents and encouraging research.
In the 1980s the Society encouraged the making of recordings of works such as
''The Black Knight'' which remained unrecorded.
Organization
The current president of the Elgar society is
Sir Mark Elder. Previous presidents were
Sir Adrian Boult from 1951,
Lord Menuhin from 1983 and
Richard Hickox
Richard Sidney Hickox (5 March 1948 – 23 November 2008) was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.
Early life
Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family. After attending the Royal Gram ...
from 1999.
There are seven UK Branches organised geographically: Great Western, London, North West, Scotland, Southern, Thames Valley and West Midlands; and a branch in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The creation of a Branch is at the discretion of the Society’s Council and requires substantive evidence from a sufficiently large group of members that there is a reasonable assurance of viability. Branches are required to report periodically to the Council on their activities and submit their annual accounts to the Treasurer.
The society publishes a
journal
A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to:
*Bullet journal, a method of personal organization
*Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period
*Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...
—The Elgar Society Journal—three times a year of Elgar research, and is sold to educational institutions and the general public as well as being sent to members as part of their subscription benefit. There is also a thrice-yearly
newsletter sent to members only.
Elgar Medal
Before 2011, The Elgar Medal was awarded only to foreign scholars and musicians who publish or perform, and therefore promote, Elgar’s music abroad. During a concert in
Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on 11 December 2008, Steven Halls, Chairman of the Society, presented the medal to
Sakari Oramo Sakari is a given name, and may refer to:
* Sakari Kukko (born 1953), Finnish saxophonist and flutist
* Sakari Kuosmanen (born 1956), Finnish singer and actor
* Sakari Oramo (born 1965), Finnish conductor
* Sakari Pinomäki, Finnish mechanical and ...
. The remaining outstanding award, to
Vladimir Ashkenazy, presented in 2010. However, in February 2011, the Elgar Medal was presented to
Michael Kennedy, CBE, a renowned British journalist, writer, and music critic, for his major contribution to promoting the works of Elgar. 2019 -
Anastasia Vedyakova, the first Russian musician was awarded by The Elgar Medal.
Recipients
References
External links
*
Elgar performance
{{Authority control
Music organisations based in the United Kingdom
Arts organizations established in 1951
1951 establishments in the United Kingdom
Edward Elgar