The short orchestral piece Sursum Corda was composed in a hurry for a service in Worcester Cathedral during a visit by the Duke of York (later King George V) in 1894.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Elgar originally conceived The Kingdom as the second part of a trilogy of oratorios about the early Church, following The Apostles, but the third part was never composed.
Composition History
Elgar's Sospiri, originally titled Soupir d'amour, was first performed at a Promenade Concert of patriotic pieces in London soon after the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Composer Biography
By the time The Kingdom was performed in 1906, Elgar had achieved a European reputation, been knighted, and was Professor of Music at Birmingham.
Compositional Technique
Similar to his earlier oratorio The Apostles, Elgar used a system of leitmotifs in The Kingdom, with A.J. Jaeger identifying and naming seventy-nine of them.
Composition History
Elgar's oratorio, The Kingdom, was commissioned by the city of Birmingham, which had a tradition of commissioning major choral works from leading composers.
Performer Biography
Richard Hickox, the conductor on this album, was a highly gifted and versatile British conductor who made over 280 recordings and received a Grammy and five Gramophone Awards.
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Elgar, E.: Variations On an Original Theme / Cockaigne / Elegy / Introduction and Allegro (Orchestral Favourites, Vol. 4)
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