Elgar ‘The Music Makers’

7:30 pm, Thu 13 March 2025

Holy Trinity Sloane Square

Elgar – The Music Makers

Elgar composed The Music Makers in 1912. It was commissioned by the Birmingham Triennial Festival and was given there with Elgar conducting. It’s a setting of a poem by Arthur O’Shaugnessy which had attracted Elgar as early as 1903. Elgar quotes themes from his own works (and Rule Britannia and La Marseillaise). The quotes are sometimes suggested by the text of the poem, ‘dreams’ suggesting a quote from The Dream of Gerontius and ‘sea-breakers’ a quote from Sea Pictures. Other self quotes include the violin concerto, the two symphonies and most notably Nimrod from the Enigma Variations. The Music Makers is scored for large orchestra with alto soloist. Critical reception at the time was mixed and the work is all too rarely performed these days. This is surprising because the work (his last major choral piece) has all the hallmarks of Elgar’s genius and deserves to be better known.

John Rand – Piano Concerto no.3

John Rand has composed seven piano concertos and a fair amount of film music. All of the piano concertos have had public performances, and this 3rd piano concerto will be brought to life by our soloist in this concert, Alan Brown.

Getting there

Holy Trinity Church
Sloane St
London
SW1X 9BZ

Fauré – Cantique de Jean Racine
John Rand – Piano Concerto No 3
Elgar – The Music Makers

Adrian Brown – conductor
Alan Brown – piano
Emily Gray – mezzo soprano

The London Chorus
New London Orchestra