On 12 November 1931, the Gramophone Company opened their new studio complex at Abbey Road with an impressive ceremony including a recording session in which Sir Edward Elgar conducted his symphonic study Falstaff. In the seventh of eight programmes, Malcolm Ruthven introduces an extract from this recording and the soundtrack of a short Pathe film, made on that day, which captured Sir Edward and the orchestra at work.

Another project revived at about this time was a recording of Elgar's Violin Concerto uncut. The soloist was to be the 16-year-old Yehudi Menuhin, who recalls his first impressions of Sir Edward and the concerto.