Elgar and His Muses
Some of Elgar's most personal music is to be found in his partsongs, like Owls, which he wrote for his daughter Carice. His friends Sydney and Frances Colvin suggested that he compose a requiem for the fallen in 1915, and in return he dedicated to them the cello concerto, his final completed masterpiece.
Pleading, Op 48 No 1 Robert Tear (tenor), City of Birmingham SO, conductor Simon Rattle
Deep in My Soul, Op 53 No 2
Rnzi Singers, conductor Paul Spicer Two Interludes (Falstaff) Northern Sinfonia, conductor Richard Hickox
For the Fallen (The Spirit of England) London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, conductor Richard Hickox Cello Concerto in E minor
Paul Tortelier , London Philharmonic, conductor Adrian Boult