It’s only appropriate that the composer of “Pomp and Circumstance” would be born at the height of graduation season.
Of course, commencement was the furthest thing from Sir Edward Elgar’s mind when he came to compose his most famous march. His “Pomp and Circumstance” marches are military marches, full of splendor and pageantry, conceived well before Elgar and everyone he knew were plunged into suffering as a result of the widespread loss and devastation wrought by World War I. The first four marches mostly sparkle with the sheen, naivete, and romance of soldiers on parade.
He wrote five “Pomp and Circumstance” marches in all, and you know what? They’re all terrific. They should be played as a set more often, as the character, mood, and tempi of the marches vary. In fact, taken as whole, they should be regarded with the same level of respect as Dvořák’s “Slavonic Dances.”
Really, though, they weren’t conceived that way. The first four marches were published between 1901 and 1907, when Elgar was in his 40s. The fifth was published in 1930, when he was in his 70s. A belated addendum, then, yet it rounds off the collection so beautifully! It does have a sense of valediction about it.
It is the “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1” that has been drummed into the consciousness of all Americans as the graduation march. Given its first performance in Liverpool in 1901, it was fated to take its place as a staple of commencement ceremonies all across the U.S. after it was played as the processional at Yale University in 1905, in the presence of the composer, who was presented with an honorary doctorate.
In England, the trio section, the part everyone here processes to, is also recognized as “Land of Hope and Glory.” Elgar repurposed the tune for use in his “Coronation Ode” for King Edward VII. With the text further modified, it then took its place as a fixture at the Last Night of the Proms. It’s played at sporting events and anywhere a hit of patriotism is required. It is an undeniably stirring tune.
Unfortunately, it’s ubiquity has also led to Elgar being inextricably tied up with the idea of “empire” and “imperialism,” which is deeply unfortunate, as Elgar was a man and an artist of great sensitivity, who as a Roman Catholic and the son of a tradesman, often felt out of step with the character and actions of the English establishment. He gained a large following for his patriotic works, but his wider output is full of music that is marked by intimacy, frequently confessional in nature, and often quite soulful.
A sixth “Pomp and Circumstance” march was completed posthumously, using the composer’s sketches, by Anthony Payne. I always regard such exercises as curiosities, and I am happy to hear them, but they are by no means “canon.” That said, Payne, a composer himself, did a marvelous job assembling an Elgar Third Symphony, again using sketches and fragments as a springboard. (The proper title of the work is “Edward Elgar: the sketches for Symphony No. 3 elaborated by Anthony Payne.”) It’s not Elgar, but personally I find it to be a quite beautiful and successful piece. As long as listeners are aware that it is not, by any stretch of the imagination, Elgar’s vision.
The set of five marches is very satisfying as it stands, but I’m also including Payne’s elaboration of Elgar’s sketches for a sixth at the bottom of this post. It’s an inspired touch to allude to the first march to round off the set, but I’m still not convinced it’s anything more than a clever stunt. It shouldn’t be included in the established set.
This would also be a good time to acknowledge the passing of Jerrold Northrop Moore, the academic who devoted his life to archiving and advancing Elgar’s legacy. I always had a soft spot for this guy, because (1) he was an American, born in Paterson, NJ – and the U.S., as a matter of course, often seems to regard even the greatest English composers with a degree of skepticism – and (2) although he had academic credentials, clearly he was also an enthusiast. Some would say even eccentrically so. His passion for Elgar transcended the years of his professional life spent sifting through the dusty stacks of research libraries.
Yes, Moore collected, annotated, and published the composer’s correspondence. A biography, “Edward Elgar: A Creative Life,” is especially highly-regarded.
He also wrote extensively about the gramophone and early sound recordings, collected and edited the letters of conductor Sir Adrian Boult, and put together a charming volume of photographs of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
But he also owned a set of Elgar’s china, cultivated plants from the composer’s garden, and named his Pekinese Sir Edward.
In common with the American popularity of the “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1,” Moore enjoyed a strong connection to Yale. Following his graduation from there (no doubt marching to Elgar) and a stint teaching at the University of Rochester, he returned to New Haven to become Yale’s curator of historical sound recordings from 1961 to 1970. After that, he was off to England, where he lived for the rest of his life.
His is a name that anyone who loves Elgar has encountered again and again over the years, through his books, program notes, and reviews. By all appearances, his life was a long and fulfilling one. Jerrold Northrop Moore died on May 18 at the age of 90. I owe you a debt of gratitude, sir!
And you too, Sir Edward (the composer, not the Pekinese). Happy birthday!
“Pomp and Circumstance” Marches 1-5 can be heard as a set at the start of this classic recording by Sir John Barbirolli
“Pomp and Circumstance March No. 6,” realized by Anthony Payne
“Land of Hope and Glory,” from the “Coronation Ode”
At the Proms, with the late Sir Andrew Davis
Footage of Elgar conducting it
PHOTOS: Sir Edward (colorized), looking distinguished, and his champion at 90
