麻豆社

In January 1915, Elgar received a letter from his friend Sir Sidney Colvin asking 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you do a wonderful Requiem for the slain 鈥� something in the spirit of Binyon鈥檚 鈥淔or the Fallen鈥� 鈥︹��. Now much anthologised, this poem鈥檚 most famous stanza (鈥楾hey shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old ...鈥�), declaimed听as part of the annual Remembrance Day service, first appeared in Laurence Binyon鈥檚 slim volume of war poetry, The Winnowing Fan, published late in 1914.

Elgar obtained a copy and immediately set to work sketching three of the poems 鈥榝or tenor or soprano solo, chorus and orchestra鈥�: 鈥楾he Fourth of August鈥�, 鈥楾o Women鈥� and, as the climax of the work, 鈥楩or the Fallen鈥�. 鈥楩or the Fallen鈥� was completed during 1915 and 鈥楾o Women鈥� by February 1916. 鈥楾he Fourth of August鈥�, by contrast, progressed slowly. The first of Binyon鈥檚 war poems, its second line provided Elgar with the collective title for his three settings: 鈥楴ow in thy splendour go before us, / Spirit of England, ardent-eyed, / Enkindle this dear earth that bore us, / In the hour of peril purified.鈥� But the penultimate (sixth) stanza which characterised the German nation as 鈥榁ampire of Europe鈥檚 wasted will鈥� gave him pause. At that early stage of the war, the unbridled national hatred of the Germans had yet to manifest itself. He put it aside.

Meanwhile, 鈥楾o Women鈥� and 鈥楩or the Fallen鈥� received their first performances in Leeds on 3 May 1916, followed by six performances in London for war charities. By the end of the year, anti-German sentiment had turned to 鈥榗old, steel-like anger鈥� (Ernest Newman) and Elgar resumed work on 鈥楾he Fourth of August鈥�. His feelings toward a country that had championed his music had hardened. For the troublesome stanza, he used the 鈥楧emons鈥� Chorus鈥� from The Dream of Gerontius. He finished the orchestration on 11 May 1917.

The three parts of The Spirit of England were first performed together in Leeds on 31 October 1917 with tenor and soprano soloists (Gervase Elwes and Agnes Nicholls). Elgar dedicated the work 鈥榯o the memory of our glorious men, with a special thought for the Worcesters鈥�. Resonant, powerful, and unfairly neglected today, it was at the time (Newman again) 鈥榠n truth the very voice of England鈥�.

Programme Note 漏听Jeremy Nicholas
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