THE LIFE OF EDWARD ELGAREdward Elgar was born on 2 June 1857. He was born in the town of Broadheath, Worcestershire, England. Edward was the son of an organist and a music merchant. His father's name was William Henry Elgar. He grew up in Dover and apprenticed in London for a music publisher. Edward Elgar's mother was interested in artistic things and encouraged Edward to pursue musical development. He acquired his strange taste for literature from his love of the countryside. Edward had a friend called WH “Billy” Reed who wrote about how Elgar's environment as a child contributed to all his life's work and gave it a subtle but noticeable English feel. He started writing music as a child, when he was around 10 years old. One of his early compositions was rearranged some 40 years later with only a few changes. It was called “The Wang of Youth”. Until the age of 15, Edward received his education from Littleton. This was a home school in Worchester. He received extensive musical training from a man named Adolf Pollitzer. These music lessons included piano and violin sessions. Edward made several short visits to London from 1877 to 1878. He said that it was at Worchester Cathedral that he truly learned music for the first time. As a child he worked on the organ for a long time. He tried to get hold of every music book he could. He later began receiving help from a man named Hubert Perry. Edward said he received the most help from Perry. At some point in his musical journey, Edward began to learn German so that he could hopefully attend the Leipzig Conservatory to further his musical studies. In the end he didn't go because his father couldn't afford to send him there. A magazine called the Musical Times declared that Elgar's failed attempt... middle of paper... matched his music. After going through many ups and downs in life, he eventually became a renowned composer. . He wrote and arranged hundreds of famous songs. One that is probably the most popular nowadays would be Pomp and Circumstance. If you've been to any high school or graduation, you've heard this song played over and over again. Pomp and Circumstance is the usual graduation music that is played. He first wrote this piece in 1901 and went on to write 4 more similar versions. He was subsequently knighted in 1904 and from 1905 to 1908 was the first professor of music at the University of Birmingham. It is very interesting that despite having many failures and setbacks in life, he produced a melody that is well known and still used throughout the world today. Elgar used disappointments to lead him to success. Written by Darryl Gary