ELGAR (EDWARD)


Symphony for Full Orchestra [No. 1 in A flat major, Op. 55] , FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY FROM ELGAR AND G.R. SINCLAIR TO PERCY C. HULL, inscribed on front free endpaper to "P.C. Hull. from G.R. Sinclair. With best wishes. Xmas 1910" and on title-page "Kindest regards to his friend P.C. Hull/ Edward Elgar:", with pencil note at end in Hull's hand ("E.E. Glos: 1925... 47min"), publisher's buckram-backed cloth gilt, Novello, 1908; The Music Makers. Ode Set to Music by Arthur O'Shaughnessy... for Contralto Solo, Chorus, and Orchestra [Op. 69], PRESENTATION COPY FROM ELGAR TO PERCY C. HULL, inscribed "To my dear friend Percy C. Hull (Welcome home.) Worcester 1920/ Edward Elgar" on p.[i], signed "Percy C. Hull/ Hereford" on title-page, inscribed by Hull overleaf ("Worcester. Sept 7th 1920 Cond: E.E."), and with his annotations in the score ("*Nimrod p.42./ First performance B'Ham Town Hall Oct: 1 1912. Elgar conducted...", "X Enigma X", "steady", "used Latin as a symbol of power"), title strengthened on verso at outer edge, last leaf repaired in margin, later cloth, Novello, 1912, 8vo (2)
|A PAIR OF FINE ELGAR ASSOCIATION COPIES, linking the composer with the dedicatees of Pomp and Circumstance Marches nos. 4 and 5 respectively. The first score was given by G.R. Sinclair as a Christmas present to Percy C. Hull, with a further inscription added from Elgar. George Robertson Sinclair (1863-1917) served as organist at Truro and Hereford cathedrals and was a friend of Elgar, acting as chief conductor at eight Three Choirs Festivals between 1891 and 1912. He was also immortalised by Elgar in the 11th Enigma Variation, which was inspired by Sinclair's faithful bulldog Dan, who attended all rehearsals and one day fell into the Wye: "G.R.S. said, 'Set that to music'. I did; here it is" (Elgar, My Friends Pictured Within, Novello, 1946).The second score was presented by Elgar to Hull on the occasion of the first Three Choir Festival to be held after the First World War, with Hull's annotations. The organist, conductor and composer Percy C. Hull was Sinclair's pupil and successor. He was interred as a civil prisoner of war at Ruhleben during the First World War, but afterwards revived the Three Choirs Festival to great acclaim during his tenure as organist at Hereford Cathedral from 1918 to 1949.Provenance: First work, G.R. Sinclair and Edward Elgar, inscriptions to P.C. Hull on front free endpaper and title-page respectively; M.E. Hull, presentation inscription to W.J. Henderson on front paste-down, 1980. Second work, Edward Elgar, presentation inscription to Percy C. Hull at head of prefatory ode; Percy C. Hull, signature on title-page, inscription on verso and annotations; M.E. Hull, signature on title-page; W.J. Henderson, inscription on paste-down ("Received in Molly Hull's will. Dec. 1989").