Sunday 3 June at 10.45pm

Historian Tristram Hunt explores how Elgar's music articulated the notion of British Empire - its triumph and its decline. This aspect of Elgar is controversial, with many feeling that Elgar's music is somehow tainted by the association with imperialist aims and ideals. This documentary presents different views about Elgar and Empire from historians, Jeffrey Richards, John Mackenzie, Bernard Porter, academics Corissa Gould and Nalini Gwynne, the pianist, David Owen Norris, the conductor, Mark Elder and readings from Paul McGann and Joe Dunlop.



Presenter, Dr Tristram Hunt currently lectures on modern British history at Queen Mary College, University of London. He was formerly an associate fellow at the Centre for History and Economics, King’s College, Cambridge. He read history at Trinity College, Cambridge and the University of Chicago. His published works are The English Civil War: At First Hand (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) and a book on Victorian cities, Manufacturing Cities: The Victorian City from Liverpool to Letchworth.

Tristram wrote and presented a series on the English Civil War for Open University/BBC2 and made the case for Isaac Newton in the landmark BBC series, Great Britons, he also appeared with Prunella Scales in Queen Victoria: The World’s Most Photographed on BBC2.



Britain during Elgar’s day was a very different place and the context within which he was working is almost impossible to imagine for us.

On three occassions during the Elgar’s lifetime, and the height of the British Empire, the coronation of a King or Queen of England was celebrated in Delhi. These were highly flamboyant celebrations to emphasize the importance of the monarchy.

Elgar wrote the Crown of India to accompany a masque which was staged at the London Coliseum to celebrate the Delhi Durbar of 1912

George V in India with Queen Mary at Delhi Durbar c.1912




Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still, and wider, shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet! 


Programme details