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The publication of a complete edition of his works is arguably the greatest accolade a
composer can hope for and the announcement by Novello in 1981 that they were to embark on
the publication of a comprehensive uniform edition of all of Elgar's published music was met
with universal acclaim by all Elgarians. The first volumes, First Symphony and the The
Dream of Gerontius, appeared in 1981-82 and over the next ten years, 12 further volumes
were published. From the start, Novello revealed their plans for the complete 41 (since
increased to 43) volume set, grouped by type of work, allowing them over ensuing years to
publish volumes of the most popular works while retaining the structural integrity of the
complete edition. Regrettably, the publication of a series such as this is not a commercially
attractive venture, and in 1993 Novello withdrew from the project.
There were few further developments over the ensuing five years other than a growing
belief that the edition could not be allowed to remain incomplete. However, public meetings
in October 1999 and May 2000 led to a commitment at the Elgar Society's Annual General
Meeting on 4 June 2000 that the Society would rise to the challenge of completing the set as
the Elgar Society Edition. This was followed by the establishment of a trust, the
appointment of a board of directors and the setting up of an editorial board to resume the
task of editing future volumes.
Now read on ....
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