Elgar - Worcester, UK - Musician Statues on Waymarking.com

The statue was unveiled in 1981 by the Prince of Wales on the composer's birthday - 2nd June.

The statue is one and a quarter life size and shows Elgar in his fifty-fourth year dressed in his Cambridge Doctorate of Music gown and wearing the Order of Merit. It is a full length statue of Elgar, hands behind his back, as if walking towards the Cathedral to conduct there. The stone pedestal very plain, itself mounted on a wide square platform in two layers: the plaques are mounted horizontally on the step of this.

Just behind the statue's left shoulder is the former site of Number 10, High Street, where the Elgar Brothers Music Shop once stood. This was owned by Elgar's father and uncle and was where Elgar lived as a child. His birthplace is a short way outside of Worcester in the village of Broadheath is now a museum devoted to his life and work..
A committee to consider how Elgar should be commemorated in his home city was set up by Mrs Joan Russell of the music shop, 'Music 47' in Worcester. The Statue Appeal Committee was approached by Kenneth Potts, a designer at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Works, who was very keen to make a bronze statue of the composer, already having an 18 inch high clay maquette of the composer. He submitted his ideas and showed the maquette. The Committee sought the opinion of Sir Hugh Casson and members of the Royal Academy, who both gave positive responses. So much interest was aroused that the Elgar Statue Appeal was launched nation-wide on 2nd June 1979, the centenary of Elgar's birth, with a target of £25,000. Leading members of the musical world lent support, the Prince of Wales took a hand and the general public subscribed generously (there is a list of the subscribers in a book kept with other historical documents at Elgar's birthplace in Broadheath near Worcester). The statue unveiled by the Prince of Wales on 2 June 1981, with a celebratory concert of Elgar's music held in Worcester Cathedral afterwards. An unusual coincidence is that the sculptor, Kenneth Potts, lived for a time when first in Worcester in the house in Britannia Square where Elgar first went to school in 1863, Potts' room was actually Elgar's first room at the then school. A detailed description of the sculpting of the final work, including the making of the clay model and the casting process is given in the souvenir pamphlet published at the time of the unveiling.

Name of Musician: Sir Edward Elgar

Visit Instructions:
Your log must include a picture of you with the statue.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/26/2018 MeerRescue visited it 10/08/2016 The_Senior_Crabbes visited it 03/15/2009 reelcutter visited it 03/30/2007 Sparks68 visited it

View all visits/logs