Though an organist in his youth,
Edward Elgar wrote only two works for the instrument, and this disc by
Stephen Cleobury contains the later and better of the two: the Sonata in G minor. Dedicated to
Elgar's friend C. Swinnernon Heap, the quasi-symphonic work was premiered in 1895 and has made steady appearance on the English cathedral circuit ever since. Though composed by
Elgar, the three remaining works on this program are all arrangements by other hands: the Imperial March by
George Martin, Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by William Harris, and the Sonata in B flat major (aka, the Severn Suite) by
Ivor Atkins. But whether originally for organ or in an arrangement,
Cleobury is an excellent advocate for
Elgar's music. His more than capable technique is up to its challenges, but more importantly, his heart and soul seem filled with the spirit of the music, giving his performances a natural nobility that is quintessentially Elgarian. Performed by
Cleobury on the mighty and majestic Harrison and Harrison organ of King's College Cambridge, every work sounds magnificent in Priory's stereo sound, deep and resounding without being bombastic and full and rich without being swampy.