Elgar: The Starlight Express, etc – review

Manahan Thomas/Williams/Callow/Scottish CO/Davis(Chandos, two CDs)In 1915 Elgar was asked to provide the music for a West End play for children, The Starlight Express, an adaptation of Algernon Blackwood's story A Prisoner in Fairyland. Elgar intended to recycle pieces from his Wand of Youth suites, but charmed by the story and encouraged by his deepening friendship with Blackwood, he found himself composing more and more original material as he went on. As Andrew Davis's performance of the comp...

Read full article Share article