Short course
Elgar
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
15/04/2027 - 13/05/202716:30 - 18:30
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£190.00
Sir Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international concert repertoire. Although his music is often described as quintessentially English, it has been widely performed and appreciated in mainland Europe, the USA and elsewhere. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, concertos for violin and cello and two completed symphonies. He also composed choral works, including The Dream of Gerontius, chamber music and songs. We will explore the background to Elgar's compositions, his early struggles and gradual emergence as one of Britain's greatest composers. No specialist knowledge is required for full participation, just an interest in listening to music and finding out more about it.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Thursday 15 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Thursdays, 4.30-6.30pm.
Week 1: Early works – Ave verum, Serenade Mauresque, Salut d’Amour, Froissart; The Black Knight
Week 2: Orchestral music I – Variations, Tone Poems and Concertos
Week 3: Orchestral music II – Symphonies Nos 1, 2 and 3
Week 4: Oratorios (The Dream of Gerontius)
Week 5: Chamber Music (Violin sonata, String Quartet, Piano Quintet)
Course aims
Course aim: To provide an overview of Elgar’s music, focusing on the main genres to which he made significant contributions.
Course objectives:
- To provide a structured account of Elgar’s musical development.
- To place Elgar’s creative personality in the context of musical conditions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century
- To arrive at an assessment of the contribution made by Elgar to the development of music and of his contemporary and posthumous influence.
Learning outcomes
As a result of attending the course, students will have acquired:
• A broad knowledge of Elgar’s music
• An understanding of the ways in which Elgar’s approach to composition developed.
• The ability to place the Elgar’s work in the broader context of musical developments in the later nineteenth and earlier twentieth century.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at first year undergraduate level.
Teaching methods
Teaching methods will consist of lectures and class discussions, both of which will include pre-recorded musical examples and some live musical performance by the tutor. As well as discussion and analysis of the music, certain key texts of the period will also be read and discussed.
Assessment methods
This course is not accredited, so there are no assessments or coursework.
Dr Peter Copley
Peter Copley D.Phil, MA, B.mus is a composer, cellist and pianist. He is a Departmental Tutor at Oxford Lifelong Learning and an Associate Lecturer for the Open University, where he has been a Research Associate for the music faculty.
Digital badge
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £190.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- Portrait of Elgar / Kennedy, Michael
- Elgar / Parrott, Ian
- Elgar’s Third Symphony The Story of the Reconstruction / Payne, Anthony
Module code: O26P513MSW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
