Ed Sheeran’s next album is based on Elgar’s Enigma
NewsA message from the singer, fresh out of winning a brutal US copyright lawsuit:
‘When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend’s different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time. There were highs of falling in love and new friendships among lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion.
‘My dad and brother told me about a composer called Elgar, who composed ‘Enigma Variations’, where each of the 14 compositions were about a different one of his friends. This is what inspired me to make this album. When I recorded Subtract with Aaron Dessner, we clicked immediately. We wrote and recorded non-stop and this album was born out of that partnership. I feel he has captured the feeling of autumn so wonderfully in his sonics and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.’
Given that the United Kingdom does better at music education than most countries, it’s odd that Ed Sheeran only recently learned of “a composer called Elgar.”
And? Your point is? I think its odd that you think its odd. lol (Opinions and perspectives…hmmmm.) In fact, we don’t know Ed’s age when he learned of Elgar. He might have known of him at a young age.
If you read what he said, this discovery came to him last year . None the less, the phraseology ” a composer ” rather suggests that Sheeran still has learned very little
Its not odd.
The UK, and particularly classical music snobs, have an overwhelming delusion if self importance.
Should you do a nation-wide survey, pretty sure well over 90% of the population would have no idea what “elgar” is.
And that is something to be celebrated!
My grandma used to say: “if you can’t find anything nice to say, it’s best to say nothing at all”.
Good advice around here, I think.
Maybe forty/fifty years ago the UK did decent music education but that has long died. When I went to school (over thirty years ago) there were no music lessons and I did go to many schools as I grew up – the Thatcher government and all that have come since haven’t thought music and arts to be important for us plebs. Most comprehensives and academies don’t have any music teachers or classes at all except at most on an occasional basis. To not know who Elgar is is hardly a surprise.
As Tom Lehrer sang:
“Plagiarise
Let no one else’s work
Evade your eyes”
Seems an unfair reference. I have never heard a note of Ed Sheeran’s work, but from what he said it was the notion behind the Enigma Variations that seemed to him to align with where he was at that point in his life. It hardly seems to me plagiaristic to try something based on similar motivation over a century later.
I’m sure everyone will love it.
Weezer’s 1996 album Pinkerton is based on Madame Butterfly.