Wolves honour Elgar’s Dorabella
OrchestrasThe Wolverhampton Society has affixed a blue plaque to the house where one of the friends mentioned in Enigma Variations lived.
Known to Elgar as Dorabella, Dora lived with her father the Rev Alfred Penny, rector of St Peter’s Collegiate Church. Elgar and his wife Alice stayed here and he went with Dora to watch Wolverhampton Wanderers play football. Her variation is fluttery.
More here.
When I was a member of the City of Birmingham Choir we were invited to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ ground to sing Land of Hope and Glory before their match with West Bromwich Albion. It was in acknowledgement of the fact that Elgar had been a Wolves fan. It went very well, despite the naughty West Brom fans attempting to sing a counter song: amplification and a pre-recorded track meant that we and Eddie Elgar prevailed! 🙂