ELGAR’S birthday weekend will be marked by a special concert at St Wulstan’s, the church in Malvern Wells where the composer is buried.

The concert on Saturday (May 30) at 8pm, is a performance of English partsongs by the Julian Singers, a Worcester-based chamber choir with many members from Malvern.

The 20-strong choir will be performing partsongs written by Elgar himself and a number of his contemporaries, including Parry, Stamford and Ireland. Partsongs are specially written pieces designed to be sung by four-six voices.

The concert will also include some Glees, funny Victorian songs, as Elgar is known to have founded a Glee Club in Worcester in the 1890s.

“We’ve found some nice glees and they’re the kind Elgar himself would have sung at the Glee Club,” explained choir member Gill Bradshaw.

The Julian Singers will be accompaied by organist John Wilderspin and there will be solo performances from baritone Richard Quine and flautists Vanessa Gunter and Rowan Williams.

Tickets for the concert cost £12 and include wine and refreshments. They are available on the door or in advance by phoning 01905 350773.

The choir will also mark the composer’s birthday weekend with evensong at Worcester Cathedral on Sunday, May 31, at 4pm. The singers will be the visiting choir for the service. Afterwards choir members, many of whom are also members of the Elgar Society, will mark the composers birthday with birthday cake and wine at the Elgar Birthplace Museum.