XTC (Elgar)
Encyclopedia
”XTC” is a song with words and music written by the English composer Edward Elgar
in 1930. It was his last song.
Elgar's sketches for the accompanying music were written separately from the words. At the end of the sketches he wrote "Fine del songs November 11th 1930".
The song was pieced together by the pianist-musicologist David Owen Norris
from sketches he found at the composer's birthplace.
The first performance was on the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, 2 June 2007, at the Royal Academy of Music
in London, sung by soprano Amanda Pitt, accompanied by David Owen Norris.
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
in 1930. It was his last song.
Elgar's sketches for the accompanying music were written separately from the words. At the end of the sketches he wrote "Fine del songs November 11th 1930".
The song was pieced together by the pianist-musicologist David Owen Norris
David Owen Norris
-Life:Norris was born in 1953. He studied music at Keble College, Oxford where he was organ scholar; he is now an Honorary Fellow of the college. After leaving Oxford, he studied composition, and worked at the Royal Opera House as a repetiteur...
from sketches he found at the composer's birthplace.
The first performance was on the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, 2 June 2007, at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
in London, sung by soprano Amanda Pitt, accompanied by David Owen Norris.
Lyrics
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- XTC
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- I gave my heart unto my love
- As we passed across the dark, mysterious forest rast
- The daylight faded and above
- Ah! the sunset flam-ed down to gild the past.
- Oh, my love! Oh, my life, dost thou remember?
- My belov-ed? that dark December?
- My heart with rapture o'erflow'd
- My very inmost soul was waken'd,
- We leaned against each other in the moon-light
- Darkness came upon us, oh, lovely night.
- We were lost then but ah! awaking!
- Our hearts and souls were all aflame
- As the forest deep unfolded us again.
Recordings
- Songs & Piano Music by Edward Elgar has "XTC" performed by Amanda Pitt (soprano), with David Owen Norris playing Elgar's original 1844 Broadwood piano.