Elgar is reputed to be the greatest composer to arise in England since the death of Purcell in 1695. He wrote magnificently for voices and as an orchestral colourist he could stand comparison with Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky. Parry said of him that ‘he reached the hearts of the people’: his ceremonial music has become part of the national heritage, while his lighter pieces appeal to a public which might not care as much for his symphonies and oratorios.