Worcestershire-born and self-taught English composer. It was not until the Enigma Variations (1899) and his oratorio The Dream of Gerontius (1900) that his reputation was established. He typified Edwardian reserve and gentlemanly dignity but his music was Romantic in style and emotionally expressive, especially in the Cello Concerto. His Land of Hope and Glory (originally a march without any words) assumed the status of a second National Anthem.
