Sir Edward Elgar Bart., OM, GCVO 1857-1934

Sir Edward Elgar was the composer of many pieces which are famous enough without listing them here and, during his brief spell (which he disliked), as a Professor of music, he gave the world the dictum, principally aimed at the state of English musical composition of the period:

"An Englishman will take you into a large room, beautifully proportioned, and will point out that it is white, all over white, and somebody will say: "What exquisite taste". You know, in your own mind, in your own soul, that it is not taste at all; that it is the want of taste; that it is mere evasion."