Elgar: Harmony Music No.5 (Shed) Mvt.4 Finale - wind quintet

Elgar’s seven works titled Harmony Music (from the German Harmoniemusik, music for wind ensemble) were among the pieces he wrote between the years 1878 and 1881 for the wind quintet he played in with his friends. 

The players for whom Elgar wrote the quintets were his young friends, who met regularly for music on Sunday afternoons. He wrote for the instruments available and to suit the capabilities of their players. 

 Elgar's younger brother Frank was a competent oboist while, to judge from the scores, his friends Hubert Leicester (later to become Mayor of Worcester) and Frank Exton were flautists of near professional standard. Hubert's brother William was co-opted to play the clarinet, while Elgar taught himself to play the bassoon to complete the quintet. He also learnt to play the cello, which is indicated in this piece as a part for cello or bassoon.

The five met on Sunday afternoons to play together in a garden shed and Elgar attempted to provide a new composition or arrangement for them to rehearse each week - a daunting task. 

These compositions are now known as "The Shed Music" or music written for the "Shed Quintet."

Harmony Music No.5 has 4 movements:

1. The Mission

2. Menuetto and Trio

3. Noah's Ark

4. Finale

This is my arrangement for standard wind quintet of mvt. 4 Finale.

Horn part is for a natural horn in D

Preview links to a mp3 sound file.