Caroline Alice, Lady Elgar (9 October 18487 April 1920) was an English author of verse and prose fiction, who married the composer

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

Family

Caroline Alice Roberts, known as Alice, was born in

Bhuj Bhuj () is a city and the headquarters of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Etymology According to legend, Kutch (Kachchh) was ruled by the Nāga chieftains in the past. Sagai, a queen of Sheshapattana, who was married to King B ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, India, in 1848. She was the youngest child (having three elder brothers) and only daughter of Major-General Sir

Henry Gee Roberts Major-General Sir Henry Gee Roberts (18 July 1800 – 6 October 1860) was a British officer and political agent who served in the Bombay Army of the East India Company and afterwards in the British Raj in India. Early years Henry, born at Cho ...

KCB (1800–1860), and Julia Maria (1815–1887), daughter of Rev. Robert Napier Raikes (1783-1851). Alice's great-grandfather

Robert Raikes Robert Raikes ("the Younger") (14 September 1735 – 5 April 1811) was an English philanthropist and Anglican layman. He was educated at The Crypt School in Gloucester. He was noted for his promotion of Sunday schools. Family Raikes was born ...

(1736–1811) was the founder of the

Sunday school ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

movement, and her uncle was British Indian Army General Robert Napier Raikes (1813–1909). Her father was serving in India at the time of the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form ...

, and he died when Alice was aged only 12. As a girl she studied with the amateur geologist Rev W. S. Symonds and they and a group of her friends went

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

-hunting on the banks of the river

Severn The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...

.Powell, p. 1. She wrote the index to a book by him. She studied the piano with Ferdinand Kufferath in Brussels and harmony with Charles Harford Lloyd. She spoke fluent German, and also Italian, French and Spanish. Before she was married her writing was published under the name C. Alice Roberts. A two-volume novel, ''Marchcroft Manor'', was published in 1882, four years before she met Elgar. The Elgar scholar

Diana McVeagh Diana McVeagh (born 6 September 1926, Ipoh) is a British author on classical music. She has written a biography of Gerald Finzi and several books on Edward Elgar. McVeagh studied at the Royal College of Music in the 1940s and was assistant editor ...

describes it as "quite an accomplished, entertaining, indeed touching tale, with a control of pace and situation, and a humour that might well surprise anyone knowing Alice only from her later verses, letters and diary". McVeagh also notes that earlier critics have drawn attention to the "tincture of radicalism" in the book.

Marriage

In 1886 Alice Roberts' brothers had left to join the army and she was living with her elderly widowed mother at Hazeldine House at Redmarley in

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

(now in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

). That autumn she took up piano accompaniment lessons from

, who was violin teacher at Worcester High School. When her mother died the next year she went abroad for a while before returning to settle down at a house in

Malvern Link Malvern Link is an area in the civil parish of Malvern, in the Malvern Hills District, in Worcestershire, England to the north and east of Great Malvern. The centres of Malvern Link and Great Malvern are separated by Link Common, an area o ...

called Ripple Lodge, and continued with her accompaniment lessons. She became engaged to her young teacher, much to the disapproval of her strongly

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

family, who not only considered her fiancé a poor tradesman of a lower social class, but also noted that he was eight years her junior and a devout Roman Catholic. Alice Roberts and Edward Elgar were married on 8 May 1889 in a shortened Catholic ceremony at

Brompton Oratory Brompton Oratory, also known as the London Oratory, is a neo-classical late-Victorian Catholic parish church in the Brompton area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, neighbouring Knightsbridge, London. Its name stems from Oratorian ...

. They gave each other engagement presents: he presented her with a short piece for violin and piano called ''

Salut d'Amour ''Salut d'Amour'' (''Liebesgruß''), Op. 12, is a musical work composed by Edward Elgar in 1888, originally written for violin and piano. History Elgar finished the piece in July 1888, when he was romantically involved with Caroline Alice Ro ...

'', and she gave him one of her poems '' The Wind at Dawn''. Of Alice's family only her cousin William Raikes and his wife Veronica attended, while on her husband's side there were only his parents and his musical friend Dr. Charles Buck. The

wedding breakfast A wedding breakfast is a feast given to the newlyweds and guests after the wedding, making it equivalent to a wedding reception that serves a meal. The phrase is still used in British English. Nowadays the wedding breakfast is not normally a ...

was at the nearby house of a friend of Alice's, Mrs. Marshall – Elgar later dedicated " A Song of Autumn" to her daughter "Miss Marshall". The Elgars spent a three-week honeymoon at

Ventnor Ventnor () is a seaside resort town and civil parishes in England, civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, from Newport, Isle of Wight, Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface D ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

, then returned to London to be closer to the centre of British musical life. But they had no settled home for over a year: they went first to 3 Marloes Road,

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

; then on 29 July they went back to her spacious house 'Saetermo' in Malvern when the lease ran out; then in October to the Raikes cousins' home (lent to them for the winter 1890–91) 'Oaklands', Fountain Road,

Upper Norwood Upper Norwood is an area of south London, England, within the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Lambeth, Lambeth and London Borough of Southwark, Southwark. It is north ...

with the advantage of being near the

Crystal Palace Concerts Sir August Friedrich Manns (12 March 1825 – 1 March 1907) was a German-born British conductor who made his career in England. After serving as a military bandmaster in Germany, he moved to England and soon became director of music at London ...

which Edward attended whenever he could. They then moved to a terraced house at 51 Avonmore Road, Kensington where their only child, Carice Irene was born on 14 August 1890. However the lack of work for Edward forced them to leave, and they returned to

, renting a house 'Forli' in Alexandra Road, where it was hoped he could earn a living teaching and conducting local musical ensembles.

Influence

Alice's faith in her husband and her courage in marrying 'beneath her class' were strongly supportive to his career. She dealt with his mood swings and was a generous musical critic. She was also his business manager, social secretary, and not least set out and ruled score paper for his orchestral works. She did her best to gain him the attention of influential society, though with limited success. The honours accepted reluctantly by her husband mattered more to her and her social class. She also gave up some of her personal aspirations to further his career. In her diary she later admitted, "The care of a genius is enough of a life work for any woman." When her husband received his knighthood in 1904, she became Lady Elgar. At the beginning of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, for a short while, Lady Elgar taught French to a group of private soldiers at

Chelsea Barracks Chelsea Barracks was a British Army barracks located in the City of Westminster, London, between the districts of Belgravia, Chelsea and Pimlico on Chelsea Bridge Road. The barracks closed in the late 2000s, and the site is currently being redev ...

.Young, p. 175. By January 1920, friends had noticed that she had lost her normal vitality and had not been out of the house since November. She attended a performance of Elgar's Second Symphony on 16 March, and the next day went to a Harley Street doctor, but stayed at home when Elgar travelled to a concert in Leeds. The last concert she attended was a performance of some of Elgar's chamber music in London. She died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

, aged 71, on 7 April, in their home Severn House at 42

Netherhall Gardens Netherhall Gardens is a street in Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden. It connects Finchley Road with Fitzjohns Avenue, curving twice along its route and meeting Nutley Terrace and Maresfield Gardens. The short Netherhall Way connects it t ...

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

. Her funeral was held at

St Wulstan's Roman Catholic Church St Wulstan's Roman Catholic Church, Little Malvern, Worcestershire, England is a Benedictine parish church administered by the monks of Downside Abbey. The attached churchyard contains the grave of the composer Edward Elgar and of his wife, Alice ...

Little Malvern Little Malvern is a small village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England. It is situated on the lower slopes of the Malvern Hills, south of Malvern Wells, near Great Malvern, the major centre of the area often referred to as ''The Malvern ...

three days later. Edward was supported by their daughter Carice. Among the mourners was Alice's brother Napier Roberts. There were Elgar's friends Frank Schuster, Billy Reed and Dr. Charles Buck. Sir Charles Stanford arrived but could only speak to Reed before walking away in tears. In the gallery of the church the slow movement from Elgar's

String Quartet The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...

was played by Reed,

Albert Sammons Albert Edward Sammons CBE (23 February 188624 August 1957) was an English violinist, composer and later violin teacher. Almost self-taught on the violin, he had a wide repertoire as both chamber musician and soloist, although his reputation re ...

Lionel Tertis Lionel Tertis, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (29 December 187622 February 1975) was an English viola, violist. He was one of the first viola players to achieve international fame, and a noted teacher. Career Tertis was born ...

and

Felix Salmond Felix Adrian Norman Salmond (19 November 188820 February 1952) was an English cellist and cello teacher who achieved success in the UK and the US. Early life and career Salmond was born to a family of professional musicians. His father Norman S ...

Legacy

Alice's letters and the diary she kept during the years of her marriage between 1889 and 1920 are a valuable record of the lives of her and her family.

Her daughter

At the beginning of World War I, Carice Elgar trained in

First Aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with a medical emergency, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive. First aid is gener ...

, then from 1915 did translation work for the Government Censorship Department. The month before Alice died, Carice returned home from a holiday in

Mürren Mürren is a traditional Walser mountain village in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, at an elevation of above sea level. It cannot be reached by public road. It is also one of the popular tourist spots in Switzerland, and summer and winte ...

, having met there a Surrey farmer older than she was named Samuel Blake. Her mother sensed a secret, but Carice did not tell her. A year later, with her father's consent, they became engaged. They were married in January 1922 and she took the name Carice Elgar Blake. They had no children. After her mother died Carice devoted herself to supporting her father. After the death of her father in 1934 she played a part in the formation of the Elgar Birthplace Trust. Samuel Blake died in 1939, and Carice died in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

on 16 July 1970 aged 79. Her funeral was at St. Wulstan's Church in Little Malvern, where her parents were buried, and there was a memorial service for her at Farm Street Church in Mount Street, London W1 on 30 July.

Works

Lyrics

Poems by Alice set to music by Elgar: * ''" The Wind at Dawn"'', song (1888), poem written in 1880Moore, p. 125. * ''"Afar, amidst the sunny Isles"'', alternate poem by Alice to fit the music of ''" My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land"'', when

Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a folkloristics, collector of folklore, folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectur ...

refused permission for his poem to be used: but Lang later changed his mind and Alice's words were not used * ''"Im Norden, wo mein Lieb gewohnt"'', German words to ''"My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land"'' * ''" O Happy Eyes"'', part-song SATB, Op.18 No.1 (1890) * ''"A spear, a sword"'', unpublished song (1892) * ''"Mill-wheel Songs"'', two unpublished songs (1892) ** 1. ''"Winter"''; 2. ''"May (a rhapsody)"'' * ''" The Snow"'', part-song SSA acc. 2 violins and piano, Op. 26 No.1 (1894). ''Winter'' from her poem ''Isabel Trevithoe''. * ''" Fly, Singing Bird"'', part-song SSA acc. 2 violins and piano, Op. 26 No.2 (1894). ''Spring'' from her poem ''Isabel Trevithoe''. * '' From the Bavarian Highlands'', six choral songs SATB and orchestra, Op. 27 (1896). Alice also gave the songs their German subtitles. ** 1. ''"The Dance (Sonnenbichl)"''; 2. ''"False Love (Wamberg)"''; 3. ''"Lullaby (In

Hammersbach Hammersbach is a municipality in the district of Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. Location Hammersbach is located near Frankfurt am Main. Since 2007 Hammersbach has an official connection to the motorway A45 that has been planned for a long ...

)"''; 4. ''"Aspiration (Bei Sankt Anton)"''; 5. ''"On the Alm 'True Love' (Hoch Alp)"''; 6. ''"The Marksmen (Bei Murnau)"'' * ''" Love alone will stay"'', song, (1898). Later in ''

Sea Pictures ''Sea Pictures, Op. 37'' is a song cycle for contralto and orchestra by Edward Elgar. It consists of settings of a poems by five different authors. A version for piano was often performed by Elgar. Many mezzo-sopranos have sung the piece. The ...

'', Op. 37 as

In Haven "In Haven (Capri)" is a poem by Caroline Alice Elgar, probably best known in its musical setting as the second (and shortest) song composed by her husband Edward Elgar for his song-cycle ''Sea Pictures''. History Elgar first set Alice's poem t ...

(Capri) * ''"A Christmas Greeting"'', carol for 2 sopranos, male chorus ''ad lib'', 2 violins and piano, Op. 52, (1907) * ''" The King's Way"'', song (1910)

Fiction

* ''Isabel Trevithoe'', a poem by C. A. R., (The Charing Cross Publishing Co., 1879) * ''Marchcroft Manor'', a novel (2 vols.), (Remington & Co., New Bond St., London, 1882) * Stories in the magazine '' Home Chimes'' * ''Dear little ship, go forth'', a poem, dedicated "To Carice"

Other

* Index to ''Records of the Rocks'' by Rev W. S. Symonds (1872) * Translation from German of E. T. A. Hoffmann's short story ''Ritter Gluck'', (''London Society, a Monthly Magazine'', May 1895)

Dedications

Dedicated by Edward Elgar to Alice * ''" Through the Long Days"'', song, Op.16 No.2 (1887) – written on one of the first printed copies was 'Miss Roberts from Edward Elgar, Mar.21 1887'Moore, p. 119. * ''" Liebesgruss"'' ''(Salut d'Amour)'', violin and piano, Op.12, inscribed ''"à Carice"'' (1888) * ''"Liebesahnung"'', violin and piano, later published as ''"Mot d'Amour"'', Op.13 No.1 (1889) * ''"Love"'', part-song SATB, Op.18 No.2 (1890) * Variation I of the

Enigma Variations Edward Elgar composed his ''Variations on an Original Theme'', Op. 36, popularly known as the ''Enigma Variations'', between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Elgar ...

, Op.36 bears the initials ''"C.A.E."'' (1898)

Notes

References

* * McVeagh, Diana (1984). 'Mrs. Edward Elgar'. ''The Musical Times'', Vol.125, No.1692 * * * * * * * *Obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', 8 April 1920 *'The Late Lady Elgar', ''

The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' was an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainzer's Musical Times and Singing Circular'', but in 1844 he sold it to Alfr ...

'', Vol.61, No.927 (1 May 1920) p. 331

External links

*
The LiederNet Archive – texts of Caroline Alice Elgar set to music
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Elgar, Alice English women poets English women novelists 1848 births 1920 deaths Edward Elgar Deaths from lung cancer in England Burials in Worcestershire Wives of baronets Wives of knights