”XTC” ("Ecstasy") is a song with words and music written by the English 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 ...

in 1930. It was his last song, and written for the soprano Joan Elwes. Elgar's sketches for the accompanying music were written separately from the words. At the end of the sketches he wrote ''"Fine del songs November 11th 1930"''. The song was pieced together by the pianist-musicologist

David Owen Norris David Owen Norris, (born 1953) is a British pianist, composer, academic, and broadcaster. Early life Norris was born in 1953 in Long Buckby in Northamptonshire, England, later attending Daventry Grammar School. He took lessons locally from co ...

from sketches he found at the composer's birthplace. The first performance was on the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, 2 June 2007, at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

in London, sung by soprano Amanda Pitt, accompanied by David Owen Norris.

Lyrics

::::XTC :I gave my heart unto my love :As we passed across the dark, mysterious forest rast''rast'' was a word coined by Elgar. David Owen Norris suggests that this is derived from the Latin ''rastrum'' (rake) and meaning 'a clearing'. :The daylight faded and above :Ah! the sunset flam-ed down to gild the past. :Oh, my love! Oh, my life, dost thou remember? :My belov-ed? that dark December? :My heart with rapture o'erflow'd :My very inmost soul was waken'd, :We leaned against each other in the moon-light :Darkness came upon us, oh, lovely night. :We were lost then but ah! awaking! :Our hearts and souls were all aflame :As the forest deep unfolded us again.

Recordings

Songs & Piano Music by Edward Elgar
has "XTC" performed by Amanda Pitt (soprano), with David Owen Norris playing Elgar's original 1844 Broadwood piano.

References

BBC News: A first hearing for Elgar's last

The Independent: Elgar 150th birthday celebrationsUniversity of Southampton, Music: Three Elgar Premieres on his 150th Birthday
{{Edward Elgar Songs by Edward Elgar 1930 songs