Well he had a sister live in Bromsgrove and he spent a lot of time here for one particular reason, apart from the sister he loved of course - I suppose thats two reasons.
Elgar was Catholic - a difficult thing to be for an Englishman after the Reformation and the Penal Years when fear and suspicion was directed towards Catholics despite, as St Edmund Campion said prior to his execution, having refused to convert to protestantism :-
" "In condemning us, you condemn all your own ancestors, all our ancient bishops and kings, all that was once the glory of England -- the island of saints, and the most devoted child of the See of Peter."
The English had, through the long years, after being initially forced to alter their religion, come to view the beliefs of their ancestors to be somehow foreign.
That changed. After the Relief Acts Catholics were able to enter the professions, military and so on. Many small communities of Catholics who had remained faithful (such as my fathers forbears in deepest Warwickshire) could "come out" and Catholic landed gentry would fund the building of churches again.
One such is St Peters in Bromsgrove.
Hence Elgars visits - he worshipped there.
He also became known as one of Englands, and the worlds, greatest composers.
He also wrote a special piece of music for the church - this would be extremely valuable by now - but some fool of an organist gave it away and it has disappeared without trace !!!
Anyway, here is a little of what he wrote for all of us:-
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