Edward Elgar

Elgar wrote the two pieces most people in Britain can hum and a great deal of serious music that deserves more attention than it gets.

Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 and Salut d'Amour account for most of what is bought under his name, and both exist in an enormous range of arrangements. The Enigma Variations, the Cello Concerto and The Dream of Gerontius are the substantial works. String players should know the Serenade for Strings, which is within reach of a good amateur orchestra.

A caution on copyright: he died in 1934, so his music is out of copyright in the UK and EU but the position differs by country, and modern editions and arrangements carry their own rights regardless. Free scans of the original editions are widely available and perfectly usable.