Elgar: The Wind Quintets, Mixed Quintets and Sextets

At the age of 21, Elgar formed a wind quintet in Worcester with four of his friends. The quintet originally comprised 2 flutes, oboe, clarinet in C and bassoon, which Elgar himself played.  Elgar composed a number of works for this combination and also arranged at least 20 works, mostly glees, partsongs and madrigals.  In 1879, Elgar shifted from bassoon to the cello and he composed a number of pieces for this new combination.

In 1880, Karl Bammert, a violinist friend, joined the group and Elgar composed one work for the sextet, as well as adding a violin part to Harmony Music No. 1 and Promenades 4 & 5. After the first three Harmony Music pieces, the major Elgar works were called 'Shed' after the shed at the back of the Elgar Music Shop where the group rehearsed on Sunday afternoons.

The Sarastro Music edition of these works is based on the parts used by the group - with further reference to Elgar's sketchbooks from this period. They are fully edited versions rather than mere performance editions. Each score is printed as the original, with the clarinet in C.  However each volume may be purchased with the clarinet part in either B flat or C.