Organ Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 28

Elgar's Organ Sonata in G major (1895), written for the Worcester Three Choirs Festival and premiered by Herbert Brewer, is the largest and most ambitious organ sonata in the English repertoire. Its four movements reveal an orchestral imagination of the first order: the opening Allegro maestoso has the sweep and grandeur of a cathedral anthem, the Allegretto combines scherzo wit with cathedral bell effects, and the Andante espressivo is music of genuine mystical beauty. The finale's fugal writing and triumphant peroration demonstrate the young Elgar's complete mastery of large-scale form. The sonata fell into neglect for much of the 20th century but has been revived through recordings by Elgar champions including Thomas Trotter and Christopher Herrick.