Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf

[1] Before the success of the Enigma Variations in 1899 consolidated his national reputation, Elgar was chiefly known for choral works such as The Black Knight and King Olaf.

The soloists included Edward Lloyd,[4] a famous tenor of the time who was chosen to give first performances of lead roles in Caractacus and The Dream of Gerontius.

The cantata was revived at the Victoria Hall to mark the centenary of its premiere with Donald Hunt conducting the BBC Philharmonic, the Ceramic City Choir and the three soloists Susan Chilcott, Arthur Davies and Alan Opie.

Longfellow knew the violinist Ole Bull who came from Bergen, and their friendship appears to have been a factor in the poet choosing King Olaf as a subject.

The work was recorded for the first time in the 1980s by EMI with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley, a specialist in British music.