A four-day music festival, headlined by world-leading classical musician Raphael Wallfisch, is to celebrate Britain’s great composer Sir Edward Elgar in his home city of Worcester.

At the heart of this summer’s Elgar Festival is the Cello Concerto, performed by the renowned artist in a gala concert at Worcester Cathedral to mark the centenary of the composer’s last masterwork.

A spokesman said: “With the theme ‘Elgar for Everyone’ organisers are determined to engage people of all ages and walks of life in the legacy and music of the city’s world famous son. A jam-packed programme of activities includes the chance to play one of the great man’s own pianos.

“Inaugurated last year as a two-day event and immediately gaining Critic’s Pick status with The Guardian and The Times, 2019’s festival has now expanded to four days, reflecting the bid to champion Sir Edward to as wide an audience as possible.

For Raphael Wallfisch the festival’s ethos couldn’t be better demonstrated than through the Cello Concerto, which was conceived during the dark years of the First World War as Elgar recuperated from an operation. However it was initially a flop.

He said: “Elgar was to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra and the young British cellist Felix Salmond but the rest of the programme, at the Queen’s Hall that October 1919, was conducted by Albert Coates, who was in fact my wife’s grandfather.

“The performance was not good and the orchestra unprepared. The public and critics were puzzled and unsure about the new work and Felix never played it again.”

The Elgar Festival takes place from May 30 to June 2.

Tickets are on sale from March 8.

For full booking and event information, go to http://elgarfestival.org/whats-on/