Frederick Delius’ music never appealed to the masses, but rather found ardent support in a devoted few. This trend of select championship was predicted, if not encouraged, by the composer himself: “A few there are who love and understand. They are the ones that count. The rest are not worth bothering about.” [1] Throughout Delius’ labored career, he was fortunate to meet the very champions of his work that would guide him through the most critical points in his life. Few composers have elicited such devotion and sacrifice that Delius garnered with relatively little solicitation. The aim of this paper is to explore the life of Delius with its history of champions and to examine his early work, "Florida Suite for Orchestra," encompassing the germs of potential that his committed followers would come to recognize at the height of his powers during the first decade of the twentieth century. [1] Fenby, Delius as I Knew Him, 189.

In the western classical tradition, the violoncello has developed a reputation for its soulful, vocal qualities. Because of this distinction, many composers have written elegiac works for the cello. This document comprises studies of three twentieth-century British elegies for cello and piano, each explored against a backdrop of poetic, societal and musical influences. The results reveal several common tropes of mourning, both musical and extra-musical, which can be applied to further studies of musical works.

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