GODSON of Sir Edward Elgar and a great friend of the Three Choirs Festival, Wulstan Atkins has died at the age of 98.

On one of his visits to the Three Choirs in Hereford, Mr Atkins recalled the close friendship between his father, Sir Ivor, and Elgar.

They first met in 1890 at the Worcester Festival for which Elgar wrote his first commissioned work for the event - 'Froissart'.

Mr Atkins's father was assistant organist at Hereford Cathedral from 1889 to 1894 during the era when Dr George Sinclair was organist.

"Then my father went to St Lawrence's at Ludlow before becoming organist at Worcester Cathedral," he said.

Racing fraternity

Mr Atkins had no doubt that Elgar was a genius. "He was interested in so many things and would have been famous at whatever profession he chose to follow.

"When he lived at Plas Gwyn at Hampton Park in Hereford he had a laboratory - he also knew more about literature than most English professors.

"He was also great fun, loved dogs and horses.

"Among the special trainloads of people who came to his memorial service were many representatives of the racing fraternity as well as the world of music and the general public."

He recalled that although the composer was not a big man, he had "a tremendous presence" and added: "You could feel he was there before he actually came into the cathedral."