The Oberlin Musical Union and Oberlin Orchestra concert last Sunday, Dec. 9, featured exclusively the works of British composer Elgar. As a part of the Elgar Sesquicentennial Celebration, three of his most prominent compositions, Pomp and Circumstance March Op.39, No. 1, the “Enigma” Variations and The Music Makers, came through for fans and ordinary concert lovers alike. It’s rare to see such a mass of people occupying Finney’s stage — the two ensembles covered every inch of space.

Elgar’s infamous Pomp and Circumstance March, Op.39, No. 1 opened the program. Since its successful premiere in 1901, it has been adopted for graduation ceremonies in the United States and is known and loved among British subjects. The orchestra did a fine job blasting out the high-spirited and emotionally-packed tune of the trio and excited the audience early in the program.

Contemplative and quintessentially mysterious, The Music Makers, Op.69, set to Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s poem “Ode,” featured double-degree fifth-year soloist Meghan Brooks alongside the Musical Union, a campus choir ensemble. The soprano’s lovely, soft timbre added a neat color to Elgar’s brilliant orchestration and the voices of the huge choir. In this piece, the Musical Union had a chance to show its preparation during the semester, and most of the time it did so.

There were several moments when orchestra conductor Bridget Michaele-Reischl was on the verge of losing control of the more than 100 people on stage. The choir missed some cues, but held together nonetheless.

In The Music Makers, Elgar features musical quotations, many of which were drawn from his own pieces. “Nimrod” from the Enigma Variations appeared in the second movement, “We are the music makers,” and references to his The Dream of Gerontius, Sea Pictures, the violin concerto and fragments from his first and second symphonies were scattered throughout the composition.

Brooks’ warm voice was notable in “They had no vision,” but unfortunately, her sound was often overwhelmed by the orchestra and the choir. The Musical Union voices delivered triumphant fortes in “We are the music makers” and “But we, with our dreaming and singing,” where a brighter, happier notion was audible. Principal violist and Conservatory sophomore Kallie Ciechomski presented the first of many prominent solos to come in the second part of the concert.

If there is something for which Elgar is known — other than his pompous March — it is the Variations on an Original Theme, Op.36, nicknamed the “Enigma” Variations. The 14 variations are musical sketches of Elgar’s closest friends and the individuals who were the most influential in his life.

This theme appeared in its sad dignity and set the meditative character of the work. The running sixteenths in the strings in the “H.D.S-P.” — depicting Hew David Steuart-Powell, an amateur pianist — sounded somewhat scattered and could have been more in tune.

The woodwinds shone in the well-known “R.B.T.” — representing Richard Baxter Townsend, an author — and in “W.N.” — showcasing Winifred Norbury and his characteristic laugh.

The brass section was wild and perfect in “Troyte” — Troyte Griffiths, a friend and also very difficult piano student of Elgar’s — and “G.R.S.” — which depicted George Robertson Sinclair’s bulldog while splashing in a river.

“Nimrod,” so often related to public mourning, sounded right with its E-flat major setting noble and triumphant.

The cello section and their leader, junior Catherine Smith, deserve special praise for the intensity of their sound in “B.G.N.” — knowledgeable amateur cellist Basil G. Nevinson. The violin flutters also charm in “Intermezzo: Dorabella” — after Dora Penn, an amusing good friend of Elgar — replaced the remembrance of their rocky beginning.

The concert ended after a furious buildup to the “Finale: E.D.U” — representing the composer himself — in which the whole orchestra was splashing and bathing in its triumph, supported by prevailing timpani hits and majestic brass.