By the time Cockaigne appeared (1901), Elgar's style had matured, although that similarity to Strauss was still detectable. Elgar noted, in the score of this explicit evocation of contemporary London, that “Cockaigne” is traditionally the fictitious “Land of All Delights” (a.k.a. “The Abode of Luxury and Idleness”). Popularly associated with London, this description is thought to be the origin of “Cockney” (I bet that took some working out!). Elgar dedicated Cockaigne to his “many friends the members of British Orchestras”; the imaginative scoring, encompassing chamber-like filigree and bombastic military band, certainly gave every corner of the orchestra plenty to chew on.

Combining elements of sonata and rondo form, a (very!) rough thematic scheme might be (ABA-C-ABA-D)-(ABA-C)-(ACA-D)-(BA). The letters represent not repetition but use of themes (some of which are related). Dashes indicate rondo-like sections, while brackets highlight the sonata-like sequence of exposition, development, recapitulation and coda. Having thus diverted the analytically-minded, the rest of us can marvel at the brilliant way Elgar organises his materials to give the paradoxical impression of carefree whimsy (less well-assembled, it would be more wishy-washy than whimsical). Some episodes he associated with particular images. [A] is a “chirpy cockney” tune spawning [B], a nobilmente melody hinting at luxury. [C] is the dalliance of lovers in a park. Following [D] (that military band), an exquisite calm supposedly represents lovers wandering into a church seeking peace and quiet.