England's most successful composer in the late Victorian and Edwardian era was unable to benefit fully in financial terms especially when compared with other creative artists. Money was a constant preoccupation throughout Elgar's life and was part of his general unease over his lower middle-class, provincial, Roman Catholic upbringing. Furthermore, as he aspired to a standard of living which reflected his status as England's unofficial laureate among composers, he lived beyond his means and this fed his resentment against other composers who were better off than him. Given this background, his courageous decision to become a freelance composer without the security of a salaried position was even more remarkable.

The circumstances of the time affected all British composers including Elgar. The demand for, and supply of, sacred and secular music increased dramatically in the nineteenth century, and this period was highly propitious for British composers of church services, canticles, anthems and hymns; of sacred and secular oratorios and cantatas; and of part-songs and orchestral works. As discussed, there were economic, social, religious and political reasons for this.

This increase in demand for new music should, however, be put into the context of the attitude of British society towards the creative arts in those days. The Victorian Establishment valued literature and painting more than music, and most works by British composers failed in the marketplace as audiences continued to favour the works of old masters and contemporary European composers.