Between 1901 and 1930, Edward Elgar (1857-1934) published five splendid military marches for large symphony orchestra entitled "Pomp and Circumstance". The best known was the first, originally in the key of D major. It is dedicated to A.E. Rodewald and the "Liverpool Orchestra Society".
The wonderful trio melody almost challenged a text, and so it appears as early as 1902 in Elgar's "Coronation Ode" as a chorus to the text "Land of Hope and Glory". The march thrives on the stark contrast between the sharply accented, agitated Marcia sections and the famous vocal melody of the trio sections. It was this contrast that had to be worked out in the version for wind band. The arrangement should, as far as possible, take into account the technical skill and scoring characteristics found in today's well-developed wind bands.
Elgar gives the performance as about 5 minutes. A wind band can play the march a little slower than it would be performed by a professional symphony orchestra, otherwise the "con molto fuoco" parts will seem slightly imprecise and hasty.