Ivor Atkins Hereford Cathedral (1890-1893) and organist of St Laurence Church, Ludlow from 1893 to 1897. He composed songs, church music, service settings and anthems. With Edward Elgar he prepared an edition of Bach's "St. Matthew Passion". He was knighted in 1921 for services to music and was President of the Royal College of Organists from 1935 to 1936. He was a friend of Edward Elgar, who in 1904 dedicated the third of his Pomp and Circumstance Marches to him. It was Atkins who later suggested that Elgar's 'Severn Suite' -- produced in 1930 as a brass band competition piece, and arranged
Pomp and Circumstance Marches modified form, for the "Land of hope and glory" section of his "Coronation Ode" for King Edward VII. The words were further modified to fit the original tune, and the result has since become a fixture at the Last Night of the Proms, and an English sporting anthem. In the United States, the "Trio" section "Land of Hope and Glory" of March No. 1 is often known simply as "Pomp and Circumstance" or as "The Graduation March" and is played as the at virtually all high school and some college graduation ceremonies. It was first played at such a ceremony