Durham University - Changed circumstance

The removal of British composer Sir Edward Elgar from the £20 bank note is a "national disgrace", a leading expert on his music has said. Jeremy Dibble, professor of music at Durham University, described Elgar as an "iconic figure and a fitting symbol of artistic inspiration in England". His comments followed the removal of the musician from legal tender last week. The new £20 note depicts the economist Adam Smith. "Dropping Elgar tells us much about the way in which the arts are now viewed in England," said Professor Dibble. "Science and economics are important but so too are the arts."