A RARE letter written by Sir Edward Elgar has been bought by the birthplace museum in Lower Broadheath.

Museum bosses paid almost £400 for the piece in which the composer announces he has written a part-song called A Simple Carol for His Majesty's Happy Recovery.

Elgar wrote the letter - which came up for auction at Dominic Winter in Swindon - to his publishers Novello on November 6, 1929.

In it he refers to the carol which he, then Master of the King's Musick, had written to mark King George V's recovery from a serious illness.

Novello paid the composer 10 guineas and a 15 per cent royalty before it was performed by the choir of St George's Chapel on December 9 that year.

"Elgar was writing very little music in the later years of his life, but we already have at the Birthplace Museum the only sketch that exists of this carol as well as a fair copy of it," said curator Melanie Weatherley.

"So I'm very pleased to be able to add this letter to our collection."

She said the museum was planning a special exhibition to run from May to October next year on Elgar and Royalty - from Victoria to Elizabeth II, to coincide with the Queen's Jubilee celebrations.

"I'm looking forward to including this in the latest acquisition in the display," she said.