 In 1909 Elwes sang Gerontius and the "St Matthew Passion" Evangelist in New York under Walter Damrosch.Culp sang the Gerontius Angel role at the London Music Festival on 22 May 1911 with Elwes, with Herbert Brown and the Norwich Festival Chorus, and Wood states that this was the occasion upon which Elwes finally established his reputation as the greatest exponent of the name part.Five days later Wood and Elwes closed the 1911 Festival with a performance of the "St Matthew Passion" with Agnes Nicholls, Edna Thornton, Herbert Brown, Herbert Heyner and Robert Radford.