Sir Charles Groves; British Conductor

Sir Charles Groves, a British conductor whose lengthy career centered on orchestras in Liverpool, Manchester and Bournemouth, England, died here Saturday. He was 77.

Groves conducted occasionally in the United States, several times with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, but generally was known to American audiences for his recordings of the works of Delius and Elgar.

He dedicated himself to his orchestras, once selling raffle tickets on the streets of Bournemouth to keep the city’s symphony from failing. He also was musical director of the Welsh National Opera, the English National Opera and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.