The Dream of Gerontius

Meditate on life and death, a soul’s journey and visions of God in Elgar’s most assured choral work.

An epic adaptation of John Henry Newman’s poem, The Dream of Gerontius is an exploration of loss and hope in the face of death, the challenges of purgatory and judgment and the blessing of salvation. It is a passionate and deeply moving realisation of the soul’s darkest experiences: sublimely dramatic and painfully tender. The score is daring and incisive, but beautifully accessible, full of longing and fluid symphonic current. The integration of orchestra and voices makes for an overwhelmingly coherent whole, with a powerful interplay of intimacy and grandeur.

After a triumphant performance of Verdi’s Requiem here in 2016, English Philharmonia and Chorus return with internationally acclaimed soloists and a choir of 250 singers, in what promises to be an evening of thoughtful and expressive musicianship that breathes rich life into the glorious work that Elgar described as ‘the best of me’.