Edward Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, regarded by many as one of his greatest works, has become a staple of choral societies, ranking with Messiah, The Creation and Mozart’s Requiem. Newbury Choral Society is delighted to be performing this popular work in the spring, in St Nic’s Church on April 12th. The work, in two parts, is scored for voices and orchestra, and will feature professional soloists and musicians. It tells the story of the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God.
Born near Worcester in 1857, Elgar became a favourite composer with Victorian and Edwardian audiences, despite his relatively humble origins and lack of formal academic musical training. All the Elgar children, however, received a musical upbringing. By the age of eight, Elgar was taking piano and violin lessons, and his father, who tuned the pianos at many grand houses in Worcestershire, would sometimes take young Edward along, giving him the chance to widen his skills and come to the attention of important local figures. By the 1890s, he had begun to gain national recognition as a composer of choral works. After the success of his “Enigma” Variations, he was well on the way to establishing himself at the forefront of English music.
The Record Guide, writing in 1956 when Elgar's music was comparatively neglected, said, "Anyone who doubts the fact of Elgar's genius should take the first opportunity of hearing The Dream of Gerontius, which remains his masterpiece, as it is his largest and perhaps most deeply felt work.” (Quote from Wikipedia)
Tickets (£15, under-16s £5) are available online from the NCS website at http://www.newburychoral.org.uk and are also available at the door until sold out.