Chester Bach Singers’ large-scale work this year is a joint enterprise with Chester Philharmonic Orchestra and Cantiones in a performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius at Chester Cathedral.
We have also secured the services of three prestigious soloists – Kathryn Rudge, James Platt, and Joshua Ellicott – to help us put on this majestic piece of music.
The Dream of Gerontius is an oratorio that touches on the themes of life, death ... and what may come after. It is based on a poem by John Henry Newman and was set to music by Elgar in 1900. The story follows Gerontius, an ordinary man, as he confronts his own mortality, meets his guardian angel, and ultimately faces God before being sent to Purgatory with the promise of eternal glory.
The piece was commissioned for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival – an event that was closely associated with Newman who had strong ties to the city and lived at the oratory for nearly 40 years. Elgar was approached to write the piece in 1898, after Antonín Dvořák had declined the invitation to compose for the 1887 Festival, despite being given a copy of Newman’s poem during a visit to Birmingham. Interestingly, Elgar received the poem as a wedding present in 1889, which sowed the seed of inspiration for the eventual composition.
Elgar treated the poem with reverence, only making necessary edits to suit the musical requirements. However, he was keen to not make the piece too sacred, explaining: 'I imagined Gerontius to be a man like us, not a Priest or a Saint, but a sinner... Therefore, I’ve not filled his part with Church tunes and rubbish but a good, healthy full-blooded romantic, remembered worldliness, so to speak.'
The performance is at 7:30pm on Saturday 2nd March 2024 at Chester Cathedral.
For tickets and more information CLICK HERE.
