Following on from the success of their spring concert, Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’, Arun Choral Society will perform Edward Elgar’s 'The Dream of Gerontius' under the direction of Dr Joe Paxton in the stunning surroundings of Arundel Cathedral on Sunday 25th October at 7.30pm.
The piece is widely regarded as Elgar's finest choral work, indeed considered by some to be his masterpiece. Many will be familiar with the work following its fictitious 1916 performance by the Ramsden Choral Society in the 2025 film ‘The Choral’.
In 1865 Cardinal Newman wrote a poem ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ dealing with the questions about afterlife and God. Elgar’s chance to set Gerontius to music came at the age of forty-two with a commission for the 1900 Birmingham Triennial Festival.
The Dream of Gerontius followed hard on the heels of the Enigma Variations, Elgar’s first major success. However, the fate of the Dream’s premiere did not go so well. Inadequate rehearsal, lacklustre soloists, an overworked chorus and the sudden death of their choirmaster, along with little sympathy for a Catholic text or experience of such demanding writing, saw to it that the performance was deemed an outright failure that led a furious Elgar to comment, “I have worked for forty years and, at the end, Providence denies me a decent hearing of my work.”
Fortunately, the Dream was better received at the German premiere in Düsseldorf in 1901 and has since become a much-loved contribution to the English choral repertoire.
Joe Paxton, our Musical Director has as usual been putting us through our paces and as always has been ably assisted by David Moore, our amazing accompanist. We have all been captivated by this beautiful and very English piece. Two of our favourite soloists join us for the concert. Tenor Andrew Rawlings will sing the part of Gerontius and Deirdre Arratoon, mezzo-soprano, the part of the Angel. Making his debut with the Society will be bass-baritone Ben Hendry-Watkins singing the role of the Priest. (Dee Tilbury, Arun Choral Society membership secretary )
The soloists and choir of over 100 voices will be ably accompanied by the 51 piece Sinfonia of Arun orchestra. The choir is divided into a semi chorus and a double chorus, which adds to the ethereal feeling of the piece. At other times, Elgar’s masterful music conjures up a vision of the rural Worcestershire countryside, the motion of the sea and a wistful feeling of past times. This concert will be a wonderful experience for everyone.’
There will be an interval when wine and soft drinks will be on sale. Tickets are now available priced £18 (£9 under 18s).
