Elgar - Dream of Gerontius at Arundel Cathedral

Following on from the success of their spring concert, Mendelssohns Elijah, Arun Choral Society will perform Edward Elgars '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. Elgars 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, Elgars first major success. However, the fate of the Dreams 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.

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, Elgars 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.