| Elgar, Sir Edward (1857-1934) | The Kingdom - oratorio for soloists chorus and orchestra, Op.51 |
| Flemish Radio Choir | ||
| Edward Gardner | Conductor | |
| Edith Haller | Soprano | The Blessed Virgin |
| Elizabeth DeShong | Mezzo-soprano | Mary Magdalene |
| John Daszak | Tenor | St. John |
| Mark Stone | Baritone | St. Peter |
| Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Radio Filharmonisch Orkest) |
Sir Edward Elgar evokes for most people the ultra-English Pomp and Circumstance. But Elgar is also the composer of richly varied and majestic musical frescoes such as The Kingdom, a magnificent oratorio for choir, orchestra and soloists recounting the early days of Christianity, with major roles for Peter, John and Mary Magdalene.
With a double choir, soloists and orchestra, the work is the embodiment of music around the year 1900: majestic, lyrical, mysterious and boundless. At the time of its premiere in 1906 in Birmingham, Elgar was as famous as Wagner had been decades earlier in Germany. All of England was enthusiastic about the magnificent work, with which Elgar added a new and glorious chapter to the English oratorio tradition. Sir Edward proved once again that he was a worthy successor to Händel and Mendelssohn, whose works were so beloved in Great Britain.
