| Elgar, Sir Edward (1857-1934) | The Dream of Gerontius, Oratorio for soloists chorus and orchestra, Op.38 |
| David Butt Philip | Tenor |
| Dame Sarah Connolly | Mezzo-soprano |
| Roderick Williams | Baritone |
| BBC Symphony Chorus | |
| BBC Symphony Orchestra | |
| Sakari Oramo | Conductor |
'Farewell but not forever, brother dear…' When Sir Andrew Davis died in April 2024, the musical world didn’t only lose a conductor of unique energy and insight. It lost one of its most beloved and respected personalities; a man who – as Chief Conductor and Conductor Laureate of the BBC SO, and President of the BBC Symphony Chorus – was at the heart of British music for more than three decades.
Tonight, instead of the concert that Sir Andrew had planned to conduct, Sakari Oramo conducts Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. Davis was one of the supreme interpreters of Elgar’s heart-rending masterpiece: now, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip and Roderick Williams join forces with his former orchestra and chorus under the baton of BBC SO Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo to celebrate the life of a much-missed artist, colleague and friend.
Sir Andrew Davis (1944-2024) was due to have conducted this concert. Everyone at the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus has been deeply saddened by the news of his death.