Prom 59: Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius

There will be no interval

‘This is the best of me,’ wrote Elgar on the score of The Dream of Gerontius, and some would say that he never wrote anything greater. Gerontius lies dying – anguished and afraid. But he’s about to witness wonders beyond any human imagination, and in a great performance this epic, transcendently beautiful drama of a lonely soul’s journey towards eternity can move listeners to tears. ‘The chemistry was exactly right,’ wrote The Guardian about a previous performance by Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; and with soloists of the calibre of Allan Clayton and Jamie Barton, this is one of those pieces that could have been made for the Royal Albert Hall.

£14–£62 (plus booking fee)