A Dream for All
Thursday 12 February 2009
The University of Surrey Symphony Orchestra and Choir present Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday 21 February.
Following last year’s triumphant performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony, the University Symphony Orchestra and Choir return to Guildford Cathedral for the major performance of the academic year. Elgar’s magnificent The Dream of Gerontius is regarded as one of his finest choral works; Gerontius relates the journey of a man’s soul from his deathbed to his judgement before God. The universality of the theme, coupled with the intensity and integrity of Elgar’s music, has made this one of his most-performed and popular works. The prospect of death is something we all face, whether we believe in life after death or not, and The Dream’s treatment of this potentially sombre reflection is extremely dramatic yet profoundly uplifting.
Elgar wrote, “I imagined Gerontius to be a man like us, not a Priest or a Saint, but a sinner, a repentant one of course but still no end of a worldly man in his life, and now brought to book. Therefore I have not filled his part with Church tunes and rubbish but a good, full-blooded romantic, remembered worldliness…” The simple, soaring architecture of the Cathedral provides a fittingly serene setting for such a moving experience.
Professional soloists, including tenor Stephen Rooke and soprano Yvonne Howard, join conductor Russell Keable as he directs the University Orchestra and Choir, comprising an interesting mix of students and staff, through a dramatic, uplifting and magical evening at the Cathedral.
Tickets are £12, £10 senior citizens, £5 concessions, and can be booked from the University Box Office on 01483 686876. The concert will take place in Guildford Cathedral at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday 21 February.
Media Enquiries
Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk