Elgar's Dream of Gerontius
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- What you'll hear
- All about the music
Powerful. Spiritual. Elgar’s true masterpiece?
Who’s on stage
What a line-up! Operatic stars Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, Sarah Connolly, Roderick Williams and Benjamin Hulett join a super-sized orchestra and chorus, made up of Royal Northern Sinfonia, Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia, Voices of the River’s Edge, and non-professional musicians and singers from across the North East.
What they’re playing
Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. This epic piece of music tells the story of an ordinary man’s journey from death through to afterlife, finally meeting God. You might have heard it in the recent hit film The Choral.
Discounts: save if you’re under 17, aged 18 – 30, a classical first timer, or a group of 10 or more people. Check the details.
Running time: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval.
Age: under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What you'll hear
Edward Elgar The Dream of Gerontius
Who's playing it
Dinis Sousa conductor
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha soprano
Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano
Benjamin Hulett tenor
Roderick Williams baritone
Tim Burke chorus director
Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia
Voices of the River’s Edge
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Massed Musical Forces of the North East
What's happening in the music?
Elgar didn’t want to write church music – he wanted to write something more relatable, and something that would truly inspire awe and wonder. And The Dream of Gerontius really does do that, serving up truly spine-tingling moments such as Praise to the Holiest in the Height which might well bring a tear to the eye. Towards the end, Elgar has the tough job of depicting God. In this ‘Flash of God’, the composer asks the orchestra to play at it’s fullest force for one shattering moment… a moment that’ll stay with you long after the last note fades.
Make the most of it
Tickets
Sunday 8 November 2026
From: £5.00 - £53.00