Sir Edward Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius, op. 38
“The Dream of Gerontius” is an oratorio written in 1900 by the English composer, Sir Edward Elgar. An oratorio is a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, typically based upon a religious theme. A classic example of the genre would include Handel’s “Messiah.”
“The Dream of Gerontius” is an oratorio written in 1900 by the English composer, Sir Edward Elgar. An oratorio is a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, typically based upon a religious theme. A classic example of the genre would include Handel’s “Messiah.”
Elgar’s oratorio is based upon a 1865 poem, by St. John Henry Newman. It tells the story of a dying old man, Gerontius. After succumbing to death, he awakens to encounter his guardian angel, who explains his mission thus:
"This child of clay
To me was given,
To rear and train
By sorrow and pain
In the narrow way,
Alleluia,
From earth to heaven."
And so, the soul begins his journey to the judgment seat of Almighty God. This includes a brush with the "powers of darkness" and the "dread of hellfire." Perhaps the most recognizable passage of the oratorio is the angelic chorus’ heavenly refrain, “Praise to the Holiest in the height,” the words of which were subsequently adapted into a popular hymn.
It is often said that we will face the judgment of God alone. “The Dream of Gerontius” prayerfully speculates that this is untrue. Instead, our guardian angel will be there, faithfully fulfilling its divine commission to the very end.
Sir Edward Elgar, also a Catholic, composed “The Dream of Gerontius” for the Birmingham Music Festival of 1900. Later performances in Germany revealed its stature, and it is now one of the most revered, beloved, and performed of all Elgar’s works.
