‘Dream of Gerontius’ Cork International Choral Festival
The Guinness Choir will be performing Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’ with the East Cork Choral Society at the opening Gala concert of the Cork International Choral Festival, on Wednesday 30th April 2025 in City Hall, Cork at 8p.m.
The performance will feature the magnificent soloists Gavin Ring, Tenor; Raphaela Mangan, Mezzo soprano and Gyula Nangy, Baritone witht the Cork Fleiscmann Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Keith Pascoe.
The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, is a work for three soloists, orchestra and chorus, in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It is the story of a pious man’s soul from his deathbed, transitioning via Angels, Demons and through Purgatory before his final judgment before God.
The piece is widely regarded as Elgar’s finest choral work, and some consider it his masterpiece. Of it Elgar said “This is the best of me”.
This majesterial work calls for a large orchestra of typical late Romantic proportions. An orchestra of 50 musicians allows Elgar to produce huge sweeping passages drawing you in to the great challenge of the story. Highly contemplative, sensitive passages move to most dramatic spectacular explosions of sound bringing the listener from earthly existence to infinite celestial glory.
‘Christmas Oratorio’ Wednesday 3rd December 2025
The Guinness Choir will perform JS Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’, German version, on Wednesday 3rd December 2025 in the National Concert Hall (NCH), Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin. Details to follow in the autumn.
England Tour 2026
In mid June 2026 we will embark on a four day singing tour of England including concerts in Cambridge, Norwich and other locations in the east of England.
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