What a performance! And the soloists are wonderful - they act their roles, as well as singing beautifully. I bet Elgar was looking down, smiling upon this performance. It doesn't get better than this

Elgar is my favorite composer. I went to his gravesite and laid a flower on his stone in gratitude for all the joy his music has given me for the last 45 years. Softly and gently is one of the most sublimely consoling pieces I have ever heard. I attended a live performance of Gerontius only 2 weeks after my mom passed and I wasn’t sure I would be able get through it without dissolving. But the Angel’s Farewell was so comforting that there are no words to describe the depth of emotion and compassion in Elgar’s music. And The Kingdom and The Apostles likewise are brilliant works. The thrilling conclusion of The Apostles is nothing less than breathtaking. What I so admire about Elgar’s religious works is the depth of conviction that stems from a deeply felt spirituality; there is nothing saccharine about his music. I will never forget the collective gasp from the capacity audience at the conclusion when I heard The Dream at the New York Philharmonic in 2001. By the way, as a New York Jew I am proof that great religious music transcends everything and brings us closer to God regardless of our religious persuasion. RIP Sir Edward, and thank you.

I am not religious but I find great comfort in the great religious masterpieces of music. I've only recently started diving into Elgar's music but I can without a shadow of a doubt consider this one of the most overwhelmingly beautiful and moving things I have ever heard. I wish I could shake his hand and thank him for his wonderful music.

Have grown to love this wonderful work over fifty years plus of choral singing.I first heard it performed at the 3 Choirs festival in Worcester Cathedral many years ago ,have heard several performances since ,and this Proms one is one of the best.I have also sung in the chorus in 2 performances over the years. It is being performed in Bristol Cathedral on Sat. 18th May 2024 by Bristol Classical Players ,conductor Tom Gauterin,with Bristol Cabot Choir,Bristol Phoenix Choir,The Fitzhardinge Consort and professional soloists. This recording has been a useful rehearsal aid for preparing to sing in the chorus once more .

As an old man (75) who has survived near death experience in the first responder's "triangle of death" shortly after my latelife confirmation to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism, I identify profoundly with this great work of Elgar. It's never too late to come home to Rome and reveal Jesus by your witness and life. Bless to excess.

Une œuvre grandiose de ce compositeur trop peu mis en avant. Et une interprétation magistrale! Du soliste, chœur à l'orchestre, tout est d'une musicalité profonde qui emporte l'âme ❤

One of the most deeply felt, truly spiritual pieces ever composed. The Angel’s Farewell never fails to get to me…Elgar at his most sublime

Elgar himself wrote on the final page of this manuscript, “This is the best of me.”

I'm in the category of ardent admirers of this. It was the best of Elgar and he said it was. "If any man judge me from my works, judge me from this".

Praise to the Holiest is my favorite hymn of all time. The poetry, melody and harmony are just out of this world.

Sang this over 35 years ago and still remember much of the bass lines...those several pivotal moments still impact me...”take me away”, “softly and gently”, and “come back oh Lord” in particular.

Magnificent! In every aspect. I fell in love with Matthew Best. Such substance to his voice and so handsome to behold!

Yes an outstanding and moving performance. I particularly enjoyed Alice Coote. Thank you for posting - it was good to have all the applause included. It is so encouraging to see so many people attending these concerts. The BBC Proms are an international treasure.

On his deathbed, Strauss supposedly said, with not a little bit of self-promotion, "death is exactly as I scored it (in Tod und Verklärung)"...I pray, and suspect, it would be more like The Dream of Gerontius. This work reaches the artistic beauty and undeniable reality of Bach. Undoubtedly Elgar 's masterpiece and a treasure of both concert and sacred art.

Matthew Best, perhaps the most underrated singer in history. Magnificent sound, beautiful management of the voice. Always so musical. Magnificent. The UK's George London.

It's beautiful and I been listening to this at night just before sleep. Edgar's masterpiece works its way into my dreaming. It's beyond words .

Ab outstanding performance of a sadly neglected masterpiece.

I don't know this work at all but am booked to see it at Fairfield Halls, Croydon on May 11th, having heard it's Elgar's masterpiece. Hopefully by then I'll be singing along!

It will be performd in Wells Cathedral 23/3/2024. Tickets available online. Make.a weekend of it and visit this charming city!

Aged 18, I sang the bass line in the Royal Choral Society in the Royal Albert Hall under Sir Malcolm Sargent. Eight years later, having studied at the Royal Academy of Music for four years, I sang the bass solos professionally.

26:55 is mystical and magical to the extreme.

1:24:30 onwards is some of the most moving music I've ever heard. It's absolutely electric to be part of and soothes the soul. I sang Gerontius with Schola Cantorum of Oxford with Oxford Philomusica at the Sheldonian in 2003, under James Burton who was also Mark Elder's deputy at the Halle at the time - I then followed him there but was not part of this concert. "Come back, O Lord, how long!"

The last time I felt that moved from listening to a piece was Haydn's Creation. Super unique but gives me the feeling of being heavily inspired by many greats, including Bach! As someone else said, a truly spiritual piece.

What a performance by Paul Groves, an American tenor with a muscular voice. Just perfect.

What perfectly perfect soloists the singers are ! Perfect for their parts.

i would say this is the most emotional and stunning live staging of this work thank you for posting what i think makes this great is the orchestra and chorus are given equal importance in the performance . I don't know if it just the recording but i can hear a depth of detail in the score that is lacking in other performances . It totally changes how this peace sounds to the ear. Great!!

Heavenly ! Thank you. I was thinking this was on this year. Divine.

I've never heard an English piece before. Wow ❤❤❤

I saw this in Cincinnati in 2017. Magnificent beyond words.

Thank you Auntie. A wonderful performance.

"Praise to the Holiest in the height! And in the depth be praise!. In all His words most wonderful, most sure in all His ways".

So moving....... 🙏🙏🙏

Some years ago I visited the Edward Elgar house - and Museum...an older man stood at the desk where CD´es were sold. I decided to put him this question, that I wanted to buy a recording of Dream of Gerontius...with Kathleen Ferrier singing the Angel...! He looked up from his papers and looked at me, with a little smile! "So would I he said, so would I" and we had a fine little conversation on the fact that such a recording does not exist! But this glorious performance is such a joy to listen to...so thank´s for these 1:35 minutes close to Heaven.

I entered 2023 listening to this. I'd never heard it before and it is good!

Frightening in its magnificence: magnificent in its frightening.....

Totally Mind-Blowing.....Wow....from Oaxaca !

I saw this at Fairfield Halls, Croydon on Saturday, performed by The Kensington Symphony Orchestra and Epiphoni Consort. Conducted by Russell Keable. Soloists: Beth Taylor, Oliver Johnston and Alaric Green. An absolutely magnificent work and even better live. How fortunate we are that there are talented people committed to mounting these productions. For me, listening to this recording a few times prior to the concert was worthwhile. Is that normal? Do other concert goers prefer a basic familiarity or can a grand work like this be fully appreciated from scratch? The last few minutes in particular moved me to ecstasy, that's not a phrase I've ever used before.

I am going to perform this piece in 1 week and I am soooo excited! It is going to be a brilliant experience I am going to love it! I am not religious though but it is possibly the highest anticipated score I ever do ❤

I have viewed most versions of this on KZfaq, and this one is likely the best, and my favorite. Thank you so much for uploading. 💜

Wonderful performance

Magnificent!!

Stunning! Pure joy! 👏👏👏

Magnificent.

Thank you - have waited an age for this

Magnificent!!!!!

This was fun to sing, I enjoyed doing the 'Demons' part. Tricky timing but most enjoyable

Wonderful thanks

It's worth listening to this, and then listening to all the other Dream of Gerontius recordings on KZfaq or elsewhere before making a judgment. This is a live recording (and the coughs don't detract from the quality of musicianship or singing) and there is an emotional element at least equal to any other - including Barbirolli's and Janet Baker's. Perhaps it's helped by the fact that we are seeing the chorus, singers, conductor and orchestra 'in the flesh' .

What a genius this man was. He had his issues but.......

Magnificent, mark elder is the best tenor I’ve ever heard, clarity, passion, musicality

Thank you for posting this. What a magnificant performance. The Britten recording will always be special for me but I would now place this alongside the Boult and Andrew Davis as representing the best.

Amazing.

I sang this as a second Alto in the choir, not this choir :) It's a beautiful work to sing, haunting, magical and unique.

St. John Henry Newman, intercede on our behalf to God Almighty.

The coughs😭😭

Thank you for this.

❤❤❤🌷

All that quasi- Parsifal stuff in the first ten minutes is fun.

Thank you SO MUCH for doing this. Still laughing about the applause at the end of Praise to the Holiest... can't get rid of that, can we? Ha! Ha! --- Ha! Ha! I feel the demons coming on.

this go hard af

St John Henry Newman, ora pro nobis

Does anyone know the total number of performers for this version?

I meant Paul Best!!

I love Elgar. Amazing,in self thought. In my opinion, this is the most amazing work of the early 20th century. Well one of them. He was self tought. Just enjoy. This is not an oratorio. It's operatic. My best copy is dame James Baker and Halle Orchestra and the divene Sir John ,Barbirolli.

Don't forget, everyone, that the "librettist" is now a bona fide canonized saint. It's not the greatest of great poetry, nor does Elgar's music really transcend its little historical niche, but whoah, what a capital C Catholic blast! Purgatory? Bring it on! I always have a feeling of Gerontius as conversion music, and best performed by people of faith, as, I think Barbirolli may have suggested at one stage. Lucky was I to be a humble chorus bass in the Melbourne centenary performance under David Willcocks, with MSO and Tudor Choristers. As for the current performance, impressive so far.

lol at 01:09 ME is like duuuuuuudes please don't clap

John Henry Newman was #botd in 1801 💐💐💐

11:03 beginning words.

John Henry Newman died #otd in 1890 ⚰️

i am mud and flame

Ftnmf - 17:40

What's with the crappy sound quality?

The Kingdom is a much better piece (Adrian Boult et al) and I wish it were done more often.

For Ukraine

the sound on this has been totally f****d up! The loudest passages are just as loud as the quietest????? OK equalise a bit but listening to this you are not getting the concert hall experience. Music is all about creating drama and that includes the volume. Why do you think composes use all those crescendo and diminuendo symbols and double ffs and double pp's FFS!

Splendid Gerontius from Paul Groves, bright and forward and not nasal and hooty à l’anglais. But not quite impeccable, as the announcer says. He misses the entrance ‘Joseph, pray for me’ at Novello p. 35, 8 after rehearsal 63.

Amazing theme ... gotta admit .. it was disgusting how Europeans treated native americans ...

This could have been a fantastic video. Marvelous musicians in a glorious Hall at the world’s greatest classical music festival. But oh - why are the complete dynamics compressed to one constant level? This is not how the work sounds and completely against Elgar‘s and the musicians‘ intention. Literally spoken: if the Angel‘s farewell is as loud as the demons‘ chorus… then there‘s something completely wrong. What a pity.

Inspired by Parsifal no doubt... but not anywhere close to Wagner's miraculous achievement ... Sorry.

There’s problem with the sound but thanks for this video anyway.