The Dream of Gerontius - Elgar

Elgar wrote "This is the best of me" at the top of his manuscript copy of The Dream of Gerontius. Posterity agrees.

At the National Concert Hall on Sunday night, Our Lady's Choral Society and the RTE Concert Orchestra gave the best of themselves. As in the society's previous performances of Elgar, they were up against the disparity between the numbers they could muster and what is ideal. An orchestra of around 55 and a choir of 100 are a little less than half the size of those which Elgar had at his disposal.

Loss was inevitable - in massivity and sumptuousness, especially in the lowpitched instruments, and in the weight of choral sound. Nevertheless, this was a thoroughly rewarding and worthwhile performance, skilfully scaled for the numbers involved.

While the choral sound was not especially polished and had occasional rough edges, its freshness, variety of colour and impeccable diction were communicative, and produced impact in the right places. The National Chamber Choir showed the subtlety and security needed for the small chorus.

The passion of tenor John Elwes as Gerontius was a reminder of Elgar's comment that he was portraying a man of flesh and blood, not an ideal figure. Ian Caddy (bass) had the right presence and power for the Priest and the Angel of the Agony. And in the sole female role, Deirdre Cooling-Nolan's vivid and unforced dramatisation of Gerontius's guardian angel was always a pleasure and was often moving.

This was a well-paced performance, driven by the drama of Newman's poem, lingering where necessary, yet without sentimentality. Conductor Prionnsias O Duinn knew exactly what he wanted to do and why. And faced with such rich and complex orchestral writing, the RTECO did themselves proud.