A JOINT concert with music by Elgar will be performed by two local choirs.
Wokingham Choral Society and Bracknell Choral Society will join together to perform Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius.
Chris Dunning, from Wokingham Choral Society, said: “This is a very exciting venture for us, as it combines two large and well known local choral societies to sing this great oratorio in a magnificent setting.
“We will be accompanied by a full orchestra and three well-known professional soloists.”
The concert will feature the 180 voices of the massed choir, supported by the 60-piece British Sinfonietta Orchestra and the organist Ben Giddens, together with three nationally acclaimed professional singers: tenor Jonathan Cooke, mezzo soprano Felicity Buckland, and bass Patrick Keefe.
“The choirs’ two experienced musical directors, Greg Hallam and George de Voil, have both been working extensively with the choirs to prepare them for this ambitious work, which demands both technical mastery and great emotional depth,” he added.
Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius is widely regarded as one of British choral music’s greatest works.
The oratorio, based on a poem by Cardinal John Henry Newman, follows the spiritual journey of a dying man, Gerontius, as his soul passes into the afterlife, guided by a Guardian Angel.
The concert will take place in Guildford Cathedral, which this year celebrates the 125th anniversary of its first performance.
The event can be heard at the cathedral on Saturday, March 22, at 6pm.
Tickets cost £30, or £25 for early birds who book before Monday, February 10.
Tickets for under 18s and students are available for £10.
For tickets and information, visit: wokingham-choral-society.org.uk
