Elgar, The Apostles

In 1902 Elgar planned a great trilogy of oratorios on the lives of the Apostles, but only completed two of them, The Apostles (1903) and The Kingdom (1906). The OBC will perform these two great works in successive seasons, something which is rarely done.

In vivid and dramatic music, brilliantly scored for voices and orchestra, The Apostles tells the story of the Apostles from the moment of their calling by Jesus to his ascension. Elgar, however, holds true to his wish to consider the human aspects of the story, because in this work he gives especial prominence to the sorrow and repentance of Mary Magdalene and the despair and suicide of Judas Iscariot.

Because of the large forces which it demands, The Apostles is not often performed. This concert, therefore, promises to be an exciting and memorable occasion which should not be missed.