Gramophone Choral Award 2024: Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

A pioneering period-instrument Gerontius from Anna Stéphany, Nicky Spence, Andrew Foster-Williams, Gabrieli Roar, Polish National Youth Choir, Gabrieli Consort and Players, and Paul McCreesh

Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius (hard ‘G’, please) has done well on record, from the two versions conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent (1945 and 1955) to 21st-century accounts by Sir Mark Elder and Sir Andrew Davis. In between came everybody’s favourite performance under Sir John Barbirolli (1964). This recording by Paul McCreesh, the first on period instruments, is up there with the best of them. The balance between singers and players and between the sections of the orchestra is so well judged by McCreesh and the engineers that phrases previously unnoticed (by me, anyway) come across as wonderful examples of the subtlety of Elgar’s orchestration. When, for instance, Gerontius sings ‘yet in sooth I cannot of that music rightly say’ (disc 2, track 1, 6'11"), woodwind octaves softly anticipate the Angel’s ‘Alleluia’. And the organ (dubbed in from Hereford Cathedral) is audible but not overpowering.

The Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Roar and the Polish National Youth Choir – choral forces 150 strong – are magnificent

The gentle woodwind, mellow brass and delicate strings of the Gabrieli Players combine in a miracle of sound. The Gabrieli Consort, Gabrieli Roar and the Polish National Youth Choir – choral forces 150 strong – are magnificent, whether whispering at ‘Kyrie eleison’ or full-throated at ‘Praise to the Holiest’. As Jeremy Dibble says in his review, Janet Baker is a hard act to follow; but there’s an appealing gentleness to Anna Stéphany’s Angel. One can imagine a steadier Priest and Angel of the Agony, but Andrew Foster-Williams is impressively forthright. As for Nicky Spence as Gerontius, I am at one with Dibble in considering him to be on a par with Richard Lewis on the Barbirolli recording (and, I would add, with Heddle Nash on the first Sargent one). There can be no higher praise. Richard Lawrence

The Recording

Elgar The Dream of Gerontius, Op 38

Anna Stéphany mez Nicky Spence ten Andrew Foster-Williams bass-bar Gabrieli Roar; Polish National Youth Choir; Gabrieli Consort and Players / Paul McCreesh

Signum (5/24)

Producer Nicholas Parker

Engineer Neil Hutchinson

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