The Dream of Gerontius with Hertfordshire Chorus Live Music & Concerts

Elgar’s work of 1900 is based on a poem on these major themes by Cardinal John Henry Newman. The story follows an ordinary and humble old man (the name Gerontius is from a Greek word meaning old man) as he faces his death, meets his guardian Angel and comes face to face with God, before being sent to Purgatory with the promise of everlasting glory.

Elgar was keen to not make the piece too sacred, explaining: "I imagined Gerontius to be a man like us, not a Priest or a Saint, but a sinner... I’ve not filled his part with Church tunes and rubbish but a good, healthy full-blooded romantic, remembered worldliness, so to speak."
The work is scored for a full-size orchestra, three choirs, three soloists, with an organ for good measure. Despite the many musicians needed to perform the piece, it starts with only a few, with the numbers swelling as Gerontius gets closer and closer to God.

Of all Elgar’s choral masterpieces, Gerontius is perhaps his greatest. This is music that makes the spirit soar, while reminding us at the same time, of our own humility. Elgar felt this too, inscribing the final page of the score with a quotation from John Ruskin’s Sesame and Lilies:
"This is the best of me; for the rest, I ate, and drank, and slept, loved and hated, like another: my life was as the vapour and is not; but this I saw and knew; this, if anything of mine, is worth your memory."

Hotels near St Albans Cathedral

Staying overnight in St Albans?

Wondering where to stay that's close to St Albans Cathedral? We've teamed up with Booking.com to provide the best room rates for hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs near the The Dream Of Gerontius With Hertfordshire Chorus event in St Albans.

St Michael's Manor Hotel

ROOMS FROM£110

690mAWAY

4 ★

Set in 5 acres of beautiful gardens with a lake, the historic St Michaels Manor Hotel is a 5-minute walk from the centre of St Albans and near St Michaels Cathedral..

Postcode: AL3 4RY
Distance from St Albans Cathedral:
0.4 miles

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Ardmore House Hotel

ROOMS FROM£55

1.33kmAWAY

3 ★

Set in an Edwardian residence with a Victorian annex, Ardmore House Hotel is located in St Albans and boasts a large garden with a pond, as well as an on-site bar, a restaurant and a piano room..

Postcode: AL1 3PR
Distance from St Albans Cathedral:
0.8 miles

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Ragged Hall Lane

ROOMS FROM£70

2.01kmAWAY

0 ★

Located in St Albans, Ragged Hall Lane B&B sits in a garden and features a shared lounge with TV, 4 miles from M1 Road access and just 5 miles from the Warner Bros Studio Tour London. Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout..

Postcode: AL2 3LA
Distance from St Albans Cathedral:
1.3 miles

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Mercure St. Albans The

ROOMS FROM£64

3.62kmAWAY

4 ★

On the edge of historic St Albans, Mercure St. Albans The Noke offers easy access from the M25 and M1 motorways, this 4-star hotel offers free parking and superb relaxation facilities, including a swimming pool. Mercure St.

Postcode: AL2 3DS
Distance from St Albans Cathedral:
2.3 miles

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The Noke Hotel

ROOMS FROM£58.65

3.62kmAWAY

4 ★

On the edge of historic St Albans, with very easy access from the M25 and M1 motorways, this 4-star hotel offers free parking and superb relaxation facilities, including a swimming pool..

Postcode: AL2 3DS
Distance from St Albans Cathedral:
2.3 miles

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Premier Inn St. Albans/Bricket

ROOMS FROM£54

4.62kmAWAY

3 ★

This attractive Premier Inn has a country location near to the M1 and M25, and a short walk from Bricket Wood Train Station, which has services to Watford Junction. St. Albans centre is only 4 miles away.

Postcode: AL2 3PN
Distance from St Albans Cathedral:
2.9 miles

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