Notes for Elgar’s THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS (TRBC Summer School 2017)
In preparation for our Summer School performance of Elgar’s magnificent DREAM OF GERONTIUS, here are a few notes from Brian Kay to help with your homework.
All parts marked semi-chorus will be sung by an imported semi-chorus, made up of members of Brian Kay’s Burford Singers and Christopher Finch’s A Handful of Singers, so those parts will not involve members of the main choir.
Where the main choir divides into two (pages 46–48, 95–102 S/A, 126–147 and 169–the end) please prepare whichever voice-part you normally sing (first or second) and we’ll sort out balance when we are all together in rehearsal.
NB: the sopranos divide into 3 parts on pages 124–125: at that point, the semi-chorus sopranos will sing the top line with main choir first sops on the middle line and main choir second sops on the bottom line. On page 104–105, the main choir sops divide into three, as printed.
Stands and sits (please mark in your copy):
Part one:
Page 10, second line, first bar: stand on the first beat of figure 27
Page 14: remain standing at the bottom of the page
Page 23, last bar: sit at figure 41 (bottom line, on –ne of Domine)
Page 33, bottom line, bar 2: stand on –may of dismay
Page 54: sit on a signal at the end of part one
Part two:
Page 68, third line, first bar: stand on the first beat of figure 29
Page 91: remain standing at the bottom of the page
Page 108: remain standing at the bottom of the page
Page 148, top line, second bar: sit
Pages 155–57: sing sitting down
Page 162, third line, second bar: stand on the word sooner
Remain standing to the end
One of the most important things to notice is Elgar’s DYNAMIC MARKING.
What Elgar writes, Elgar wants and almost entirely, if you stick to the dynamic markings, everything works; if you don’t, it doesn’t!
In preparation, please pay special learning-attention to pages 74–91 and, for divided sopranos and altos, pages 95–102
Also, particularly if you are new to this great work, I suggest that you read through the words from start to finish and familiarize yourself with John Henry Newman’s text, before even starting on the notes.
There are many fine recordings available as well as ChoraLine learning CDs and time spent listening to these will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the week.