The Dream of Gerontius (1968)
Long considered lost footage, this exceptional concert, which originally aired April 14, 1968, on the BBC, is a full-colour performance of Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius recorded inside the stunning Canterbury Cathedral and featuring three of the greatest voices of the era: mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker, tenor Sir Peter Pears, and bass-baritone John Shirley-Quirk. Conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, ardent champion and esteemed interpreter of Elgar’s works, this concert film — which required eight of the nine existing colour cameras in the UK at the time — constitutes a rare and treasured artifact marking the beginning of high-quality colour footage of British operatic productions.
Director: Brian Large
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Peter Pears as Gerontius |
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Janet Baker as Angel |
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John Shirley-Quirk as Priest/Angel of the Agony |
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Adrian Boult as Self |
| Writing | John Henry Newman | Writer |
| Sound | Edward Elgar | Music |
| Sound | Adrian Boult | Music Director |
| Sound | London Philharmonic Orchestra | Musician |
| Sound | London Philharmonic Choir | Musician |
| Lighting | Bryan Wilkes | Lighting Director |
| Sound | Graham Haines | Sound |
| Art | Pamela Lambooy | Production Design |
| Production | Mavis Jewell | Producer |
| Production | John Gilpin | Producer |
| Production | Terry Learner | Producer |
| Production | Brian Large | Producer |
| Directing | Brian Large | Director |
