It is with great sadness that Hackney Singers' Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius at Shoreditch Town Hall has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Thank you to everyone who has supported this show and bought tickets. We will be in touch with bookers directly. More information on what we have on offer whilst on lockdown can be found here.

Hackney Singers will be performing Elgar's masterpiece, The Dream of Gerontius, accompanied by the Lambeth Orchestra and soloists Carris Jones, Peter Davoren, and Colin Campbell to tell the story of Gerontius.

In 1900 Elgar was asked to write a piece for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival. He decided to write a work about life, death and possible divine retribution. The composition for chorus and orchestra that resulted is based on a Victorian poem by Cardinal John Henry Newman. It follows an “everyman” character (the word "Gerontius" comes from the Greek for “old man”) as he faces death, meets his guardian Angel and goes before his God, before being taken to Purgatory with the promise of everlasting glory.

Elgar was one of the most famous composers of the time. He wrote this colossal piece for full-size orchestra, organ, choir and soloists. It is generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest choral pieces ever written.