The Apostles

After presenting the somewhat unsuccessful premiere of The Dream of Gerontius in 1900, the Birmingham Triennial Festival was encouraged by the work’s fast-rising popularity to commission Elgar to write another grand choral piece for its 1903 season. The Apostles tells the story of those who chose to abandon their work and families to follow Jesus without condition. Elgar’s ambitious original plan, to embrace everything from the initial calling of the 12 apostles to the establishment of the first Christian church, was curtailed by illness; however, he persevered to create an oratorio in two parts for soprano, alto, tenor and three bass soloists, large choir and orchestra that is equal and often superior to Gerontius in the quality and depth of its invention. Elgar selected passages from the Bible and the Apocrypha for the work’s libretto and used them to create solo parts for John, Peter and Judas, the Angel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and Jesus. The oratorio’s noble exchanges between Christ and his disciples are underpinned by recurring orchestral themes or leitmotifs that signify particular emotions, events or states of mind. These include music for a shofar, the ram’s horn used to mark the Jewish new year, and heart-melting melodies associated with Christ’s betrayal by Judas. The latter holds the spotlight in the oratorio’s second half, portrayed as a deeply flawed, deeply human, desperately troubled soul with some of the finest music Elgar ever wrote. The holy saviour’s ascension into heaven, with which the score closes, is greeted by the sublime sounds of a Mystic Chorus, the earthly voices of the apostles and the two Marys, and a mighty choral acclamation of Christ’s everlasting kingdom.