Notes on The Dream of Gerontius
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    I like to pick up Cardinal Newman's epic poem, The Dream of Gerontius, this time of year. It's sobering and salutary reading, and the incorporation of prayers from the traditional prayers has helped me expand my understanding of the texts from the Requiem.

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    The 1912 copy which my father gave me also includes a bit of comic relief in the form of schoolboy notes and drawings:

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    My own boys were esp. thrilled with this bit of graffiti on the endpage:

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    I guess that's ol' Beelzebub speeding away.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,151
    More "Notes" on The Dream of Gerontius ... Edward Elgar's choral/orchestral masterpiece:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bg52cVVmTc
    Thanked by 3JulieColl barreltone dad29
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    The Dream of Gerontius (Opus 38) (1900)
    by Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

    Prelude and Farewell
    Transcribed for organ (1903) by Alfred Herbert Brewer (1865-1928)
    Part I: 1. Prelude
    Part II: 8. Softly and gently, dearly-ransomed Soul
    Softly and gently, dearly-ransomed soul,
    In my most loving arms I now enfold thee,
    And o'er the penal waters, as they roll,
    I poise thee, and I lower thee, and hold thee.
    And carefully I dip thee in the lake,
    And thou, without a sob or a resistance,
    Dost through the flood thy rapid passage take,
    Sinking deep, deeper, into the dim distance.
    Angels to whom the willing task is given,
    Shall tend, and nurse, and lull thee, as liest;
    And Masses on the earth, and prayers in heaven,
    Shall aid thee at the Throne of the Most Highest.
    Farewell, but not for ever! brother dear,
    Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow;
    Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,
    And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.
    Farewell! Farewell!

    Scores (TAB Transcriptions)
    http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Dream_of_Gerontius,_Op.38_(Elgar,_Edward)

    ** Elgar himself created a piano score of Prelude and Farewell
    ** Brewer appears to have used this score to create the organ version

    Prelude (organ)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyoMZZhoUKw
    Farewell (organ)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNoLZrxJGjk
    Prelude and Farewell (orchestra)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_sz1933qw
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