The Grand Philharmonic Choir in co-production with Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony presents Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius on Jan. 16 at 7:30pm at the Centre in the Square.
Featuring Canadian Ben Heppner, the world’s reigning dramatic tenor, Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts, and Waterloo Region’s bass-baritone Daniel Lichti, the performance will be a highlight of Howard Dyck’s farewell season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Grand Philharmonic Choir.
A setting of Cardinal John Henry Newman’s legendary poem, The Dream of Gerontius is Elgar’s undisputed masterpiece. Dyck chose the work for his 38th and final season because “in my opinion, it’s one of the great choral-orchestral masterpieces to have come along in the last 125 years, and because our choral and orchestral forces are now fully up to the considerable challenges posed by this musical tour de force”. Gerontius (literally, old man) is a kind of Everyman who has come to the end of his life and is coming to terms with death and the after-life.
Howard Dyck said “In Ben Heppner we have one of the great vocal giants of our time singing a role in which he believes passionately. It will be especially gratifying for me to have three leading Canadian soloists on the stage with me for this memorable occasion.”
Dyck is known across Canada as Saturday Afternoon at the Opera on CBC Radio.
Tickets start at $30, senior tickets start at $27.
To order tickets visit the Centre in the Square box office:www.centre-square.com or call 519-578-1570/1-800-265-8977 toll free.
