Elgar planned a trilogy of oratorios, which was preceded by The Dream of Gerontius, and which was never completed, perhaps in part because of his own faltering faith. Previously released by Hallé, The Kingdom was originally planned as the third part of the trilogy and has attracted a growing following.  This new release presents the oratorio planned to open the trilogy, the lesser known and hitherto rather under-served work The Apostles, in a performance which the Guardian described as being ‘revelatory’. This retelling of Christ's Passion from the viewpoint of His followers features extensive and effective use of leitmotivs and choral writing which is arguably an advance on that of Gerontius, with the work’s closing section – depicting Christ’s Ascension to heaven – thought to be one of the most poignant ever written.

This is the latest release in Elder and Hallé’s renowned Elgar series in which previous volumes of The Dream of Gerontius (CD HLD 7520) and The Kingdom (HLD 7526) were universally acclaimed, each winning a Gramophone Award.

Recorded live at sell out Bridgewater Hall concert the performance benefits from extensive research by Mark Elder, including study of a proof copy of the vocal score which he matched with what Elgar himself conducted in 1921, reinstating the semichorus of nine male voices, sung here by an ensemble Elder specially selected from the Royal Northern College of Music.   As such the recording is probably the first since Elgar conducted The Apostles in Hereford on 7 September 1921, at the Three Choirs Festival, to incorporate Elgar’s intentions at several points in the oratorio

The work includes a part for a shofar, an ancient Hebrew instrument made of ram’s horn. In most performances this is imitated by modern instruments, but for this recording Mark Elder has engaged  a genuine shofar player.

The Apostles features mystic choruses and vivid orchestration, perfectly suited to Hallé forces, which are joined by a particularly strong line-up of soloists, hand-picked by Elder.

Recorded live in The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on 5th May 2012, and in rehearsal, by the award winning recording team led by Steve Portnoi.

"Elder’s dramatic sense of the whole structure and of the significance of every detail made it all thrillingly compelling.... the choral sound was truly imposing." The Guardian

"Elder judged its solemn and mystical tone perfectly, conducting with ebb and flow and finding an arresting, dramatic urgency in places. Thanks also to excellent choral singing, the radiant glow of the climax was overwhelming." Daily Telegraph

"It was thrilling to experience the mingling of solos, two or three, or a dozen or so voices, with the Mystic Chorus formed by the massive and resonant Hallé Choir and the fresh-voiced Hallé Youth Choir. The culmination of the work and, indeed, every stage of it, was superbly paced and managed by Elder and his orchestra." The Times

Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2013 - Choral

BBC Magazine Music Awards 2013 - Choral and Record of the Year

Conductor
Sir Mark Elder

Soloists/Artists
Rebecca Evans, Soprano - The Angel Gabriel/The Blessed Virgin Mary
Alice Coote, Mezzo-soprano - Mary Magdalene/Narrator 2
Paul Groves, Tenor - Narrator 1/John
Jacques Imbrailo, Baritone - Jesus
David Kempster, Baritone - Peter
Brindley Sherratt, Bass - Judas
Sean Boyes *, Tenor
Thomas Kelly *, Tenor
Timothy Langston *, Tenor
Thomas Morss *, Tenor
Adam Player *, Tenor
Stefan Berkieta *, Bass
Matthew Kellett *, Bass
Graham McCusker *, Bass
Daniel Shelvey *, Bass

Chorus
Hallé Choir, (Frances Cooke director)
Hallé Youth Choir, (Richard Wilberforce director)

Catalogue number CD HLD 7534