Elgar's Dream of Gerontius

Soul Music

How the choral work The Dream of Gerontius, by Edward Elgar, has touched and changed people's lives.

For Terry Waite, it was the first piece of music he heard as a hostage in the Lebanon, after four years in solitary confinement.

Writer and broadcaster Stephen Johnson describes how Elgar's own fragile emotional state is written into the music, which describes the journey taken by a dying man.

Singer Catherine Wyn-Rogers explains how Elgar's music helped her come to terms with the loss of her parents.

Martin Firth recalls a life-enhancing performance of the piece in Bristol cathedral.

Jude Kelly, artistic director of the South Bank Centre, explains how she experienced the choir in this piece as a 'spiritual army' when she performed it at university.

Martyn Marsh describes how the music brought him to a realisation about how he would like to end his days.

And Robin Self recalls a life-changing performance of this piece, which enabled him to grieve for his son.

Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.

Producer: Melvin Rickarby

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2013.