ANOTHER significant milestone in the history of the Three Choirs, the world's oldest choral music festival, is reached this evening with the special Centenary performance at Worcester of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius.

It was around this time, exactly 100 years ago, that this choral masterpiece by the Faithful City's most famous son received its much-awaited first performance at the Three Choirs Festival, appropriately in Worcester Cathedral.

The Dream of Gerontius had suffered a disastrous world premiere at Birmingham Town Hall in October, 1900, but reached an important crossroads less than two years later with highly successful performances of the work at Dusseldorf, Germany, in May, 1902, and then at the Worcester Three Choirs Festival in September of the same year.

The Birmingham premiere of 1900 was a glaring flop through no fault of the composer. The chorus and orchestra were seriously under-rehearsed, while at least two of the three soloists had "off" days. Most of the nation's music critics gave unfavourable reviews to a work which Elgar had described beforehand as "the best of me".

In despair, the composer wrote afterwards to a close friend: "I have worked hard for 40 years and at the last, Providence denies me a decent hearing of my work, so I submit - I always said God was against art and I still believe it. Anything obscene or trivial is blessed in this world and has a reward - I ask for no reward - only to live and to hear my work. I still hear it in my heart and head, so I must be content."

Elgar had composed Gerontius while living with wife Alice and daughter Carice at Craeg Lea, Malvern Wells, and his summer cottage, Birchwood Lodge, Storridge.

It was in May, 1902, that Elgar was first able to bask in rays of international recognition, thanks mainly to the German composer, Richard Strauss. He arranged for a performance at the Lower Rhine Festival in Dusseldorf - and it was a great success.

Sir Henry Wood wrote a few years later: "The astounding impression the performance made on everyone has remained in my memory ever since. It is quite impossible to describe the ovation dear Elgar received. He was recalled 20 times after the end of the first part."

Elgar himself recorded his feelings: "For me, I understand, the thing was a triumph! But I feel rather dazed at the success and will think of it when six months of hard work have rather dulled the memory of these wonderful days."

Berrow's Worcester Journal, the world's oldest surviving newspaper, was clearly proud to highlight the plaudits being heaped on the "local boy" in 1902.

"The notable speech which Herr Richard Strauss delivered in Dusseldorf, at the supper held at the close of the Lower Rhine Festival, has already attracted great attention in Germany.

"The prime reason, of course, is that compliments to British music and musicians are extremely rare in the Fatherland. Even Herr Strauss, in his otherwise excellent speech, endeavoured to save his conscience by laying stress upon the fact that Dr Elgar, whose Dream of Gerontius was one of the surprises of the Dusseldorf Festival, was 'an apostle of musical progress.'

"In conclusion, Herr Strauss asked Germans to drink to the British 'Musical Renaissance' and to acclaim Dr Elgar as the first man who had shown progress since the period of England's musical greatness in the Middle Ages."

Berrow's went on to quote from England's national Daily News: "The wonderful success which The Dream of Gerontius has achieved at Dusseldorf is most gratifying. Its success, and the fact that it is included in the programmes of both the 1902 Worcester and Sheffield music festivals will again excite a feeling of surprise that the oratorio has not yet been heard in London.

"It has been said that the acknowledged difficulty of the music stands in the way. This, contrary to what seems to be the prevailing impression, is not due to the exacting nature of the choral work but to the difficulty which is always experienced in London of securing the necessary number of rehearsals with orchestra and chorus."

Richard Strauss, the composer of such masterpieces as the Alpine Symphony and the opera Der Rosenkavalier, went on to be a great champion of Elgar's music and also close friend of the Worcester composer.

Berrow's Journal, during the spring of 1902, informed readers that Elgar was having to revise parts of Gerontius so that it could be performed in Worcester Cathedral at the 1902 Three Choirs.

Composed to Cardinal John Newman's epic poem, the work clearly has significant Roman Catholic overtones and was seen as requiring some alterations to make it acceptable for performance in an Anglican cathedral. The changes were demanded by Bishop Gore of Worcester, but were made fairly willingly by Elgar so that the work could receive its first performance in his native city.

Berrow's Journal explained: "Masses are common enough as subjects for cathedral festival performance but this precedent does not meet the doctrinal points raised by Dr Gore. There are things in The Dream of Gerontius which ought not to be given in a Cathedral, but it is difficult to imagine a work which, as a whole, is so spiritual and so devotional.

"The great chorus Praise to the Holiest in the Height particularly compels our admiration of Dr Elgar, but this is not the only grand thing in a work which is one of the boldest and most beautiful musical conceptions of the age.

"We understand that by means of consultation between the Dean and Chapter, the Three Choirs Festival Committee and Dr Elgar, an excision and a little alteration have been arranged, and the work will be performed in the Cathedral.

"This decision, while satisfactory to Dr Elgar, will gratify some who heard Gerontius at its premiere in Birmingham Town Hall and will hear it again in Worcester, and many more who will for the first time listen to it in the sacred building."

At the September, 1902, Three Choirs performance, tears were seen streaming down Elgar's cheeks as he conducted Gerontius in the Cathedral.

He wrote to a close friend afterwards: "You must come to Worcester and hear what Gerontius MIGHT be! - The Building will do it!"

Berrow's Journal of September 13, 1902 carried this review of the Three Choirs performance: "It must have been peculiarly gratifying to Dr Elgar to witness the large concourse of people that came to hear his Dream of Gerontius. Already in its short life the work has received the approval of two nations. Therefore, the approval of the composer's native city was alone wanting to complete the sum of approbation. This has now been accorded, and in large degree. "The plan of the music is freely descriptive, and it is in the expression of feeling that Dr Elgar displays so great a gift. The performance was followed with the closest interest by an audience that filled the Cathedral from end to end."

However, personal sadness for the composer surrounded the 1902 performance of Gerontius.

Berrow's Journal reported: "Dr Elgar directed the final choral rehearsal under sad circumstances. In a short speech to the choir, he announced that his beloved mother had died in his arms that very day, but in almost her last words she begged him not to allow her death to interfere with his festival engagements."