The Apostles (Elgar) many delays, Elgar finally started formal composition of the music in mid-December 1902. Composition of the work in vocal-score format was complete by the end of June 1903, with scoring complete on 17 August. "The Apostles "is a narrative work, dealing with the calling of the Apostles and their experiences of Jesus' preaching, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. "The Kingdom" would carry the story onward. Elgar was more interested in human motivations than philosophical underpinnings, and two of the most prominent characters in the work are the two sinners Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot. Elgar's conception outgrew the confines of
Monastery of the Holy Apostles Monastery of the Holy Apostles The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles, in common use simply Church of the Apostles (Hebrew: כנסיית השליחים, "Knessiath haShlichim"; Greek language: Εκκλησία Αποστόλων) is the church at the centre of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Apostles at Capernaum, standing among the ruins of ancient Capernaum ("Kfar Nachum") near the shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. It is also known as simply the Greek Orthodox church at Capernaum, to differentiate it from the Franciscan monastery standing in the southern part of Capernaum. It is sometimes named as the "Church of