The Kingdom (Elgar) There is a double chorus with semichorus, and four soloists representing: The Blessed Virgin (soprano), Mary Magdalene (contralto), St John (tenor), and St Peter (bass). The work is in five parts, each played without a break, preceded by a prelude. Words were selected by Elgar from the Acts of the Apostles, supplemented by material mainly from the Gospels. As in Elgar's other mature oratorios, the Prelude introduces the main musical themes and sets the mood. The music is lyrical and mystical, with less narrative drive than in "The Apostles". Its most memorable moments are the ecstatic depiction of Pentecost, Mary's
Order of the Apostles of the Last Days today. A further, continuous, attempt was made in the first half of the twentieth century in small ecclesiastical communities in Western Europe; Recent attempts in the 1970s and 1980s were made in Mérida, Mexico; and Canada, France and Haïti by Father Gaston Hurtubise; and very recently the lay community of the "Frères de Saint Jean" in France. Order of the Apostles of the Last Days The Order of the Apostles of the Last Days is a Roman Catholic religious order proposed by the visionary Mélanie Calvat claiming guidance from Our Lady of La Salette at a private apparition on 19