John Gilpin

A Shakespearean actor takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition.

The story of three sisters and the men they marry: one is happily married but childless, the second promiscuously escapes an unhappy, loveless marriage, and the third is tortured by the mental cruelties inflicted by a domineering husband.

Long considered lost footage, this exceptional concert, which originally aired April 14, 1968, on the BBC, is a full-colour performance of Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius recorded inside the stunning Canterbury Cathedral and featuring three of the greatest voices of the era: mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker, tenor Sir Peter Pears, and bass-baritone John Shirley-Quirk. Conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, ardent champion and esteemed interpreter of Elgar’s works, this concert film — which required eight of the nine existing colour cameras in the UK at the time — constitutes a rare and treasured artifact marking the beginning of high-quality colour footage of British operatic productions.

After hearing news that her officer husband has been killed in battle, Diana Wentworth forges a new life for herself, becoming an MP and learning to love again. Then, out of the blue comes the shattering news that her husband is not dead after all.