Light of Life
Sir Edward Elgar was asked in 1895 to write a work on a biblical subject  by the then-vicar of Bdarnich in Devon. The vicar suggested the story of Christ  giving sight to a blind man, calling itLux Christi. Elgar changed it toThe Light of Life, and it was supposed to be the prelude to a trilogy of  oratorios that never materialized. Even so, some of Elgar's strongest work is in  this masterpiece. John Shirley-Quirk in the role of Jesus is a knockout, as is  Arthur Davies in the role of the blind man. A genuinely great work.--Paul  Cook