Excitement builds ahead of Three Choirs Festival
Read our festival guide as we get ready for the highly anticipated return of the Three Choirs Festival from this July 22 to 29.
Gloucester (and the Philharmonia) are gearing up for the highly anticipated return of the Three Choirs Festival, which is scheduled to take place from July 22 to 29. This year the team behind Three Choirs have put on an extensive range of events spanning choral concerts, chamber music, theatre, and more, promising to be an unforgettable experience for music enthusiasts of all ages. Celebrating innovation and creativity, the festival boasts an impressive lineup of over sixty events, featuring twenty-one premieres and works from nearly 50 living composers.
The festival’s diverse program encompasses large-scale choral-orchestral concerts, solo recitals, chamber performances, and family-oriented events, showcasing a harmonious blend of familiar classics and contemporary pieces from local composers in Gloucestershire.
The heart of the festival lies in the Festival Village, located just outside Gloucester Cathedral. Festival-goers can find respite and soak in the vibrant atmosphere while enjoying free live entertainment at the community bandstand. It serves as the perfect space to unwind between events and immerse oneself in the festival’s captivating ambience.
One of the notable highlights of this year’s Three Choirs Festival is the commemoration of the 150th birthday of renowned composer Vaughan Williams. The festival will pay tribute to his legacy with captivating performances of his works, including the awe-inspiring Sancta Civitas and the sublime Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, in which the Philharmonia will be the performing orchestra.
And that’s not all, emphasising musical innovation, the festival will showcase premieres of works by esteemed composers such as Eleanor Alberga, Ronald Corp, Liz Lane, Nilufar Habibian, and Randall Svane, among others. This year, the Three Choirs Festival Voices will provide an even greater platform for local singers to participate in the festivities. The choir will collaborate with the Orchestra once again, the Philharmonia has held a residency at the festival since 2012 to perform Graham Fitkin’s enchanting composition, The Age of Aspiration, and Vaughan Williams’ emotive Five Mystical Songs.
This year’s Three Choirs Festival promises an unparalleled experience for music enthusiasts, and we can’t wait to see you.
See what our Chief Executive, Thorben Dittes, had to say ahead of the start of the Three Choirs Festival this weekend.
