THREE CHOIRS FESTIVAL

The Three Choirs Festival comes but once per year, and last year in Gloucester there was a wonderful celebration of music by British composers spread over eight days in the cathedral and other locations near it. The BMS had its own event on the last day of the Festival with the AGM, a buffet meal, and our Millennium Choral Competition prize giving ceremony.

From August 17^th-23^rd this year the Three Choirs Festival will be in Worcester with most major events being in the cathedral. There will be a considerable amount of music by British composers performed in Worcester, but whereas the percentage of music by British composers performed in Gloucester last year was about 95% of the total, this year in Worcester it will be about 50%. The principal British composers to be featured will be Sir William Walton (The Twelve; Symphony no.1; Spitfire Prelude and Fugue; March: History of the English Speaking Peoples; Coronation Te Deum; Orb and Sceptre; and some choral works) and Charles Villiers Stanford (Piano Concerto no.2; Symphony no.3; and a lot of his choral music). Other major works by British composers to be performed will be a large scale piece for chorus and orchestra by Andrew Gant entitled The Vision of Piers Plowman; the first public performance of the Violin Concerto by Lionel Sainsbury; and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius and Coronation Ode. There will also be a plethora of mainly choral music by British composers performed during the Festival.

In addition to all the events in the cathedral there is a wide variety of "Fringe" events planned and details of all these, plus a Festival brochure and ticket order form, may be obtained through the Three Choirs Festival Box Office, telephone no. 01905 729184.

 

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