It’s always nice to have something to look forward to as we head into winter, and those living in or visiting Worcester next summer need look no further than the return of the Three Choirs Festival to Worcester Cathedral. The festival moves between Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester, bringing renowned soloists and national orchestras to the three counties and showcasing the best of choral music.
The festival has already announced the programme for the evening concerts, which will take place in Worcester Cathedral between 27 July and 3 August. With so much on offer throughout the week, highlights include Elgar’s The Kingdom, music from Holst and Stanford, and premieres of two new festival commissions from Nathan James Dearden and Paul Mealor. Taking the natural world as the source of inspiration, the programme also features Bob Chilcott’s The Angry Planet, Sarah Kirkland Snyder’s Mass for the Endangered and Respighi’s The Birds. Performers coming to Worcester include the BBC Singers, Anna Lapwood, and the festival’s orchestra in residence, the Philharmonia.
The full programme will be revealed in March, and will include daytime recitals, family events and talks, as well as a series of late-night concerts to round off the day. There will also be a lively Festival Village outside the cathedral, which will play host to local performers and food and drink stalls.