The Three Choirs Festival begins on 26th July and is on until 3rd August and promises a week of music in the heart of Gloucester. The festival is the oldest classical non-competitive music festival in the world and the three counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire take it in turns to host the festival each year.
First recorded in 1715, the festival was known at the time as the ‘Music Meetings’ and has been held annually since that year, only interrupted by the wars between 1914 and 1920 and again between 1939 to 1945.
Thomas Bisse, the chancellor of Hereford cathedral outlined the choral meetings of the three counties and the festival has remained largely unchanged since.
This year promises a wide range of exciting events, from the traditional musical events such as Mendelssohn’s Octet, Choral Evensong and St Cecilia Singers to a tour of the historical Llanthony Secunda priory which has been newly restored, and dance and photography workshops.
These events are always hugely popular, particularly the evening concerts which feature the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Three Choirs Chorus, but there are also events which do not require a ticket, such as the Choral Evensong at the beautiful Gloucester Cathedral.
The festival village is situated in the heart of Gloucester, so you could take in some the historic sights in the city whilst visiting the festival. The village has crafts stalls and a fantastic variety of food and drink available, so why not treat yourself to a Pimms and a bite to eat on your visit?
Gloucester city is easily accessible by bus and train as well, and the festival is only a short walk away from both the train and the bus station. There will be plenty of information available at the festival, where the staff are more than happy to help with directions and any other local knowledge that they can help with. For a perfect day out this summer head over to this historic festival and enjoy some of the finest music in the three counties.