The launch of an exciting programme for the Three Choirs Festival 2026
In 2026 it is the turn of Gloucester to host the Three Choirs Festival. The full programme was officially launched at an event in the Chapter House of Gloucester Cathedral on 19 March.
Prior to the launch event, guests had the opportunity to attend the daily service of Evensong in the Cathedral. On this occasion, the cathedral’s youth choir, Trinity Voices were on duty. Under the direction of Adrian Partington, the cathedral’s Director of Music, these young singers made an excellent impression with their fresh, well-disciplined singing. Fittingly, the chosen music included works by two composers who have become synonymous with the Three Choirs Festival: Elgar (the anthem Ave Maria) and Vaughan Williams (Evening Canticles in C). It became clear during the launch event that the involvement of the Trinity Voices was probably not a coincidence.
Launching the programme, Adrian Partington, who is Artistic Director of the 2026 Festival stressed that he had set out to provide an accessible programme containing high quality music that people want to hear. The programme, he believes, offers something for everyone and, whilst catering amply for established audiences, he hopes that the programme will win new friends for the Festival. He outlined five themes:
Young people – There are several events specifically aimed at and/or involving young people. The Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir will, as usual, take part in a major evening concert: ‘Songs of the Sea’ conducted by Martyn Brabbins and with soloist Roderick Williams (28 July). Additionally, Trinity Voices and their junior colleagues St Benedict’s Singers will be involved in some of the liturgical celebrations.
Elgar – His music is a perennial backbone of Three Choirs. This year, the 75th anniversary of the foundation of The Elgar Society provides extra impetus. Major works to be performed include the First Symphony on the opening night (25 July) and The Dream of Gerontius which will close the Festival (1 August).
The new cathedral organ – This is a hugely important development for Gloucester Cathedral. Work on the installation of the new Nicholson organ is on schedule. It will be ‘well run in’ by July, Partington assured us, and every opportunity will be taken to show it off, including the Poulenc Organ Concerto and a centenary performance of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass (27 July) and a celebrity recital by the ‘dazzling’ young French organist, Thomas Ospital (30 July).
The Associate Composer Scheme – The exciting Gloucestershire-born composer Gavin Higgins is the inaugural composer to feature in this new scheme. His three-year residency opens with performances of several works, including the UK premiere of his Fanfare Americana (25 July) and the world premiere of a Magnificat and Nunc dimittis during the service of Choral Evensong which will be broadcast live by BBC Radio 3 (29 July).
Anniversaries – The Festival will pay tribute to a number of composers who have notable birthdays or anniversaries in 2026, including John Dowland (d.1626), Cecilia McDowall (b.1951), Edmund Rubbra (d.1986) and Charles Wood (d.1926).
As well as the major evening concerts in the cathedral, most of which will feature the Three Choirs Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra, who will once again be in residence, there will be several mouth-watering recitals, which I list in chronological order. Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside perform songs by British composers (26 July); Ian Bostridge and Fretwork offer a recital of music by John Dowland (28 July); Mark Padmore and Christopher Glynn perform Schubert’s Winterreise (30 July); and James Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook can be heard in an exploration in words and music of Ivor Gurney, entitled Severn Meadows (1 August).
Visiting vocal ensembles will include Voces 8 (25 July), Apollo5 (29 July), and the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs (1 August). Making a welcome return will be the Birmingham-based choir, Ex Cathedra and their Artistic Director Jeffrey Skidmore, who will be performing Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil (26 July). From closer to home, the Gloucestershire chamber choir, St Cecilia Singers offer an enticing late-evening concert which will include Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and another chance to hear Neil Cox’s Requiem Canticles, a moving, important work which they premiered in 2024 (review here) (30 July),
It is a packed and richly varied programme. If I am honest, the programmes for the last couple of Festivals haven’t truly set my pulse racing but this year the Three Choirs Festival has got its mojo back. I detected a buzz around the room at the launch event and I wasn’t surprised.
The 2026 Gloucester Three Choirs Festival will run from 25 July to 1 August. General booking opens on 13 April via the Festival website click here.
John Quinn