THREE CHOIRS FESTIVAL GLOUCESTER 2019 26 JULY - 3 AUGUST - 01452 768928 3choirs.org - Booking opens in April
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
THREE CHOIRS FESTIVAL GLOUCESTER 2019 26 JULY – 3 AUGUST 01452 768928 3choirs.org Booking opens in April @3choirs 3ChoirsFestival @3choirs 3ChoirsFestival 3ChoirsFestival
ORE
• M S
IC
T
S
A
RE MU
LL
RELAUNCHED FOR
2019
S • MO
WITH OVER
MO
50 STALLS
E
R
•
TR S
ADER
ORCHARD ST.
FOOD & CRAFT
MARKET
FIRST WEEKEND
OF EVERY MONTH
Up to 70% off the RRP at over 60 outlet
stores, waterside dining, cafés and cinema
Introduction
I am excited to introduce this year’s
Three Choirs Festival programme. I hope
you will find it a pleasing mixture of the
familiar and the innovative.
Our aim is always to honour the great
tradition of the Three Choirs Festival by
presenting masterpieces of the choral- Adrian Partington © Michael Whitefoot
orchestral repertoire, whilst offering
challenges by performing musical rarities beautiful music, and the astonishing climax
and premieres. The evening concerts has no parallel. We are also honouring
feature such pillars of the repertoire as Sir James MacMillan’s 60th birthday with
Verdi’s Requiem, conducted by Edward an evensong consisting entirely of his music,
Gardner, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and and the first performance of an important
Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, each to new work for solo organ, played by
be performed with passion and elegance by John Scott Whiteley.
our resident orchestra, the Philharmonia,
We are delighted that the BBC National
and the heroic Festival Chorus. We will also
Orchestra of Wales will be presenting a
present some less commonly-performed
centenary performance of Elgar’s Cello
works such as Holst’s The Mystic Trumpeter,
Concerto, with the wonderful British virtuoso,
David Matthews’s beautiful short cantata
Natalie Clein; and the spectacular Berlioz
Stars (1970), Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet, and
Overture Le Carnaval romain at this year’s
the first UK performance of Mendelssohn’s
festival. We are proud to honour in this
arrangement of Handel’s Israel in Egypt. Other
concert the late John Joubert (who died in
items that may be new to you include Carl
January this year), by offering a revival of his
Davis’s Last Train to Tomorrow (2011), Stephen
most significant choral-orchestral work, An
McNeff’s The Burning Boy (2017) and Giles
English Requiem, which made a big impression
Swayne’s Our Orphan Souls (2014), and we
at its premiere in Gloucester in 2010.
are proud to present the first performance
of Bob Chilcott’s Christmas Oratorio. I believe that we are offering at Gloucester in
2019 a thrilling programme of old and new;
We are honouring one very significant
and I hope that you will join us at the 292nd
anniversary at the Festival: 150 years since
meeting of the Three Choirs Festival.
the death of arguably the most influential
composer of the 19th century, Hector Berlioz.
We will present his unique masterpiece
La Damnation de Faust on the opening night,
with a stellar cast of soloists. This endlessly
inventive work includes some of Berlioz’s most Adrian Partington, Artistic Director
All details, programmes and artists published in this brochure are correct at the time of going to
press but may be subject to alteration.
Registered Office The Three Choirs Festival Association Ltd, 7c College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LX
Registered Company No 00580176 Registered Charity No 204609
3
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
A glance at some of our key inspirations Hymns to India
and programming strands connecting more
Cheltenham-born Gustav Holst’s interest
than 70 events in this year's festival:
in Indian culture was the catalyst for
this exploration of a rich seam of Anglo-
Adventures in Song Indian connections. In partnership
From the intrigue of a Tudor Court with the Holst Birthplace Museum
(Clare McCaldin in Mary’s Hand, p 18) and London’s Bhavan Centre you can
to the dramatic escarpment of Wenlock try your hand at Bharatanatyam dance
Edge (James Gilchrist, p 20), the solo (p 24), discover the building blocks of
voice can transport a listener to the heart Indian Classical Music and explore the
of a time or place. This year’s recitals origins of the Rig Veda (p 29), delve into
reach into history, landscape and the Gloucestershire’s historic connections
arc of human experience, from the to India (p 31) and learn about the Holst
terror of young man in a WWI trench Birthplace Museum’s collection from
(Joshua Ellicott, p 18) to the touching the composer’s ‘Indian Period’ (p 27).
lifecycles of Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été Activities for all the family include an
(p 26) and Somervell’s Maud (Roderick Indian crafts morning and a musical
Williams, p 24). retelling of the Ramayana from the
Dr K Sextet (p 35), who also give a full
recital of music exploring the world’s
stories (p 32). Holst’s own settings of Rig
Veda can be heard in Painswick (Set I,
p 31) and in a singular event interweaving
contemporary choral settings and
traditional chanting of Rig Veda
(Set III, p 29)
Roderick Williams
John Tavener
© Adrian Burrows
Clare McCaldin
as Mary Tudor Roxanna Panufnik
Joshua Ellicott © Sane Seven © Robert Workman © Paul Marc
4
Berlioz 150 New Notes: New Voices
The 150th anniversary of the death of Music by living composers is an important
Romantic visionary Hector Berlioz was one part of every festival programme, but
of the very first milestones to shape this year’s especially this year, where each performance
programme, beginning with the extraordinary with young performers to the fore features
La Damnation de Faust on the first night in music of today. Stephen McNeff’s music-
Gloucester Cathedral (p 10). Later in the week, theatre-come-miracle-play The Burning Boy
you can hear his orchestral firecracker (p 8) and Carl Davis’s Last Train to Tomorrow
Le Carnaval Romain (p 19) and the seductive (p 32) bookend a week which sees the Youth
song cycle Les nuits d’été (p 26) and find out Choir give a UK premiere (p 17), the Rodolfus
more about his life and work from Berlioz Choir pay tribute to John Tavener (p 14) and
expert Hugh MacDonald (p 9). the Three Cathedral Choirs – including
the girl and boy choristers – premiere Bob
Chilcott’s A Christmas Oratorio (p 25).
Also premiered at the festival will be Robert
Saxton’s Violin Sonata for Madeleine Mitchell
(p 12), a new song by Ian Venables for Roderick
Williams (p 24), a new choral work by Sally
Lamb McCune (p 29) and a solo organ piece
for John Scott Whiteley from Sir James
Macmillan, who celebrates his 60th birthday
in 2019 (p 15). To celebrate this birthday of
one of the UK’s great choral composers, the
festival showcases some of his finest work,
including Seven Last Words from the Cross (p 7),
four stirring works in the Broadcast Choral
Evensong (p 21) and elegiac rhapsodies for solo
violin (p 12).
Hector Berlioz
Shivaangee
Agrawal
Carl Davis Bob Chilcott Bob ChilcottJames Gilchrist
5
ABOUT US
Three Choirs Festival Orchestra in Residence
The Three Choirs Festival is a week-long The Philharmonia Orchestra is a world-
programme of choral and orchestral class symphony orchestra for the 21st
concerts, cathedral services, solo and century, led by Principal Conductor &
chamber music recitals, talks, theatre, Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen.
family events, exhibitions and social
The Orchestra’s home is Southbank
activities, rotating each summer
Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London,
between the beautiful cathedral cities
where it presents over 50 performances
of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford.
each year. Six other residencies across
It’s thought to be the longest-standing
the UK bring the Philharmonia to a wide
classical music festival in the world and
national audience. Internationally, the
celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015.
Philharmonia is active across Europe,
At the heart of the modern festival are
Asia and the USA.
large-scale evening concerts featuring
the Three Choirs Festival Chorus and Founded in 1945, the Phiharmonia has
the Philharmonia Orchestra (resident been self-governing since 1964 and is
at the festival since 2012) alongside owned by its 80 members. Salonen has
internationally-recognised soloists. been Principal Conductor since 2008.
The festival’s packed schedule of daytime Jakub Hrůša and Santtu-Matias Rouvali
events and the friendly atmosphere are Principal Guest Conductors and
of our bustling festival village is Christoph von Dohnányi and Vladimir
augmented by a growing programme Ashkenazy are honorary conductors.
of bespoke community and outreach
The Philharmonia’s Principal
projects beginning in the run up to the
International Partner is Wuliangye.
festival and showcased as part of the
festival programme.
Each year, the festival elects a nominated
charity to receive a share of collections
taken at the Opening Service. This year,
Gloucester continues its ongoing support
of Mindsong, who bring music therapies
to those living with dementia.
Important Dates
Monday 8 April
Gold and Life Members booking opens
Monday 15 April
Standard Members booking opens
Wednesday 24 April
General booking opens
Friday 26 July – Saturday 3 August
Three Choirs Festival 2019
Puppetry by About Face Theatre Philharmonia Orchestra © Ash Mills
6 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928
SEVEN LAST WORDS FROM
FRIDAY
THE CROSS
7.45 – 9.40 pm Tewkesbury Abbey The acclaimed choir of Merton
£35, £30, £22, £12 College, Oxford celebrates Sir James
MacMillan’s 60th birthday year with
Choir of Merton College, Oxford
his spellbinding masterpiece Seven
Bristol Ensemble
Last Words from the Cross, an intensely
Benjamin Nicholas conductor
moving account of the final moments
26 JULY
Judith Weir Ave Regina Caelorum 4' of Christ’s crucifixion. A selection of
Dobrinka Tabakova Alma redemptoris reflective works from some of Britain’s
mater 4' finest choral composers opens the
James MacMillan Miserere 11' concert, with the first half culminating
Arvo Pärt Cantus in Memoriam in Gabriel Jackson’s vivid and
Benjamin Britten 7' jubilant motet.
Gabriel Jackson Countless and
£9 Coach departs 6.45 pm;
Wonderful are the Ways to Praise
returns by approx. 10.30 pm
God 9'
James MacMillan Seven Last Words
from the Cross 45'
FRIDAY
Tewkesbury Abbey
SATURDAY
27 JULY
Opening Service The Burning Boy
11 am – 12 noon Cathedral 2 – 3.15 pm Tewkesbury Abbey
FREE (ticket required) £25, £20, £12, £8
Gloucester Cathedral Choir Stephen McNeff The Burning Boy 70'
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
With a libretto by renowned children’s
Jonathan Hope organ
poet Charles Causley, this ‘miracle play
RWCMD Ensemble
for music theatre’ weaves the story of
Adrian Partington conductor
Elijah into a harvest-time tale set in a
Elgar Te Deum rural England rich in folklore and ritual.
Janet Wheeler We sing to God With a chorus of young harvesters drawn
Stanford Psalm 150 from Gloucestershire and a professional
cast, prepare to be enchanted by the
Doors open at 10.15 am and processions
immediacy and emotion of this
begin at 10.45 am, please be seated no
ancient tale.
later than 10.40 am
£9 Coach departs 1 pm;
Supported by the D G Albright Trust
returns by approx. 4 pm
8 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928
Luke Jones Piano Recital The Damnation of Faust
2 – 3.15 pm St Mary de Crypt 7 – 9.50 pm Cathedral
£15
See following page for more information
Debussy Images, Book 1 15'
Chopin Ballade No 4 in F minor 12' A Sacred Journey: From Bach
Prokofiev Sonata No 8 in B flat 30'
to the Antebellum South
Luke Jones, winner of the 2018 Bromsgrove
10.15 – 11.30 pm St Mary De Crypt
International Competition presents a
£17
programme of pianistic fireworks with
three evocatively lyrical masterpieces of Enigmatic improvising pianist Alexander
the Romantic piano repertoire. Douglas takes a series of Bach chorales
as a stimulus for improvisations in a style
Tewkesbury Abbey Organ Recital spanning the spirituals, gospel music and
jazz. In turn, African-American spirituals
4.30 – 5.30 pm Tewkesbury Abbey will be interpreted and brought into dialogue
£12 unreserved with Bach's work in this fascinating collision
Steven McIntyre organ between Reformation Germany and the Deep
South of early nineteenth-century America.
Bach Pièce d’Orgue, BWV 572 10'
Anon. Ane lessone upon the first psalme 10'
Rory Boyle Three Pieces 11'
SATURDAY
Franck Prelude, Fugue and Variation 11'
Vierne extracts from Symphony No 3 10'
Tewkesbury Abbey’s magnificent organ
is the first to feature in our tour of
Gloucestershire’s finest, with each recital
given by a young organist selected by the
Royal College of Organists.
£9 Coach departs 3.30 pm;
returns by approx. 6.20 pm
Supported by Father Michael Thomas
Hugh MacDonald on Berlioz
5 – 6.15 pm St Mary de Crypt
£20 (includes a light tea)
Hugh MacDonald gives a talk on the life and
work of Berlioz in his anniversary year ahead
of tonight’s performance of La Damnation
de Faust, accompanied by afternoon tea with
representatives of the Berlioz Society.
Alexander Douglas © M. Sicilia
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 9
THE DAMNATION OF FAUST
7 – 9.50 pm Cathedral Berlioz La Damnation de Faust 136'
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15
Berlioz’s fantastically inventive choral
Susan Bickley mezzo-soprano (Marguerite) triumph – part cantata, part opera, and
Peter Hoare tenor (Faust) part grand orchestral fantasy – was described
Christopher Purves baritone (Méphistophélès) by Thomas Beecham as ‘a glorious bunch
David Ireland bass (Brander) of tunes’. We welcome a stellar cast of soloists
Three Choirs Festival Chorus to this musically thrilling tour-de-force,
Choristers of Gloucester Cathedral depicting everything from tender love duets,
Philharmonia Orchestra to student drinking songs, to a galloping
Adrian Partington conductor ride to hell.
SATURDAYSUNDAY
Drama Workshop Family Event
Shakespearean Journeys Antara Duo
10 – 11 am (ages 7-12) and 2.30 – 3.30 pm St Mary de Lode
11.30 am – 12.30 pm (ages 13-16) £6 (ideal for ages 5-11)
Old Bishop’s Palace Garden £6
A lively and engaging introduction to
A practical exploration of word and chamber music. See p 34 for more details
movement in Shakespeare’s plays. See
Supported by the
p 34 for more details.
Cavatina Chamber Music Trust
Festival Eucharist
10.15 – 11.45 am Cathedral
28 JULY
FREE (no ticket required)
Gloucester Cathedral Choir
Jonathan Hope organ
Adrian Partington conductor
Diana Burrell Missa Brevis
Giles Swayne The bread of life
Michael Tavinor Surely the Lord
is in this place
Lydia Kakabadse Pater noster;
SUNDAY
Panis Angelicus from Cantica Sacra
Cecilia McDowall Sacred and
hallowed fire
Antara Duo © Kaupo Kikkas
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 11Madeleine Mitchell Choral Evensong
4 – 6 pm St Catharine’s Church 5.30 – 6.15 pm Cathedral Quire
£25, £20, U26 FREE FREE (no ticket required)
Madeleine Mitchell violin Three Cathedral Choirs
Clare Hammond piano Jonathan Hope organ
Geraint Bowen conductor
Howells Three Pieces 10'
Gurney May Carol; The Apple Orchard; Philip Moore Responses (Set 3)
Scherzo 10' Kerensa Briggs The Gloucester Service
Robert Saxton Suite (premiere) 18' M Shaw The greater light
Ian Venables Three Pieces 10' Vaughan Williams Prelude and Fugue
James MacMillan Kiss on Wood 8' in C minor
G Williams Sonata 18'
Violinist Madeleine Mitchell revives a trio of Verdi Requiem
unpublished works by famed Gloucestershire 7.45 – 9 pm Cathedral
composer Ivor Gurney and gives us a rare
chance to hear Grace Williams’ lyrical Sonata, See following page for more information
alongside a varied selection of works written
specially for Madeleine, including the world Hymnos: the Handel Project
premiere of a lively new suite by
10.15 – 11.30 pm St Mary de Crypt
Robert Saxton.
£17
Coach departs 3.15 pm;
SUNDAY
£5 Clarinettist Alexander Douglas leads his
returns by approx. 6.30 pm
self-styled ‘jazz chamber ensemble’ Hymnos
in an improvisatory exploration of Handel’s
best-known musical themes.
Evensong © Ash Mills Madeleine Mitchell © Rama Knight
12 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928VERDI REQUIEM
7.45 – 9 pm Cathedral Giuseppe Verdi composed his dramatic
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15 Messa da requiem in 1874, in memory of
Alessandro Manzoni, an Italian poet and
Hye-Youn Lee soprano
novelist whom Verdi admired. By turns
Christine Rice alto
terrifying and heart-breakingly beautiful,
David Butt Philip tenor
it is well-known for its exquisite melodies
James Platt bass
and depth of emotion, as one might expect
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
from the master of Italian opera.
Philharmonia Orchestra
Edward Gardner conductor Supported by the Friends of Gloucester
Three Choirs Festival
Verdi Messa da requiem 84'
SUNDAY
Edward Gardner © Benjamin EalovegaMONDAY
TALK Rodolfus Choir
Ivor Gurney 11.30 am – 1 pm Cathedral
9.30 – 10.30 am St Mary de Lode £30, £25, £20, £15, £10
£12 (includes coffee and pastries)
Rodolfus Choir
Soprano April Fredrick shares her love Ralph Allwood conductor
of famed Gloucestershire composer
Gurney’s music and poetry, much of Francis Grier Pax; Baby asleep;
which was written in the trenches of …at midnight 16'
World War I, and whose life and work Tavener O, do not move; As one who
she has researched extensively. has slept; Eonia; The Lord’s Prayer;
What God is, we do not know; The
Three Choirs Festival Founder’s Prayer; Butterfly Dreams 31'
Society Outing Elgar Go, Song of Mine; Death on the
29 JULY
Hills; The Prince of Sleep 14'
Berkeley Castle Mahler (arr. Gottwald) Die zwei blauen
9.30 am – 1.15 pm Berkeley Castle Augen 6'
£25 including travel and refreshments Debussy (arr. Gottwald Des pas sur
(Society members only) la neige 4'
Dating back to the 11th century, The vibrant young Rodolfus Choir
the intriguing Berkeley Castle has returns to the festival with a programme
played host to royalty, film crews, and inspired by peacefulness and serenity.
everything in between. This visit offers Featuring music by Elgar and Tavener,
Society members a chance to explore and with the highly acclaimed Ralph
an extraordinary jewel in the crown of Allwood at the helm, this recital is sure
British history. to be an oasis of calm and ref lection
during a busy week.
Family Event
Dance! Dance!
11.30 am – 12.15 pm St Mary de Lode
£5 adults, children FREE (ideal for babies,
toddlers and their siblings)
Lilliput violin duo entertains with jigs,
reels, waltzes and tangos. See p 34 for
more details.
Ivor Gurney Berkeley Castle
14 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928Celebrity Organ Recital Choral Evensong
John Scott Whiteley 5.30 – 6.15 pm Cathedral Quire
2 – 3.15 pm Cathedral FREE (no ticket required)
£20 unreserved Girl Choristers of Gloucester and
John Scott Whiteley organ Worcester Cathedrals
Nicholas Freestone organ
Tournemire Improvisation sur le Victimae Nia Llewelyn Jones conductor
paschali laudes 8'
Bach Prelude and Fugue in F minor, June Nixon Responses
BWV 534 9' Sumsion Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D
Judith Weir The Tree of Peace 4' Schubert Gott ist mein Hirt
James MacMillan Gaudeamus in loci pace 6'
James MacMillan new work (premiere) 8' Rachmaninov Vespers
Cochereau Symphonie in B flat minor 25'
8 – 9.15 pm Cathedral
This year’s celebrity organist will be the
See following page for more information
dynamic John Scott Whiteley, who has recently
recorded the entirety of Bach’s organ works for
the BBC. Today’s recital includes the premiere Tango Stravinsky Bach
of a new commission by James MacMillan and 10 – 11.15 pm Gloucester Guildhall
Bach’s densely intricate Prelude and Fugue in £20
F minor.
Adrián Varela explores the links between
MONDAY
Family Event the music of Piazzolla and the tango
master’s classical idols Bach and Stravinsky,
Tommy Foggo Superhero alongside familiar and new original material.
2 – 3.15 pm Gloucester Guildhall A totally immersive experience, melding
£10, £8 children (ideal for ages 7+) video with the music of this versatile, 5-piece
electric ensemble.
A magical multi-media tale of a life saved
by music. See p 35 for more details.
Philharmonia Young
Musicians Recital
4.15 – 5.30 pm St Mary de Crypt
£15, U26 FREE
Camilla Marchant flute
Emily Mitchell trumpet
Owen Nicolaou double bass
Fellows of the Philharmonia's Young Artist
programme showcase their talents in a varied
programme of chamber music by Fauré,
Dvořák and Piazzolla.
Adrián Varela
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 15RACHMANINOV VESPERS
8 – 9.15 pm Cathedral This unaccompanied choral masterpiece
£40, £35, £25, £20, £15 is praised as one of Rachmaninov’s
greatest musical achievements. Based on
Ex Cathedra
Orthodox chants, the haunting interweaving
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor
melodies express Rachmaninov’s deep and
Rachmaninov All-Night Vigil (Vespers) 70' introspective faith in the most beautiful
terms. Ex Cathedra perform this sublime
Supported by Peter Cottingham
work resplendent in the fading summer
and Lee Bolton Monier-Williams
light of Gloucester’s magnificent cathedral.
MONDAY
Ex Cathedra © Roger CableTalk
TUESDAY
work which draws on diverse cultures
Singing for Mental Health and styles to look back on conflict and
express a worldwide hope for the future.
9.30 – 10.30 am St Mary de Lode Alongside this, a dramatic setting of an
£12 (includes coffee and pastries) excerpt from Moby-Dick by Giles Swayne
Rosie Perkins considers how and why receives its UK premiere.
singing supports mental health, drawing Supported by
on recent research from the Centre for Michael Guittard and Harry Prince
Performance Science, a partnership of
the Royal College of Music and Imperial
Get involved!
College London.
If you’re an experienced singer aged
14-25, why not join in? You can find
Elgar Society Lecture full details of what to expect and how
Elgar and English
30 JULY
to apply at 3choirs.org/youth-choir
Cathedral Music
11 am – 12.15 pm St Mary de Lode
£12 Much Ado About Nothing
Until 1969 the choir of Worcester 1.30 – 3.30 pm
Cathedral did not sing any Elgar at all. Old Bishop’s Palace Garden
Why was his music neglected even at £17, £10 children
Worcester? Is it neglected still? Timothy The Festival Players
TUESDAY
Day discusses Elgar and English
Cathedral Music, illustrated with historic ʻThe course of true love never did
sound recordings. run smooth’, but the sparring antics
of Shakespeare’s erstwhile lovers,
12.45 pm Elgar Society Lunch Beatrice and Benedick, provide great
£30 or £40 to include the morning talk hilarity for the other members of the
Lunch will be served at St Mary de Crypt household who plot to reunite them.
following the morning’s lecture. All This delicious comedy will be performed
welcome in an energetic, colourful production,
with original songs by Johnny Coppin.
The Armed Man Please note that this is an outdoor
performance which will be relocated
11 am – 12.20 pm Cathedral
only in the event of extremely adverse
£35, £30, £25, £15, £10
weather conditions.
Gregory Bannan baritone
Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir
Edward Elgar
Philharmonia Players
Samuel Hudson conductor
Giles Swayne Our Orphan Souls
(UK premiere) 12'
Karl Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass
for Peace 63'
Our Youth Choir performs Karl Jenkins’
enduringly popular The Armed Man, a
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 17Joshua Ellicott Choral Evensong
2 – 4 pm St Catharine’s Church 5.30 – 6.15 pm Cathedral Quire
£30, £25 FREE (no ticket required)
Joshua Ellicott tenor St Cecilia Singers
Simon Lepper piano Christopher Too organ
Jonathan Hope conductor
Finzi A Young Man’s Exhortation 27'
Various/Ellicott From your ever-loving son, Jonathan Hope Responses (premiere)
Jack 60' David Bednall Gloucester Service
Ian Venables O Sing Aloud to God
This unique recital intersperses songs by early
Holst (arr. Richard Brasier) Scherzo from
twentieth-century composers with readings of
The Unfinished Symphony
letters home from the trenches from Joshua
Ellicott’s own great-uncle Jack. By turns funny,
surprising and deeply moving, the letters An English Requiem
chart Jack’s progress from his training to the 7.30 – 9.30 pm Cathedral
front, and his day-to-day ups and downs speak
for the many thousands of soldiers like him. See following page for more information
Coach departs 1.15 pm;
£5
returns by approx. 4.15 pm
Mary’s Hand
10 – 11.15 pm St Mary de Crypt
Talk £17
TUESDAY
1919: The Peace that Never Was ‘I am the one you do not like’. So begins
Clare McCaldin’s new interactive one-woman
5 – 6.15 pm St Mary de Lode
opera exploring the life of Mary Tudor, first
£12
Queen Regnant of England. Remembered as
Festival Chairman, Dr Timothy Brain, looks at Bloody Mary and surrounded by political and
1919, the first year of peace after the greatest religious intrigue she risked her head, heart
war the world had ever seen. The peacemakers and even her soul to survive. Mary loved card
at Versailles, however, sowed the seeds for an games and Fortune dealt her a tricky hand.
even greater conflict. Let Mary set the record straight: choose a card
so we may begin…
Clare McCaldin
as Mary Tudor
© Robert Workman
Joshua Ellicott © Sane Seven
18 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928AN ENGLISH REQUIEM
7.30 – 9.30 pm Cathedral In contrast to the orchestral whirlwind of
£50, £45, £32, £25, £15 Berlioz’s Le Carnaval Romain, Joubert’s richly
atmospheric English Requiem, premiered at
April Fredrick soprano
the festival in 2010, comprises a series of
Neal Davies baritone
reflections on death, charting an emotional
Natalie Clein cello
trajectory from despair to bright hope.
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Alongside this, Elgar’s last major orchestral
Three Cathedral Choir Choristers
work, the contemplative Cello Concerto is
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
performed by the captivating Natalie Clein.
Adrian Partington conductor
Supported by Mr and Mrs David Ball
Berlioz Le Carnaval Romain 8'
Elgar Cello Concerto 30' This concert will
Joubert An English Requiem 45' be recorded for future
broadcast
TUESDAY
Natalie Clein © Neda NavaeeWEDNESDAY
Talk On Wenlock Edge
The Real Bloody Mary 11 am – 1 pm Cirencester Parish Church
9.30 – 10.30 am St Mary de Lode £30, £25, U26 FREE
£12 (includes coffee and pastries) James Gilchrist tenor
Who was the real ‘Bloody Mary’? Anna Tilbrook piano
Elaborating on the revelations in Clare Carducci Quartet
McCaldin’s dramatisation of Mary Ian Venables Songs of Eternity
Tudor’s life at last night’s event, historian and Sorrow 16'
Linda Porter presents a rounded view Ravel String Quartet 30'
of England’s first sovereign queen, a Debussy De Soir; Noël des enfants
woman whose dramatic life finds many qui n’ont plus de maisons; Eventail;
echoes in our own times. Green 12'
Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge 25'
James MacMillan in Six titans of chamber music come
Conversation together for this selection of beautifully
11 am – 12.15 pm St Mary de Lode evocative, nostalgic works. James
Gilchrist and Anna Tilbrook perform
31 JULY
£12
James MacMillan joins Adrian a selection of Debussy’s fresh and
Partington ahead of today’s broadcast seductively impressionistic songs,
evensong of his work to discuss his and join the Carducci Quartet for two
music and the impact his faith has cycles of Housman settings; while the
had on his writing. Carduccis perform Ravel’s colourfully
sparkling masterpiece.
£9 Coach departs 9.45 am;
returns by approx. 2 pm
Supported by Richard Hall
Carducci Quartet © Tom Barnes
20 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928Family Event Cirencester Organ Recital
Drumming Workshop 2 – 3 pm Cirencester Parish Church
11.30 am – 12.15 pm £12 unreserved
Old Bishop’s Palace Garden Anita Datta organ
£6 (ideal for ages 6+)
Byrd A Voluntarie (for My Ladye Nevell);
Learn some simple Samba and African Fantasia 10'
drumming in this high energy drumming Saint-Saëns movements from
workshop. See p 35 for more details. Sept Improvisations 25'
Bach Fantasia and Fugue BWV 904 8'
Much Ado About Nothing Langlais Fête 6'
1.30 – 3.30 pm The second in our series of recitals by young
Old Bishop’s Palace Garden organists features essentials of the organ
£17, £10 children repertoire from across the centuries.
The Festival Players
£9 Coach departs 12.45 pm;
returns by approx. 4 pm
ʻThe course of true love never did run smooth’,
but the sparring antics of Shakespeare’s Supported by Father Michael Thomas
erstwhile lovers, Beatrice and Benedick,
provide great hilarity for the other members Choral Evensong
of the household who plot to reunite them.
WEDNESDAY
This delicious comedy will be performed in an 3.30 – 4.15 pm Cathedral Quire
energetic, colourful production, with original FREE (no ticket required)
songs by Johnny Coppin. Three Cathedral Choirs
Please note that this is an outdoor performance Jonathan Hope organ
which will be relocated only in the event of Adrian Partington conductor
extremely adverse weather conditions. James MacMillan Benedicimus Deum Caeli
Hunt Responses
James MacMillan Magnificat and
Nunc Dimittis
James MacMillan O give thanks
James MacMillan Meditation
This service will be broadcast live on
BBC Radio 3. Please be seated by 3.15 pm
James Gilchrist
© Patrick Allen Mary Tudor The Festival Players
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 21Papagena: Nuns and Roses
10.15 – 11.15 pm St Mary de Crypt
£17
Flory Jagoda (arr. Suzzie Vango)
Hamisha asar
Scarlatti Cor mio deh non languire
Hildegard of Bingen O virtus sapientiae
Kedrov Otche nash
Tone Krohn Det lisle banet
Scot. Trad. (arr Papagena) My love’s like a red,
Three Deans © Michael Whitefoot red rose
Matti Hyökki On suuri sun rantas
Jaakko Mantyjarvi Pseudo-Yoik Lite
Three Deans’ Sporting Contest Joni Mitchell (arr. Jim Clements) River
and Gloucester Friends’ Tea Don MacDonald When the Earth Stands Still
Guns N’ Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine
5 – 6.30 pm Old Bishop’s Palace Garden
Jim Clements The woman’s IF
£15 (includes a light tea)
Jetse Bremer Sigh No More, Ladies
Our Gloucester Friends invite you to join Libby Larsen Jack’s Valentine
them at a garden party and to cheer on your Imogen Heap Hide and Seek
cathedral Dean of choice at the latest fixture Purcell (arr. Gunnar Eriksson) Music for
WEDNESDAY
in the ultimate battle for sporting supremacy. a while
Don MacDonald Fusion
Please note that this is an outdoor event which
will be relocated only in the event of extremely
Stunning a cappella vocal quintet Papagena
adverse weather conditions.
explore the full gamut of close harmony
music from the 11th to the 21st century.
Israel in Egypt From sacred hymns and ancient madrigals,
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral to inventive arrangements of Guns N’ Roses,
Imogen Heap and Joni Mitchell, this is sure
See following page for more information to be a brilliant evening of entertainment.
Papagena
22 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928ISRAEL IN EGYPT
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral One of Handel’s most dramatic and exciting
£50, £45, £32, £25, £15 oratorios, Israel in Egypt tells the biblical
story of the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt and
Susanna Fairbairn soprano
their escape across the Red Sea. The ten
Rebecca Afonwy Jones soprano
plagues descending on the Egyptians are
Jess Dandy alto
astoundingly descriptive: pelting hail and the
Stuart Jackson tenor
buzzing flies and locusts are vividly conjured
James Newby bass
in sound. This arrangement by Mendelssohn,
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
created for his own large chorus, has never
Philharmonia Orchestra
been heard in concert in the UK.
Geraint Bowen conductor
Handel (arr. Mendelssohn) Israel in Egypt Supported by
(UK concert premiere) 83' The Gloucester Chairman’s Circle
WEDNESDAYTHURSDAY
Cheltenham College Chapel Somervell’s pioneering Maud, which
Organ Recital sparked a trend of melancholically
dramatic lyrical narrative in Romantic
10 – 11 am Cheltenham College Chapel song, to a new piece by Ian Venables,
£12 unreserved the heir of this long tradition of song.
Christopher Strange organ Coach departs 10.30 am
£7
Bruhns Praeludium in G 8' returns by approx. 1.45 pm
Howells Psalm Prelude Set 2, No 2 8'
Mendelssohn Allegro, Chorale Three Choirs Festival Society
and Fugue 10' Members’ Lunch
Vierne extracts from Symphony No 1 25'
1.30 – 3 pm Cheltenham College Library
Cheltenham College Chapel organ has £30
undergone an extensive refurbishment
Join fellow Society members for a two-
since the festival was last in Gloucester,
course lunch, followed by an address by
and today’s young organist showcases
1 AUGUST
Society President Roderick Williams.
the excellent results.
£7 Coach departs 12.45 pm
£7 Coach departs 9 am
returns by approx. 3.30 pm
returns by approx. 11.30 am
Supported by Father Michael Thomas The Three Choirs Festival Society
AGM will take place on Sunday 28
Roderick Williams July at 1.30 pm at St Mary de Crypt.
11.30 am – 1.15 pm
Cheltenham College Theatre
£30
Indian Dance Workshop
2 – 3.15 pm, Gloucester Academy of Music
Roderick Williams baritone
£10
Susie Allan piano
Shivaangee Agrawal leads an interactive
Parry English Lyrics, Volume 7 14'
workshop on Bharatanatyam and
Kevin Brown Description of Spring 3'
Karnatic Rhythms. Aimed at adults, the
Ian Venables What then? 3'
workshop requires no prior movement
(world premiere)
or musical experience. Come and try
Bernadette Marmion When you are old 3'
something new!
Christopher Maxim There is sweet
Music 3'
Elaine Hugh-Jones Eight O’Clock 1' Bharatanatyam Showcase
Pamela Mellor Winter’s End; Spring 3' 3.45 – 4.30 pm
Vaughan Williams The Splendour falls; Gloucester Academy of Music
Blackmwore by the Stour 6' £12, £5 children and workshop attendees
Somervell Maud 36'
Shivaangee Agrawal follows her
The ever-popular Roderick Williams workshop with a solo performance of
returns to the festival with his Bharatanatyam, a genre of the Indian
longstanding accompanist Susie Allan classical dance tradition characterised
in a programme that charts the diversity by the use of intricate gesture to
and passion of English song. From communicate a story or idea.
24 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928Chilcott Christmas Oratorio WULSTAN ATKINS LECTURE
4.30 – 6 pm Cathedral A History of English Song
£40, £35, £25, £20, £15 6.15 – 7.15 pm St Mary de Lode
Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano £12
Nick Pritchard tenor Ian Venables, ‘Britain’s greatest living
Neal Davies baritone composer of art song’ (Musical Opinion),
Three Cathedral Choirs explores the evolution of English song and
Philharmonia Players the host of composers with a local connection
Adrian Partington conductor who have contributed so much to this genre.
Handl Impetum inimicorum 6' Supported by Katharine O’Carroll and Robert
Victoria Laetatus sum 7' and Sherill Atkins
Britten A Ceremony of Carols 23'
Bob Chilcott Christmas Oratorio
(premiere) 50'
Summer Nights
7.45 – 10 pm Cathedral
It’s Christmas in August! We bring you
the best of the festive season in Britten’s See following page for more information
beautiful masterpiece A Ceremony of Carols.
This concert also offers the first chance to Lay Clerks in Concert
hear a new commission by Bob Chilcott,
and a rare opportunity to hear the lower 10.30 – 11.30 pm St Mary de Crypt
voices of the combined cathedral choirs £17
THURSDAY
in intricate Renaissance polyphony. Gloucester Cathedral Choir present an
This concert will evening of light entertainment with repertoire
be recorded for future spanning many centuries and styles.
broadcast
Supported by Dame Amelia Fawcett.
Sarah Connolly supported by
Jeremy Wilding and Sue Vaughan
Bob Chilcott
© John Bellars
Come & Sing
Spend a day singing some of Bob Chilcott’s
best-loved music and a sneak preview of
his new Christmas Oratorio under the
composer's baton in Gloucester on 25
May 2019. Discounts available if you book
both the Come & Sing and the Christmas
Oratorio concert. More info at 3choirs.org
Shivaangee Agrawal
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 25SUMMER NIGHTS
7.45 – 10 pm Cathedral Our orchestra-in-residence presents three
£50, £45, £32, £25, £15 visionary orchestral pieces under the assured
baton of Martyn Brabbins, beginning with
Kathryn Rudge mezzo-soprano
Stravinsky’s sparkling Firebird Suite, as fresh
Philharmonia Orchestra
and invigorating today as it was a century
Martyn Brabbins conductor
ago. Brimming over with savage emotional
Stravinsky Second Suite from intensity, Walton’s ferociously compelling
The Firebird (1919) 23' First Symphony concludes the concert, while
Berlioz Les nuits d’été 31' Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été – despite its innocuous
Walton Symphony No 1 43' title – explores a life cycle of love and loss.
THURSDAY
Martyn Brabbins © Benjamin EalovegaFRIDAY
Holst and India Mendelssohn’s Octet
9.30 – 10.30 am St Mary de Lode 11 am – 12.45 pm Cathedral
£12 (includes coffee and pastries) £30, £25, £20, £15, £10, U26 FREE
Explore Gustav Holst’s love of Indian Philharmonia Chamber Players
culture and its influence on his work in
F Mendelssohn String Quartet 17'
this illustrated talk by Angela Applegate
Joseph Phibbs String Quartet No 2 20'
from the Holst Birthplace Museum
Joubert Miniature String Quartet 8'
in Cheltenham. Angela will draw on
Mendelssohn Octet 30'
the collections held at the museum,
including the autograph manuscript A chance to see some of the familiar
2 AUGUST
of Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda faces of our in-residence Philharmonia
and costumes from a 1970s production Orchestra in a chamber music setting.
of his chamber opera Savitri. Felix Mendelssohn’s resplendent Octet
for double string quartet is paired with
The Holst Birthplace Museum in
a rare chance to hear his sister’s lesser
Cheltenham is open Tuesday – Saturday
known, but equally rich, String Quartet.
10.30 am – 4 pm. holstmuseum.org.uk
In between, sits an exhilarating work by
Joseph Phibbs, whose Memento Musica
FAMILY EVENT was premiered at the 2016 festival to
Arts and Crafts Drop-In: much acclaim.
A Taste of India
Drop in between 11.30 am – 1.30 pm And There Grow Flowers:
FRIDAY
St Mary de Lode Remembering FW Harvey
£5 (ideal for all ages)
11 am – 1 pm Minsterworth Church
Discover all about India through crafts! £15, £10, £5
See p 35 for more details.
Sabrinensis Chamber Choir
Cranham Handbell Ringers
Gaudemus Youth Strings
Judith Sheridan conductor
Will Harvey was a contemporary and
friend of Ivor Gurney and Herbert
Howells. This concert explores the
warmth of Will Harvey’s character
and his relationship with Gloucestershire
throughout his life, celebrating his
new commemoration window in
Minsterworth Church. Harvey’s story
is woven through music, poetry
and readings.
£7 Coach departs 10 am;
returns approx. 1.30 pm
The story of Savitri and Satyavan Will Harvey
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 27Guided Tour of Llanthony The Glevum Consort
Secunda Priory 2.30 – 3.40 pm Llanthony Secunda Priory
Tours lasting one hour at 12.30 and £17
1.30 pm Llanthony Secunda Priory The Glevum Consort look back to Llanthony
£12 Secunda Priory’s 13th-century heyday, when
Explore the newly restored remains of the texts such as the Old English Edi Beo Thu,
former Augustinian Priory, founded in 1136. now commonly known as the Llanthony Carol,
By the end of the 15th century Llanthony were housed within its walls. The concert
Secunda was the richest Augustinian house in traces the history of medieval Gloucester
England, entertaining the court of Henry VII through music, arriving at Byrd’s Mass for
in 1500 and 1501. Four Voices, which in this intimate setting
will recall their original early performances
Sanders Society Lunch in secret Catholic Masses during Elizabeth I’s
reign.
1 – 2.30 pm St Mary de Crypt
£30 (includes cold buffet lunch) £5 oach departs 1.45 pm;
C
returns by approx. 4 pm
The Sanders Society hosts a lunch with
guest speaker Richard Shephard, one of the Supported by Elspeth Barkes
UK’s pre-eminent composers of church music
who began his musical life as a chorister at
Gloucester Cathedral.
FRIDAY
Donald Hunt, Roy Massey, John Sanders
and John Joubert © Derek Foxton
28 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928Exploring Indian Vaughan Williams Society
Classical Music Tea and Talk
3 – 4.15 pm St Mary de Lode 5.30 – 7 pm St Mary de Crypt
£12 £20 (includes a light tea)
Balu Raguraman violin Join the Vaughan Williams Society for a light
M Balachandra mridangam tea and an interesting talk by special guest
David Owen Norris on the composer’s life
Leading South Indian performers from
and music.
The Bhavan Centre in London present
an afternoon of Karnatic Raga music. An
improvisation around ancient melodic and A Sea Symphony
rhythmic structures, Raga is an intoxicating 7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
interplay of musical inspiration and
mathematical precision. See following page for more information
TALK Meditations on the Rig Veda
The Rig Veda 10.30 – 11.30 pm Cathedral Quire
5 – 6 pm St Mary de Lode £15
£12 The Oriel Singers
Vedic chanting dates back three millennia Ben Sawyer conductor
and is arguably the oldest surviving vocal Catherine White harp
Subhanu Saxena, Dr Nanda Kumar chanters
FRIDAY
tradition. Passed down orally through
generations of performers and scholars, these Holst Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda,
ancient hymns are performed today as they Group 3 13'
were at the end of the Bronze Age. This talk Sally Lamb McCune Common be our
is an introduction to the Vedas by Subhanu Prayer (premiere) 2'
Saxena, a leading philosopher of the Vedas Anna R Matthews Asvins 4'
and eminent exponent of Vedic chanting. Coulthard Hymn of Creation 7'
Roxanna Panufnik Child of Heaven 4'
In the stillness of a candlelit quire, this
meditative event weaves together Vedic chant
led by members of the Bhavan centre with
choral settings of these Hindu texts.
Jean Coulthard, a student of Vaughan
Williams, exalts the mystery of creation,
while delicate music of contemporary
composers Anna R Matthews, Roxanna
Panufnik and Sally Lamb McCune embraces
the listener, mirroring the celestial beauty
of Holst’s settings for choir and solo harp.
Rig Veda
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 29A SEA SYMPHONY
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral “Behold, the sea!” This nautical programme
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15 brings together two contrasting works
imbued with a sense of adventure and
Katherine Broderick soprano
the mighty power of the sea. Vaughan
Roderick Williams baritone
Williams’ strikingly original A Sea Symphony
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
announces itself with a brass fanfare and
Philharmonia Orchestra
from its first notes conjures a vision of
Geraint Bowen conductor
panoramic horizons and brave voyage.
Stanford Songs of the Fleet 26'
Supported by The American Friends of
Vaughan Williams Symphony No 1
the Three Choirs Festival and the Vaughan
(A Sea Symphony) 63'
Williams Charitable Trust; Katherine
Broderick supported by Joanna Brickell;
Roderick Williams supported by
Pamela White
FRIDAY
Roderick WilliamsTALK
SATURDAY
Gloucester’s premier chamber choir
Paradise Lost? Gloucestershire’s present a programme with a very local
flavour as they celebrate the work of
Anglo-Indian Connections Gloucestershire composers past and
9.30 – 10.30 am St Mary de Lode present in the serene surroundings
£12 (includes coffee and pastries) of idyllic Painswick’s parish church.
Over many years an exceptionally
£9 Coach departs 10 am;
strong link developed between parts returns by approx. 12.45 pm
of Gloucestershire and British India,
Supported in memory of Helena Oldacre
Cheltenham being dubbed ʻCalcutta
and John Priday
in the Cotswolds’. Historian Jim
Markland takes a virtual tour around
Gloucestershire to discover the evidence. Family Event
Travelling Tales
St Cecilia Singers: My County
11.30 am – 12.30 pm St Mary de Crypt
3 AUGUST
11 am – 12.15 pm £10, £6 children (ideal for ages 7+)
St Mary's Church, Painswick
£25, £20 Members of the Dr K. Sextet tell stories
from across the globe, narrated by the
St Cecilia Singers ensemble and accompanied with vivid
Derek Harris piano music. See p 35 for more details.
Jonathan Hope conductor
SATURDAY
Holst Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda,
Set 1 15'
Howells The Summer is Coming 8'
David Bednall Some Corner of a
Foreign Field 9'
Vaughan Williams Three Shakespeare
Songs 7'
Finzi Selection from Seven Partsongs
Op. 17 10'
Gurney Come, Sleep 3'
Thomas Hewitt Jones My County 5'
Dr K. Sextet
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 31Last Train to Tomorrow Dr K Sextet: Storytelling
1.15 – 2.30 pm Cathedral 4 – 6 pm St Mary de Crypt
£20, £15, £12, £10, £5 £17, U26 FREE
Three Choirs Children’s Chorus Maxwell Davies Dances from the Two
Gloucestershire Youth Players Fiddlers 9'
Gloucestershire Youth Strings Sadie Harrison Bell Music for St Casimir 3'
Nia Llewelyn Jones conductor Thomas Simaku My Beautiful Morea 5'
Glyn Oxley conductor Kaija Saariaho Oi Kuu 6'
Howard Skempton The Durham Strike 5'
Holst St Paul’s Suite 15'
Jeremy Thurlow Elephant of the Clouds 16'
Carl Davis Last Train to Tomorrow 45'
Thomas Albert movements from Thirteen
Eighty years to the day since the last Ways 10'
Kindertransport left Prague, this poignant Holst Maya; Spring Song; Greeting 10'
piece reimagines the thoughts and feelings of Rolf Hind The Horse Sacrifice 20'
the Jewish children fleeing persecution,
Tales drawn from across the globe; stories
the families they left behind, and the
of struggle, turbulence and migration from
open-hearted British people who took them
dramatic, mythical and fantastical narratives
in. This semi-staged performance is the
through to the gentlest of lullabies. Storytelling
culmination of a term working with children
explores a wide variety of sound worlds (from
from across Gloucestershire, and welcomes
completely tonal to experimental) using
back some of our young performers from
the stories behind the music to explore this
Hereford in 2018, plus participants from ‘The
SATURDAY
melding of cultures.
Big String’ project run by Gloucester Academy
of Music each February.
Supported by Carolyn Pascall and
Safran Landing Systems
Kindertransport
Leominster Priory
32 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928THE MYSTIC TRUMPETER
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral We look heavenward for our final
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15 performance, reviving David Matthews
shimmering short cantata, Stars for its
Ilona Domnich soprano
first performance in almost half a century.
Catherine Wyn-Rogers alto
Holst’s distinctive musical style begins to
Andrew Staples tenor
emerge in this luxuriant early work, with a
David Stout baritone
list of influences that ranges from Wagner
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
to Walt Whitman, and even encompasses
Philharmonia Orchestra
Hindu philosophies. It ends with a serenely
Adrian Partington conductor
celestial expression of ʻJoy! Joy! All over joy!’,
David Matthews Stars 5' echoing Beethoven’s epic Choral Symphony,
Holst The Mystic Trumpeter 19' the powerful and uplifting climax of which
Beethoven Symphony No 9 65' is known the world over.
Supported by Safran Landing Systems and
donors to the Tercentenary Appeal
SATURDAYFAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Drama Workshop: Dance! Dance!
Shakespearean Journeys Monday 29 July, 11.30 am – 12.15 pm
Sunday 28 July, 10 – 11 am (ages 7 – 12) St Mary de Lode
11.30 am – 12.30 pm (ages 13 – 16) £5 adults, children FREE (ideal for babies,
Old Bishop’s Palace Garden £6 toddlers and their siblings)
A practical exploration of word and Join Lilliput violin duo Kate Skeet and
movement in Shakespeare's plays. Join Kate Fawcett as they entertain with jigs,
director Edward Derbyshire and actors reels, waltzes and tangos. Tunes from
from Gloucestershire Youth Players for around the globe for tiny toes to tap to!
these animated and creative workshops
designed to explore different journeys
made by Shakespeare's characters, using
Shakespeare's words and elements of
physical theatre. You will need nothing
but yourself (parents are invited to join
in), comfortable clothing, and a sense
of fun.
Please note that these are outdoor
workshops which will be relocated in
the event of extremely adverse weather
conditions
Antara Duo
Sunday 28 July, 2.30 – 3.30 pm
St Mary de Lode
£6, Ideal for ages 5–11
Thomas Hancox flute
Rachel Wick harp
Join the Antara Duo for a lively and
engaging introduction to the exciting
world of chamber music and the
wonderful sounds of the flute and harp
through music, games, and questions.
Supported by the
Cavatina Chamber Music Trust
34 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928Tommy Foggo Superhero Drumming Workshop
Monday 29 July, 2 – 3.15 pm Wednesday 31 July, 11.30 am – 12.15 pm
Gloucester Guildhall Old Bishop’s Palace Garden
£10, £8 children (ideal for ages 7+) £6 adults, children FREE (ideal for ages 6+)
One day, Tommy Foggo runs away – Let off some steam with this high energy
to the seaside, where he finds Destino, a drumming workshop led by Cheltenham
talking cello with a mission. Will Tommy be College Head of Music David McKee,
big enough to defeat the terrifying Kraken where you’ll learn some simple Samba
of the Deep and rescue the Queen of Lost and African drumming.
Atlantis? A magical multi-media tale of a life
saved by music, based on a true story. Arts and Crafts Drop-In:
A Taste of India
Friday 2 August
Drop in between 11.30 am – 1.30 pm
St Mary de Lode
£5 (ideal for all ages)
Join Lucy Moriarty from the Holst Birthplace
Museum for a fun session discovering all
about India through crafts, dressing up and
a spicy smelling trail!
Travelling Tales
Saturday 3 August, 11.30 am – 12.30 pm
St Mary de Crypt
£10, £6 children (ideal for ages 7+)
Members of the Dr K. Sextet tell stories from
across the globe, narrated by the ensemble and
accompanied by vivid music. A retelling of the
Ramayana with Carnatic violin improvisation,
Tom Johnson’s Bedtime Stories for clarinet
and narrator, Syrinx (music by Debussy) and
The Two Fiddlers (music by Maxwell Davies)
take us on a musical adventure.
Tommy Foggo
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 35GET INVOLVED
Whether you’re completely new to the Volunteer
festival or want to get more involved, there
There are many great ways to get
are plenty of ways to explore the festival
involved with the festival, and joining
for free.
our team of volunteers can be an exciting
and rewarding way to get behind the
Festival Firsts scenes. If you’re friendly, self-motivated
If you’re a first-time festival-goer and and enthusiastic, find out more and
live in Gloucestershire, you can apply register your interest at
for a pair of best-available tickets to 3choirs.org/volunteer
any concert for free! Please contact
our friendly ticket office team for more Three Choirs Festival
information and to choose your event. Youth Choir
If you’re a keen singer aged 14-25, why
Cathedral Rehearsals not join our Youth Choir for a chance to
Want to see what happens in the perform Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man
rehearsal process or just get more and a new piece by Giles Swayne on
familiar with a piece you don't know? 30 July? There is no charge to participate,
Dip into a cathedral rehearsal for free and you can find full details of what to
and get a flavour of life behind the expect and how to apply at
scenes at the festival. Full details of 3choirs.org/youth-choir
times and restrictions will be online
at 3choirs.org from the start of July.
CAVATINA Free Tickets
Thanks to the support of
the CAVATINA Chamber
Music Trust, 8–25 year olds
can claim free tickets to the
following chamber music
concerts:
© Ash Mills
Sunday 28 July, 4 pm See p 12
Madeleine Mitchell
Monday 29 July, 4.15 pm See p 15
Philharmonia Young Musicians
Wednesday 31 July, 11 am See p 20
On Wenlock Edge
Friday 2 August, 11 am See p 27
Mendelssohn’s Octet
Saturday 3 August, 4 pm See p 32
Dr K Sextet: Storytelling
TCF Youth Choir © Michael Whitefoot
36 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928BECOME A MEMBER
Since the Three Choirs Festival Society was founded in
1996, membership has been a way to support the festival
financially and to strengthen the social bonds between
Three Choirs enthusiasts.
In return for their support, members benefit from: Roderick Williams
Society President
• Priority booking at various levels;
• Our quarterly members’ magazine, Spotlight,
which contains articles about music and local history,
interviews with musicians and exclusive details
of festival activities;
• Special events such as the popular Society Lunch
and Outing each year.
Membership starts at £40. Find out more at
3choirs.org/membership or contact the ticket office.
EXPERIENCE LIVE
CLASSICAL
MUSIC THROUGH
THE MAGIC OF
VIRTUAL REALITY
The Philharmonia is bringing its pioneering digital technology to Gloucester city centre!
You’ll sit on the stage in the heart of the orchestra and feel the glorious sound surround you.
Look out for more details at 3choirs.org from early July.
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders 37YOUR VISIT
Festival Village Designer Crafts Exhibition
The heart of the festival is in the Open daily 10 am – 7.30 pm
Festival Village on College Green.
The Herefordshire, Cotswold and
Between concerts, wander through our
Worcester Guilds of Craftsmen will
exhibitions on Herbert Howells and
be exhibiting on Lower College Green.
organ building, and enjoy al fresco live
Some of the finest craft artists in the
music offered by local musicians and
region will be displaying works in
community groups and daily concerts
ceramics, glass, wood, silver, art and
from the bell tower. Full details will
textiles, offering an opportunity to
be on our website from early July.
browse and buy a unique piece
throughout festival week.
Eating and Drinking
As well as a range of street food and a Pre-concert Dining
fully-stocked festival bar, the Friends
You can book a two-course sit-down
of Gloucester Three Choirs Festival will
dinner, served in the King’s School
serve a selection of homemade cakes
Dining Room, before each evening
and light refreshments daily.
performance. Priced at £24 per person,
Bar 12 noon – 11.30 pm all menus include a starter, dessert, a
Friends’ Café 10 am – 7.30 pm glass of wine, and tea or coffee. Special
Street Food 12 noon – 8 pm dietary requirements can be catered for,
but please inform the ticket office at the
Cloister Garth Pimm’s Bar will be
time of booking.
open from one hour before the evening
concert, and in the interval
Ticket Office, Shop
and Information
Open daily from 10 am until the start of the
evening performance
The information hub of the festival site,
you’ll find the ticket office, information
point and shop in Wardle House, just
on the edge of the Festival Village. Our
friendly staff and volunteers are on © Ash Mills
hand to offer practical advice and local
knowledge and can point you in the right
direction. While you’re picking up your
tickets, browse a range of books, CDs
and other items to take home as
a souvenir of the festival.
© Ash Mills
38 General booking opens on 24 April: 3choirs.org 01452 768 928You can also read
