This July, Three Choirs Festival, the longest running non-competitive classical music festival in the world, has a full week of much-loved classics, lesser-known gems and commissioned premieres, including multiple works from the Wise Music catalogues.
Concert - Cheryl Frances-Hoad: Earth puts her colours
Choral Evensong on July 28 opens with a world premiere of Earth puts her colours by Cheryl Frances-Hoad. The piece for chorus and organ was commissioned for Worcester Cathedral Choir by The Elmley Foundation.
Listen back to the live broadcast from BBC Radio 3.
Concert - Samuel Coleridge-Taylor / Forgotten Histories: Black Musicians of the 19th Century
Edward Elgar introduced the promising young composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor to Three Choirs Festival in 1898 and was the first black composer to have his work performed at the festival. On July 27, the concert will feature Forgotten Histories of Black Musicians of the 19th Century.
Concert - Owain Park: Midnight Poem
On July 28, a world premiere of Midnight Poem by Owain Park for two sopranos, viola da gamba and theorbo, the premiere recording of which was released on July 2, 2021.
Concert – Herbert Howells: Piano premieres
Pianist Matthew Schellhorn presents and programme of Herbert Howells music on July 30, including posthumous premieres of Harlequin Dreaming, Phantasy and Petrus Suite and other rarely heard gems much of which was included on the 2020 July Naxos album Howells: Piano Music 1.
Concert - National Youth Choir of Great Britain
On July 31, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and conductor Ben Parry perform Tag des Jahrs by Kaija Saariaho in a programme drawing inspiration from NYCGB’s 2021 theme of cultural identity.
Concert - Three Stories about Flying
Goldfield Ensemble, conductor Adrian Partington and soloist Roderick Williams perform Chrysilla and The Dance by Ethel Smyth on July 26.
