Three Choirs Festival – Hereford Cathedral

Hereford Cathedral is getting ready to host the Three Choirs Festival, Salisbury Cathedral has announced the return of its popular organ prom, Bradford Cathedral’s organ will play a key role in a live celebration of the music of Pink Floyd as part of the City of Culture 2025, and Rochester Cathedral has announced its iconic Jazz festival is back, bigger and better.

Just some of the events visitors can discover at our cathedrals this summer.

Three Choirs Festival, a week of music-making at Hereford Cathedral

The Three Choirs Festival takes place in Hereford Cathedral this year and features the festival’s own choirs and internationally recognised ensembles and soloists, as well as the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra.

The festival opens on Saturday (26 July) with the Festival Chorus and Hereford Cathedral Choir following a procession into the cathedral at 11am.

There’s a performance of William Mathias’ cantata This Worlde’s Joie with its early English texts that reflect both the seasons and the span of human life.

A highlight of the 2025 season will be a t revival of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s oratorio, The Atonement, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth with a new libretto commissioned for the piece written by local writer, Alice Parsons.

The evening concert series will also include masterpieces such as Mendelssohn’s powerful Elijah and Fauré’s poignant Requiem.

The Festival remains committed to the evolution of musical expression and will present world premiere performances of newly commissioned works by Richard Blackford and Bob Chilcott, alongside a new composition by Roderick Williams.

The participation of the Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir, National Youth Orchestra of Wales, National Youth Choir and the National Youth String Orchestra underscores the Festival’s dedication to supporting emerging musical talent.

In addition to the evening concerts, the Festival’s series of daytime recitals features celebrated vocalists and instrumentalists, including The King’s Singers, Emma Johnson and Stile Antico.

There are late-night recitals, close-harmony concerts and calm to be found in Night Songs – a recital of music by Vaughan Williams, Dove, Clarke and Britten.

The Three Choirs Festival is a week of music-making and longer-term community participation, rotating each summer between the cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester.

Three Choirs celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015 and its aim is to share music-making opportunities and the finest musical experiences with everybody.

Find out more here.