Introduction
All festivals start with a blank sheet of paper and the way that a particular programme develops can happen in many different ways.
My plans for this year began with a single work: a long-held ambition to revive Ethel Smyth’s fine but now little-performed Mass in D. One hundred years after the passing of the 1918 Representation of the People Act –the start of universal suffrage in the United Kingdom – seemed the perfect opportunity to do so, given the composer’s prominent links to the suffragette movement. You can read more overleaf about the major programming strand, Celebrating Women, which developed as a result. Read more, too, about our centenary tribute to Hubert Parry – himself a committed supporter of women’s suffrage – including our major choral and orchestral concert conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, who also conducts the first ever Three Choirs performance of Elgar’s King Olaf.
In 1918, the musical world was robbed of the prodigious talent of Lili Boulanger at the age of only 24 and we present her setting of Psalm 130, composed in 1915 as a response to the horrors of World War I, in a programme which also includes Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms.
Following performances of Mendelssohn’s two great oratorios Elijah and St Paul at the 2016 and 2017 festivals, we complete our cycle of his major choral works with his Lobgesang, paired with Bruckner’s Te Deum.
At the heart of the festival since its origins in the early 18th century, the Three Cathedral Choirs of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester combine for joint Evensongs and a performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, sure to be a highlight of the week. The festival will end with Brahms’ Requiem, in a programme including Parry’s own Elegy for Brahms, and Parry’s pupil Vaughan Williams’ Toward the Unknown Region
I hope you enjoy browsing the wide range of events on offer in this brochure, and we look forward to seeing you later this year!
Geraint Bowen, 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.
Geraint Bowen © Derek Foxton
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Interlocking themes weave their way through our wide range of talks, chamber music, family events and flagship choral and orchestral concerts this year. Here are some ways you can delve deeper into our key programming strands …
Celebrating Women
Our ‘Clarion Girl’ on the cover (taken from a poster advertising the 1908 ‘Women’s Sunday’ rally in Hyde Park), heralds leading suffragette Ethel Smyth’s Mass in D on opening night, and we also look at women composers across the centuries, from the medieval music of Hildegard von Bingen to work fresh off the page in commissions from Hannah Kendall and Kerensa Briggs.
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Wulstan Atkins Lecture
Opening Night
The Planets
James Gilchrist
Tenebrae
Ruby Hughes
Choral Evensong
Joby Burgess
Clare Hammond
Symphony of Psalms
Festival Youth Choir
Gothic Voices
Flute, Viola and Harp
Clara Schumann, Lili Boulanger and Rebecca Clarke
Talk exploring women composers and their work
Ethel Smyth
Hannah Kendall
Clara Schumann
Judith Bingham
Helen Grime
Kerensa Briggs, Janet Wheeler, Judith Weir, Ina Boyle and Rachel Laurin
Rebecca Dale, Linda Buckley and Nicole Lizée
Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre and Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger
Cecilia McDowall
Hildegard von Bingen and Joanne Metcalf
Sofia Gubaidulina
Trio Dali
Hannah Kendall
Hubert Parry
Another centenary marked by the festival is the death of Hubert Parry, whose family home was firmly in Three Choirs territory, on the outskirts of Gloucester. His music features at both the open and close of the festival, along with a 24-hour Parry focus in the middle of the week:
Opening Service
Tenebrae
The Baronet and The Playboy Talk: The Development of a Great Personality
Lecture Recital: Parry and the Suffragettes
Choral Evensong
Centenary Tribute
Closing Night
Te Deum in D
Songs of Farewell
Shulbrede Tunes
Hear my words and Choral Prelude on ‘Old 104th’
Blest pair of Sirens, Symphony No 5 , Invocation to Music
Elegy for Brahms
All Things Organ
This year, we welcome The Institute of British Organ Builders and their members who will be exhibiting throughout the week in All Saints Church. Alongside daily free talks about organs and organ-building, the recital programme allows you to explore some imaginative and unusual uses of these instruments, and visit some of the finest organs in the area:
Liam Dunachie’s Organ Trio
Olivier Latry Cathedral Recital
Kit Downes’ ‘Organ Ceilidh’
Belmont Abbey Organ Recital: Adam Mathias
Holy Trinity Organ Recital: George Herbert
Leominster Priory Organ Recital: George de Voil
Hubert Parry
The Hereford Cathedral organ
FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Drumming Workshop
Saturday 28 July, sessions at 1.30, 2.30 and 3.30 pm Powell Theatre
£5 (ideal for all ages)
Join Bym from Beat Bang Bong to learn some upcycled carnival drumming. Use recycled bottles, buttons, bearings, buckets, broom handles and barrels to play some musical games and compose your own percussion piece. To add some upcycled melody you can make your own lollypop stick kazoo to take home afterwards and carry on the fun!
Hansel and Gretel
Sunday 29 July, 3.30 – 5 pm
Tomkins Theatre
£15, under 26 £8 (ideal for ages 12+)
Enter a world of light and shadow, of darkness and deception, a helter-skelter journey into ghostly landscapes and feasts of sugar. Hansel and Gretel is a newly re-imagined storytelling with chamber music, shadow-play and live-projected puppetry. See p 12 for more information.
Drama Workshop
Monday 30 July, 11.30 am – 12.45 pm
Powell Theatre
£6 (ideal for ages 7+)
Twelfth Night is all about revolution, albeit a failed one. Or is it? Join the director and actors of the Gloucestershire Youth Players company for a fun, exploratory and fast-paced workshop based on Shakespeare’s comic take on love and ambition.
Carousel Clarinet Duo
Monday 30 July, 2.30 – 3.15 pm
Holy Trinity Church
£5 adults, children FREE
A lively, rhythmic, interactive introduction to clarinets of all sizes from Rob & Luan Shaw. Lots of familiar tunes from favourite films and TV for tiny tots and their brothers and sisters.
Magnard Ensemble
Tuesday 31 July, 12 noon – 1 pm
St Francis Xavier Church
£6 (ideal for ages 5+)
A fun-filled, interactive introduction to the wind quintet. Audiences from 5–105 love the Magnard Ensemble’s unique and engaging style and their family concerts explore chamber music through games, interactive demonstrations, and well-known pieces.
Shadow puppets by Kate Romano
Puppetry by About Face Theatre
Automata Making
Tuesday 31 July, Sessions at 1.30, 2.30 and 3.30 pm Powell Theatre
£5 (ideal for ages 8+)
Join Jo Foy for this family friendly craft workshop making a simple mechanical toy. Working with cardboard, wire, bamboo, beads and paper you’ll create and decorate your own automata, see some examples of the artist’s other work, and learn how to have lots of fun with moving artwork!
Twinkle Tunes
Thursday 2 August, 11.30 am – 12.15 pm
Powell Theatre
£5 adults, children FREE
From musical stories and Mozart to nursery rhymes and some interesting ways to play the violin, this is a fun-filled session for tiny tots from Lilliput violin duo Kate Skeet and Kate Fawcett.
Puppetry Skills Workshop
Friday 3 August, sessions at 1.30, 2.30 and 3.30 pm Powell Theatre
£5 (ideal for ages 8+)
Learn how to bring a puppet to life and devise a short performance with Jess MacKenzie from About Face Theatre Company, using their bunraku-style puppets, which derive from Japanese traditions.
Those aged under 26 can access a range of free tickets to events and rehearsals. Please see p 39 for more details.
Dance! Dance!
Saturday 4 August, 9.30 – 10.15 am
Leominster Priory
£5 adults, children FREE
Join Lilliput violin duo Kate Skeet and Kate Fawcett as they entertain with jigs, reels, waltzes and tangos. Tunes from around the globe for tiny toes to tap to!
Three Stories About Home
Saturday 4 August, 1.30 – 2.30 pm
Powell Theatre
£10, £5 children (ideal for ages 4+)
Once upon a time … not so very long ago ... A travelling Romany boy, a girl whose soldier father is away from home, and a young refugee fleeing to Australia, whose lives are curiously intertwined. Papercut puppetry and live string quartet help to tell these evocative tales.
Drumming, puppetry and automata workshops presented in partnership with ignite cic
Lilliput Concerts
SATURDAY
28 JULY
Free Organ Talk
9.30 – 10.30 am All Saints Church
Dominic Gwynne of Goetze & Gwynne Ltd talks about historic organ conservation and restoration, in the first of a series of free talks tying in with the Institute of British Organ Builders’ Exhibition in All Saints Church.
Opening Service
11.30 am – 1 2.45 pm Cathedral
FREE (ticket required)
Hereford Cathedral Choir
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Peter Dyke organ
Geraint Bowen conductor
Elgar Severn Suite
Parry Coronation Te Deum in D
Mathias As truly as God is our Father
Processions begin at 11.15 am; please be seated no later than 11 am
FamiLy EvEnt
Drumming Workshop
Sessions at 1.30, 2.30 & 3.30 pm
Powell Theatre
£5 (ideal for all ages)
A 50-minute, fun-packed workshop where you’ll play in the ‘Plastic Band’ of upcycled instruments, and create a kazoo to take home. See p 6 for more information.
In partnership with ignite cic
Trio Dali
3 – 4.45 pm Holy Trinity Church
£27, £22, under 26 FREE
Trio Dali piano trio
C Schumann Trio Op. 17 28'
L Boulanger D’un soir triste 11'
L Boulanger D’un matin de printemps 5'
Clarke Trio 26'
Violinist Jack Liebeck returns to the festival, this time with his piano trio, in a programme celebrating women composers. Lili Boulanger’s expressive diptych was one of the last compositions before her untimely death a century ago, aged just 24. Framing these vignettes are trios from Clara Schumann, a later composition described by some as her ‘masterpiece’, and Rebecca Clarke, whose 1921 work echoes the lush harmonies and impressionistic colour of Boulanger’s writing.
Supported by the Ambache Charitable Trust
Coach departs 2.30 pm returns by approx. 5 pm
£5
Trio Dali © Felix Broede
Evening Prayer will be said today at 5.30 pm in the Cathedral Crypt
WULStan atKinS LEC t URE Shout, Shout, Up with your Song!
5.45 – 6.45 pm Left Bank
£12
Dr Rhiannon Mathias, Music Lecturer at Bangor University and a specialist in music by women composers, discusses the work of Ethel Smyth, Lili Boulanger and others featured at the festival, reflecting on the context in which they were working.
Supported by Katharine O’Carroll and Robert and Sherill Atkins
Festival Reception
6 – 7 pm Bishop’s Palace
£12, Friends of Hereford Three Choirs Festival members £10
Celebrate the start of the 2018 festival with drinks and canapés, hosted by the Friends of Hereford Three Choirs Festival.
Supported by Rob and Pat Watkins
Opening Night
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
See following page for more information
Liam Dunachie Organ Trio
10.15 – 11.30 pm All Saints Church £16, £12
Since his days as a Hereford chorister, Liam Dunachie has made his name as a versatile and talented jazz pianist, organist and composer. Tonight, with his trio, Liam performs a mixture of traditional jazz standards and his own compositions on his 1964 Hammond organ.
Bar open from 9.45 pm
Liam Dunachie
OPENING NIGHT
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
£50, £45, £32, £25, £15, £10
Eleanor Dennis soprano
Madeleine Shaw mezzo soprano
Paul Nilon tenor
Neal Davies bass
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Geraint Bowen conductor
Ireland These things shall be 20'
Smyth Mass in D 65'
We open the festival with Ethel Smyth’s magnificent Mass in D, which according to George Bernard Shaw was a sign of the rise of women composers. Smyth’s music carefully reflects the mood and content of the mass setting: the radiant, joyful Gloria triumphantly crowns this richly coloured setting. Alongside this, a rare chance to hear John Ireland’s only substantial choral work, which offers a utopian vision of future peace and equality.
Supported by the Friends of Hereford
Three Choirs Festival and Great Western Railway
Ethel Smyth
SUNDAY 29 JULY
Festival Eucharist
10.30 am – 12.15 pm Cathedral
FREE (no ticket required)
Lucy Bowen soprano
Susanna Spicer mezzo soprano
James Oxley tenor
James Geidt bass
Hereford Cathedral Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra
Peter Dyke organ
Geraint Bowen conductor
Haydn Harmoniemesse
Mozart Ave verum corpus
Mozart Laudate Dominum
Supported by the Friends of Hereford Cathedral
Never Failed Me Yet
1 – 2.15 pm Shire Hall
£8, £4 children
Academia Musica Herefordshire Youth Choir
Cantate Domino
SHYPP Singers
Jon Weller vocal coach
The Encore Ensemble
David Wordsworth conductor
Bring ing together singers and musicians of all ages, this performance of Gavin Bryarsʼ Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet is the culmination of a collaboration between the festival, Herefordshire’s music hub Encore, and this year’s nominated charity SHYPP. At the centre of Bryars’ meditative work is the recording of a homeless man who recalled the comfort of a longremembered hymn. Around his song, four choirs and an ensemble weave a beautiful tapestry of sound to haunting effect. Bookending the performance, mediaSHYPP showcases two films they have developed that explore the idea of home and homelessness: Four Stories of Home, and Two Kids Lost, a modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel.
SUNDAY
A still from mediaSHYPP’s Four Stories of Home
Hansel and Gretel
3.30 – 5 pm Tomkins Theatre
£18, under 26 £8
Age guidance: 12+
Matthew Kaner music
Simon Armitage libretto
Clive Hicks Jenkins art and visual direction
Caroline Clegg dramaturgy
Music performed by the Goldfield Ensemble
Produced by Goldfield Productions
Enter a world of light and shadow, of darkness and deception, a helter-skelter journey into ghostly landscapes and feasts of sugar. The words of Simon Armitage retell the famous story in an extended lyrical poem entwined with chamber music by composer Matthew Kaner, one of the most original voices of his generation. With shadowplay and puppetry by Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Hansel and Gretel presents an evocative collection of art-forms, drawing audiences into an uneasy yet curiously familiar landscape.
£5
Coach departs 3 pm returns by approx. 5.15 pm
Free Organ Talk
4 – 5 pm All Saints Church
Dr Nicholas Thistlethwaite, author of The Making of the Victorian Organ and The Cambridge Companion to the Organ explores the history of the English organ.
Choral Evensong
5.30 – 6.20 pm Cathedral FREE (ticket required)
Hereford Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Joel Trekell organ
Peter Dyke conductor
Edward Pullin We wait for thy loving
kindness O God
Reading Responses
Roy Massey Service in G minor
Timothy Parsons The Lord is King
Paulus As if the whole creation cried from Triptych
The Planets
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
See following page for more information
Surplice to Requirements
10.15 – 11.15 pm All Saints Church
£16, £12
The Lay Clerks of Hereford Cathedral
Always a highlight of the festival programme, the gentlemen of Hereford Cathedral Choir present an evening of the sacred and profane: light entertainment with repertoire spanning many centuries and styles.
Bar open from 9.45 pm
Hansel and Gretel
THE PLANETS
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15, £10
Philharmonia Orchestra
Elim Chan conductor
Hannah Kendall Baptistry (festival co-commission) 4'
Finzi A Severn Rhapsody 7'
Vaughan Williams Norfolk Rhapsody No 2 10'
Holst The Planets 51'
In partnership with
From its first ominously pulsing drum beat to the ethereal slow fade out of the final movement, Holst’s The Planets is a hugely popular and exciting orchestral suite. Written in haste between Holst’s service in World War I, it was finally premiered after the armistice 100 years ago. The first half features the lost and recently republished Norfolk Rhapsody No 2 by Vaughan Williams, never before heard at the festival despite being written over a century ago, and the premiere of a festival co-commission by Hannah Kendall. This all-British programme is conducted by Elim Chan, who made a critically-acclaimed debut with the Philharmonia last year.
Supported by the American Friends of the Three Choirs Festival
Elim Chan © Willeke Machiels
100 Years on: Life at Hereford Cathedral
School in 1919
9.30 – 10.30 am Powell Theatre
£12 (includes breakfast)
Sydney Addison was one of Dr Sinclair’s choristers during World War I. After leaving the choir, he kept a diary of his day-to-day activities and today's talk explores this schoolboy's account of life at Hereford Cathedral School in 1919. Former headmaster of the school Dr Howard Tomlinson puts this important source for the history of the school in the context of a post-war world.
ELGaR SoCiEty LEC t URE
One Man and His Dog
11 am – 12.30 pm Left Bank
£12
Renowned organist Roger Judd was assistant organist for over twenty years at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and has played for many royal occasions. In today’s talk, Elgar and GR Sinclair – an enduring friendship, he explores the friendship between Elgar and the Hereford organist who (along with his bulldog) inspired one of the Enigma Variations
1 pm Elgar Society Lunch
£30 or £40 to include the morning talk
Lunch will be served at the Left Bank following the morning’s lecture. All welcome.
James Gilchrist Recital: The Solitary Pilgrim
11.30 am – 1.30 pm Holy Trinity Church
£27, £22
James Gilchrist tenor
Anna Tilbrook piano
Purcell (arr. Britten) O solitude Z 406 5'
C Schumann Six Songs Op. 13 14'
Schubert Die Einsamkeit D620 23'
Jonathan Dove Under Alter’d Skies 23' Vaughan Williams Songs of Travel 25'
̒To be alone, to dream, to contemplate. To wander out into the world, severing the bonds of homeland, seeking a direction and a goal as yet unknown.’
Thus James Gilchrist describes two great Romantic themes as the threads that weave throughout this recital as it delves into the pilgrim spirit. Joined by his long-standing accompanist Anna Tilbrook, this is sure to be an evocative journey exquisitely expressed.
£5
Coach departs 11 am returns by approx. 1.45 pm
Supported by Katharine Wedgbury
FamiLy EvEnt
Drama Workshop
11.30 am – 12.45 pm Powell Theatre
£6 (ideal for ages 7+)
Twelfth Night is all about revolution, albeit a failed one. Or is it? Join the director and actors of the Gloucestershire Youth Players company for fun, exploratory and fast-paced workshops based on Shakespeare’s comic take on love and ambition.
James Gilchrist
Patrick Allen
FamiLy EvEnt
Carousel Clarinet Duo
2.30 – 3.15 pm Holy Trinity Church
£5 adults, children FREE
Ideal for babies, toddlers and siblings
Fun and interactive music sessions.
See p 6 for more information.
Twelfth Night
2.30 – 4.30 pm Bishop’s Palace Garden
£12, £6 children
Gloucestershire Youth Players
All-Shakespeare youth theatre group GYP take you on a magical journey to the land of Illyria, where society – and love – is turned upon its head, and a parallel universe of madness and mayhem, a land of alternative facts, becomes a seeming reality. Be prepared to be whisked off your feet as they transform the garden into a cosmos of energetic storytelling, pacey twists, comedy and fun.
Please note that this is an outdoor performance which will only be relocated in the event of extremely adverse weather conditions.
Tenebrae
2.45 – 4.45 pm Cathedral
£40, £35, £25, £20, £15, £10
Tenebrae
Nigel Short director
Elgar They are at rest 3'
Tavener Song for Athene 6'
Gurney Since I believe in God 6' Torsten Rasch A Foreign Field Psalm (premiere) 5'
Judith Bingham A Walk with Ivor Gurney 8' Howells Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing 8'
Vaughan Williams Valiant-for-Truth 6'
Parry Songs of Farewell 35'
Schoenberg Friede auf Erden 8'
This programme marks a gentle reflection on the final year of the World War I centenary, telling a story of loss and an earnest wish for peace.
Including many composers with strong connections to the Three Choirs Festival, and the premiere of a psalm originally intended for Torsten Rasch’s 2014 piece A Foreign Field, commissioned to mark the start of the centenary, this is sure to be a moving commemoration from one of the UK ̓s most exhilaratingly refined vocal ensembles.
Free Organ Talk
4 – 5 pm All Saints Church
Andrew Caskie, Managing Director of Nicholson Organs of Malvern, speaks about the history of this prestigious company.
Choral Evensong
5.30 – 6.20 pm Cathedral
FREE (ticket required)
Three Cathedral Choirs
Peter Dyke organ
Adrian Partington conductor
Sumsion Responses
Gray Service in F minor
Harris Bring us, O Lord God
Dvořák (arr. Peter Dyke) Finale from Symphony No 9
Elgarʼs King Olaf
7.45 – 9.20 pm Cathedral
See following page for more information
Alive and Brel
10 – 11 pm All Saints Church
£16, £12
This Herefordshire quintet (piano, flute and vocal trio) have established a great reputation for their cabaret revue of the finest songs of Jacques Brel. Returning to the festival by popular demand, this intimate show brings Brel’s wit and irony to life.
Bar open from 9.30 pm
A £2.50 transaction fee applies to all ticket orders
ELGAR'S KING OLAF
7.45 – 9.20 pm Cathedral
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15, £10
Judit h Howarth soprano
Andrew Staples tenor
David Shipley bass
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis conductor
Elgar Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf 85'
Conducted by world-renowned champion of Elgar’s music, Sir Andrew Davis, this rarely-heard masterpiece tells the exciting saga of the tenth-century Norwegian King Olaf. With sublimely colourful orchestration underscoring scenes of heroic battle and tender love duets, this is one not to miss.
Please note that there will be no interval in this performance
Supported by the Estate of Michael Morris
Sir Andrew Davis © Dario Acosta
thREE ChoiRS FEStivaL
SoCiEty oU tinG:
The Laskett Gardens
10 am – 1 pm The Laskett Gardens
£22 including travel and refreshments (Society members only)
The Laskett Gardens were created by Sir Roy Strong and his late wife, Julia Trevelyan Oman. This visit offers a chance to explore these formal gardens, influenced by Italian Renaissance as well as formal Tudor and Stuart English gardens. Visitors will look round in their own time with individual audio guides, and morning refreshments will be available.
Please note that there is no car parking at The Laskett Gardens.
FamiLy EvEnt Magnard
Ensemble
10.30 – 11.30 am
St Francis Xavier Church
£6 (ideal for ages 5+)
A fun-filled, interactive introduction to the wind quintet. See p 6 for more information.
Supported by Cavatina Chamber Music Trust
Celebrity Organ Recital: Olivier Latry
11 am – 12.10 pm Cathedral
£20 unreserved
Bach Prelude and Fugue in
E flat BW v 552 16'
Franck Choral No 2 in B minor 14'
Debussy (arr. Alexandre Cellier)
Clair de lune 6'
Dupré Prelude and Fugue in G minor
Op. 7 No 3 8'
Alain Postlude pour l’office des Complies 5'
Thierry Escaich Evocation II 6'
Olivier Latry Improvisation
Olivier Latry is a virtuoso of the highest order, so it is perhaps no surprise that he holds the office of titulaire des grands orgues at France’s most iconic cathedral, Notre Dame in Paris. Latry is famous for championing the music of his compatriots in performances around the world, and today’s recital is no exception. The programme is dominated by French composers loved for the colour and expression in their music, and this recital is sure to explore the full range of Hereford Cathedral organ’s possibilities.
Free Organ Talk
1 – 2 pm All Saints Church
Independent organ designer and editor of Organ Building, the journal of the IBO, Geoff McMahon explores some of the technical aspects of organ design.
TUESDAY
The Laskett Gardens
The Magnard Ensemble
TUESDAY
Automata Making
Sessions at 1.30, 2.30 & 3.30 pm
Powell Theatre
£5 (ideal for ages 5+)
A 50-minute workshop teaching you how to make a simple mechanical toy. See p 7 for more information.
In partnership with ignite cic
Gould Piano Trio
3 – 4.50 pm Holy Trinity Church £27, £22 (under 26 FREE)
Robert Plane clarinet
Gould Piano Trio
Ireland Phantasie Trio in A minor 12' Huw Watkins New work (premiere, festival co -commission) 20' Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time 55'
Robert Plane, who has developed a reputation for championing English clarinet music, joins the renowned Gould Piano Trio for this colourful programme. The first half pairs Ireland’s inventive Phantasie with a new work by composer and pianist Huw Watkins, whose music is characterised by a warmth and lyricism that brings out the distinctive colours of the instruments for which he writes. Also rich in colour and detail is Messiaen’s iconic Quartet for the End of Time, which brings this recital to a contemplative close.
£5
Coach departs 2.30 pm, returns by approx. 5.05 pm
Supported by Richard Hall
Evening Prayer will be said today at 5.30 pm in the Cathedral Crypt
A Heckelphone for Hereford
5.30 – 6.45 pm Shire Hall
£15, £12
As we near the 200th anniversary of the building of Hereford’s Shire Hall, Dr Stephen Williams gives an illustrated talk looking back to the 1909 Three Choirs Festival and the (sometimes tumultuous!) preparations for the premiere of Frederick Delius’ Dance Rhapsody No 1.
Monteverdi Vespers
7.45 – 9.30 pm Cathedral
See following page for more information
Kit Downes’ Organ Ceilidh
10 – 11.15 pm All Saints Church
£16, £12
Kit Downes is a versatile jazz musician and composer who has worked with a hugely diverse range of musicians. Tonight, he celebrates the festival’s organ focus and his own most recent solo organ project, Obsidian, in a programme ranging from Bach to folksong-inspired fantasias and his own compositions, including an ‘organ ceilidh’ written especially for this event, which will invite members of the audience to join Kit in playing a range of the instruments simultaneously and showcase the individuality of some of the chamber organs being exhibited by The Institute of British Organ Building throughout the week.
Bar open from 9.30 pm
Compline
10.30 – 11.10 pm Cathedral Crypt (enter through St John’s door)
FREE , no ticket required
Compline will be sung by the Ethelbert Consort, and include Tallis’ motet
Salvator mundi.
MONTEVERDI VESPERS
7.45 – 9.30 pm Cathedral
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15, £10
Mary Bevan soprano
Lorena Paz Nieto soprano
Gwilym Bowen tenor
Ruairi Bowen tenor
Henry Neill bass
David Shipley bass
Three Cathedral Choirs
Brecon Baroque
Geraint Bowen conductor
Monteverdi Vespers (1610) 95'
This giant of the Renaissance repertoire is performed tonight by an outstanding cast of period instrument performers and the cathedral choirs of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester. Brecon Baroque is led by Rachel Podger and incorporates the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble. Under the baton of this year’s Artistic Director, a fine selection of young soloists, who are specialists in this repertoire, completes the line-up.
Please note there will be no interval in this performance.
Supported by Hereford City Council and Lee Bolton Monier-Williams
TUESDAY
Hereford Cathedral © Ash Mills
Hereford’s Curious Map
9.30 – 10.30 am
Powell Theatre
£12 (includes breakfast)
Sarah Arrowsmith of Hereford Cathedral’s education department discusses how Hereford’s Mappa Mundi reflects the Western Christian understanding of time, space and the cosmos in the Middle Ages. The map exhibits a very different world view from one we would recognise today: peopled with weird humanoids and strange beasts, it at first presents a curious picture of a world dominated by myth and fable. Yet there is much more to this curious map than legend and fantasy.
Free Organ Talk
11 am – 12 noon All Saints Church
Using a series of demonstration models, organ builder Robert Balfour-Rowley gives a fascinating introduction to the mechanics of how an organ works.
Ruby Hughes Recital: Songs for New Life and Love
11.15 am – 1 pm Holy Trinity Church
£27, £22
Ruby Hughes soprano Joseph Middleton piano
Schumann Prelude from Jugendlieder; Frauenliebe und -leben Op. 42 25' Mahler Kindertotenlieder 25'
Ives Serenity; The Housatonic at Stockbridge; Memories; Songs my mother taught me 12'
Helen Grime Bright Travellers 15'
Trad (arr. Britten) Ca the yowes, At the mid hour of night, O come ye not from Newcastle, O Waly Waly 12'
Ruby Hughes has become known for her rich, warm voice and beautifully nuanced interpretations, enhanced all the more by Joseph Middleton’s sensitive and understated partnership. This recital brings together songs of fond recollection and hope for the future, with Helen Grime’s newest song cycle, written for Ruby, setting Fiona Benson’s Bright Travellers – a keystone of a programme that reflects on the profound impact of parenthood.
£5
Coach departs 10.45 am, returns by approx. 1.15 pm
Mappa Mundi
Ruby Hughes © Phil Sharp
The Winter’s Tale
1 – 3 pm Bishopʼs Palace Garden £17, £10 children
The Festival Players
Written by Shakespeare in his later years, The Winter’s Tale is an intriguing mix of drama and comedy. Leontes, King of Sicilia, sets in motion a train of events which affect two kingdoms and two generations, sparked by an obsessive envy of a perceived relationship between his Queen and his oldest friend. There is jealousy and joy, revenge and romance, loss and discovery, remorse and revelry, and an amazing revelation. Tremendous entertainment for a summer evening, with music by Jonny Coppin.
Please note that this is an out door performance which will be relocated only in the event of extremely adverse weather conditions.
Belmont Abbey Organ Recital
2 – 3 pm Belmont Abbey
£12 unreserved
Adam Mathias organ
Buxtehude Passacaglia in D minor
BUX W v 161 7'
Alain Introduction and Variations from Suite pour Orgue 7'
Arvo Pärt Mein Weg hat Gipfel und Wellentäler 8'
Byrd Fantasia in A minor 8'
Ligeti Ricercare per organo – Omaggio a Girolamo Frescobaldi 5'
Bach Passacaglia in C minor BW v 582 13'
The first in our series of recitals from the up-and-coming stars of the organ world, selected by the Royal College of Organists. Today’s recital takes place in the tranquil church of Belmont Abbey on a Nicholson organ whose recent restoration was completed in 2010.
Coach departs 1.15 pm, returns by approx. 3.30 pm
Supported by Father Michael Thomas
Choral Evensong
3.30 – 4.30 pm Cathedral
FREE (ticket required)
Three Cathedral Choirs
Peter Dyke organ
Geraint Bowen conductor
Kerensa Briggs Set me as a seal (festival commission)
Janet Wheeler Responses
Judith Weir Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
Boyle The Transfiguration
Rachel Laurin Finale from Symphony No 1 Op. 36
This service will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Please be seated by 3.15 pm
The Singing Violin
3.45 – 5.15 pm
St John’s Methodist Church £15, under 26 FREE
Emily Su n violin
Gamal Khamis piano
Beethoven Sonata No 3 in E flat 18'
Grieg Sonata No 3 in C minor Op. 45 25'
Fauré Sonata No 1 in A 25'
Frolov Concert Fantasy on themes from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess Op. 19 10'
Emily Sun, winner of the 2017 Bromsgrove International Musicians’ Competition, showcases some titans of the solo violin repertoire, opening today’s recital with an energetic sonata by Beethoven. Fauré’s achingly beautiful piece completes the programme alongside two lyrical works: the folk melodies of home echo in Grieg’s final sonata, and the recital closes with a virtuosic celebration of Gershwin’s most popular opera.
The Three Deans’ Croquet Match & Garden Party
5 – 6.30 pm Bishop’s Palace £15, members of the Friends of Hereford Three Choirs Festival £12 (includes refreshments)
The Friends of the Hereford Three Choirs Festival invite you to join them for a Garden Party featuring a not-to-be-missed sporting fixture. Following Hereford’s resounding bowls win in Worcester last year, join us at this genteel battle for sporting supremacy.
John Maine and Ascension
5 – 6.15 pm Left Bank £12
Artist John Maine discusses the design and execution of the window and sculpture that make up Ascension, the newest of Hereford Cathedral’s artworks. A fantastic opportunity to learn more about this strikingly bold and beautiful installation, conceived as a tribute and memorial to the SAS, who have long had close links with Hereford.
Hymn of Praise
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
See following page for more information
The Baronet and the Playboy
10.15 – 11.20 pm St John’s Methodist Church £16
Parry Shulbrede Tunes
Poulenc Les soirées de Nazelles
Beginning a 24-hour Parry focus at the festival, David Owen Norris performs two piano portraits to a video backdrop. Parry’s Shulbrede Tunes is accompanied by a tour of the home of the title (his daughter’s) and the family photo album. Alongside, Poulenc’s ‘twenty minutes of brilliantissimo’ are animated by Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson, bringing caricatures to life as the music plays. In Norris’ words, ‘the Essence of England and the Flamboyance of France’!
Martin Rowson’s vision of Poulenc’s Valse-Caprice on the name BACH © Martin Rowson
Ascension at Hereford Cathedral
HYMN OF PRAISE
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
£50, £45, £32, £25, £15, £10
Sarah Fox soprano
Anna Harvey mezzo soprano
James Oxley tenor
Quentin Hayes bass
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Peter Nardone conductor
Bruckner Te Deum 22'
Mendelssohn Lobgesang Op. 52 65'
‘All that has breath, praise the Lord!’ We continue our exploration of Mendelssohn’s large-scale choral works with his answer to Beethoven’s Choral Symphony: a majestic expression of joy in mankind’s progression from darkness to enlightenment. One of Mendelssohn’s most popular works within his own lifetime but now rarely performed, the piece bursts with jubilant melodies and rich harmonies. Bruckner’s mighty Te Deum, a piece which the composer called ‘the pride of his life’, opens with the choir singing in blazing unison.
Supported by the Hereford Chairman’s Circle
Hereford Cathedral
THURSDAY
2
AUGUST
Hubert Parry: the Development of a Great Personality
9.30 – 10.30 am Powell Theatre
£12 (includes breakfast)
Michael Trott, author of the recently published Hubert Parry: A Life in Photographs, explores the development of Parry’s character from the tragic circumstances of his birth and upbringing by his high-minded father to becoming a great composer, writer, historian, teacher, administrator and a man whose humility and integrity endeared him to all who met him.
LEC t URE RECitaL Parry and the Suffragettes
11.15 am – 12.45 pm Shire Hall
£18, £15
In this illustrated talk, David Owen Norris begins with his discovery that Parry’s neglected song You’ll get there was in fact composed for suffragist Millicent Garrett Fawcett, a family friend, before going on to examine Parry’s development of a ‘democratic’ style of melodic vocal writing (Vaughan Williams said that Parry taught him to write choral music ‘like an Englishman and a democrat’). From Hymn for Aviators and Jerusalem all the way to his final, Shakespearean, England, Norris employs his celebrated methods of live deconstruction (as seen in the Prince of Wales’ documentary on Parry) to shine a light on this underappreciated aspect of Parry’s output.
FamiLy EvEnt
Twinkle Tunes
11.30 am – 12.15 pm Powell Theatre
£5 adults, children FREE
Ideal for babies, toddlers and siblings
Fun and interactive music sessions. See p 7 for more information.
Free Organ Talk
1 – 2 pm All Saints Church
Craftsman Robert Woodland gives a practical demonstration illustrating the techniques of gilding, grain work, marbling and other decorative and ornamental skills.
The Winter’s Tale
2.30 – 4.30 pm Bishop's Palace Garden
£17, children £10
The Festival Players
Written by Shakespeare in his later years, The Winter’s Tale is an intriguing mix of drama and comedy. Leontes, King of Sicilia, sets in motion a train of events which affect two kingdoms and two generations, sparked by an obsessive envy of a perceived relationship between his Queen and his oldest friend. There is jealousy and joy, revenge and romance, loss and discovery, remorse and revelry, and an amazing revelation. Tremendous entertainment for a summer evening, with music by Jonny Coppin.
Please note that this is an outdoor performance which will be relocated only in the event of extremely adverse weather conditions.
Bernstein and Mahler
2.30 – 4.30 pm Cathedral
£35, £30, £25, £15, £10, £5
National Youth Choir of Wales
National Youth Orchestra of Wales
Carlo Rizzi conductor
Bernstein Chichester Psalms 19'
Mahler Symphony No 5 68'
These talented young musicians celebrate the centenary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth with his infectiously rhythmic Chichester Psalms before eminent conductor Carlo Rizzi guides the orchestra through the vast emotional landscape of Mahler’s huge Fifth Symphony.
Supported by the Perry Family Trust and Carolyn Pascall
Choral Evensong
5.30 – 6.20 pm Cathedral
FREE (ticket required)
Three Cathedral Choirs
Peter Dyke organ
Peter Nardone conductor
Radcliffe Responses
Wood Service in F (Collegium Regale)
Parry Hear my words
Parry Chorale Prelude on ‘Old 104th’
A Parry Centenary Tribute
7.45 – 10 pm Cathedral
See following page for more information
Joby Burgess: Pioneers of Percussion
10.30 – 11.30 pm All Saints Church
£16, £12
Takemitsu Seasons 16'
Rebecca Dale Can’t Sleep 7'
Linda Buckley Ekstasis 9'
Xenakis Psappha 14'
Nicole Lizée The Filthy Fifteen 13'
A solo recital of pioneering works from the most innovative and creative composers of the past century. Featuring the 9ft tall Capone-era aluminium harp, a typewriter, a giant steel sheet, loop pedals, an Angolan shepherding instrument, graphic scores and electronics, this promises to be a revelatory programme from one of contemporary classical music’s leading lights.
Bar open from 10 pm
Compline
10.30 – 11.10 pm Cathedral Crypt (enter through St John’s door)
FREE (no ticket required)
Compline will be sung by the Ethelbert Consort, and include Tallis’ motet O nata lux.
THURSDAY
Joby Burgess © Nick White
Carlo Rizzi © Tessa Traeger
THURSDAY
A PARRY CENTENARY TRIBUTE
7.45 – 10 pm Cathedral
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15, £10
Katherine Broderick soprano
Mark Le Brocq tenor
David Stout bass
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis conductor
Parry Blest pair of Sirens 11'
Parry Symphony No 5 27'
Parry Invocation to Music 55'
The sublime Blest pair of Sirens opens tonight’s centenary tribute to Hubert Parry. Based on a text by John Milton, beautifully
cascading melodies express a desire to return to heaven and heavenly music, a theme which continues in the richly harmonic Fifth Symphony, examining the triumph of hope over the tragedy of human life. Invocation to Music eloquently sets a poem of Robert Bridges, penned ‘in honour of Henry Purcell’ to celebrate the composer's bicentenary, and is thought by some to have strongly influenced major choral works of both Elgar and Vaughan Williams. A rare opportunity to hear Parry’s sumptuous melodic voice, so familiar from Blest pair of Sirens, in this extended format.
Supported by the Music Reprieval Trust; Sir Andrew Davis supported by Gabbs Solicitors
David Stout © Benjamin Ealovega
Hubert Parry
Hereford
’s Bishops and
the Saints
9.30 – 10.30 am Powell Theatre
£12 (includes breakfast)
Medieval historian Ian Bass shares some insights into Hereford’s religious significance. By the later Middle Ages, Hereford Cathedral had become a pilgrim destination on a par with Canterbury. This talk explores the role of Hereford’s bishops in the establishment of Hereford as a cult centre.
Holy Trinity Organ Recital
11 am – 12 noon Holy Trinity Church
£12 (unreserved)
George Herbert organ
Vivaldi (arr. Bach) Concerto in
A minor BW v 593 13'
Bach Sonata No 3 in D minor
BW v 527 14'
Mendelssohn Sonata in B flat
Op. 65 No 4 14'
Whitlock Allegretto, Folk Tune and Scherzo from Five Short Pieces 9'
Saint-Saëns No 7 from Sept
Improvisations 5'
The second of our RCO Young Organists recital series is given by George Herbert, one of the youngest organists the festival has welcomed in recent years and a promising talent, who won numerous awards from the Royal College of Organists in 2017.
£5
Coach departs 10.30 am, returns by approx. 12.20 pm
Suppor ted by Father Michael Thomas
Binchois Consort
11 am – 1 pm Cathedral
£35, £30, £25, £15, £10, £5
Binchois Consort
Andrew Kirkman conductor
The Binchois Consort is a vocal ensemble with a fine reputation for historically informed early music performances, receiving numerous accolades for its Hyperion recordings. Today, it presents a programme with a very special Hereford connection: Cornago’s mass, Missa Ayo visto lo mappamundi, and the tune on which it is based are the only known musical works of the later Middle Ages to reference the idea of the ‘world map’. This programme is topical in other ways, too, featuring plainsong from Hereford sources and embracing the Hereford saints Ethelbert and Thomas Cantilupe (in the form of John Benet’s motet Lux fulget ex Anglia), and the Lady Chapel musical tradition begun anew in the 14th century under the watchful liturgical and musical eye of Thomas de Charlton, the then bishop of Hereford.
thREE ChoiRS FEStivaL SoCiEty Members’ Lunch
12.45 – 2 pm Left Bank
£30 (includes lunch, a glass of wine and coffee)
Enjoy a two-course lunch with fellow Society members, followed by an address by special guest Sir Andrew Davis.
The Three Choirs Festival Society AGM will be held today at 5.30 pm in the Powell Theatre. All Society members welcome
Puppetry Skills Workshop
Sessions at 1.30, 2.30 and 3.30 pm
Powell Theatre
£5 (ideal for ages 7+)
A 50-minute puppetry workshop teaching you how to operate and express using striking, beautiful puppets. See p 7 for more information.
In partnership with ignite cic
Clare Hammond
2.45 – 4.40 pm Holy Trinity Church
£27, £22
Clare Hammond piano
Jacquet de la Guerre Suite in G 11'
Mendelssohn The Bee’s Wedding 2' L Boulanger D’un vieux jardin; D’un jardin clair 5'
Schubert Impromptus, D899 30' Rimsky-Korsakov (arr. Rachmaninov)
Flight of the Bumblebee 2'
Debussy selection from Préludes 20' Stravinsky Petroushka Suite 16'
Dazzlingly virtuosic pianist Clare Hammond presents a programme of piano music that spans over four centuries, beginning with a suite by prodigy of the court of Louis XIV, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Favourites of the piano repertoire, Debussy’s impressionistic Préludes are complemented by sprightly bee-inspired pieces and Lili Boulanger’s evocative miniatures.
£5
Coach departs 2.15 pm, returns by approx. 5 pm
Free Organ Talk
4 – 5 pm All Saints Church
Shires Organ Pipes will give a practical demonstration on the art of pipe-making, and discuss their traditional, hand-crafted approach.
Choral Evensong
5.30 – 6.20 pm Cathedral
FREE (ticket required)
Three Cathedral Choirs
Peter Dyke organ
Geraint Bowen conductor
Tunnard Responses
Leighton Magdalen College Service
Philip Moore All wisdom cometh from the Lord
Bach Prelude and Fugue in E minor
BW v 548
Symphony of Psalms
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
See following page for more information
Bach Goldberg Variations
10.15 – 11.40 pm St Francis Xavier Church £18, £15, £10
Mahan Esfahani harpsichord
Bach Goldberg Variations BW v 988 78'
‘Everyone wants to record Bach’s Goldbergs, but not many show as much piercing insight as harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani.’
Guardian
Bac h’s fascinatingly multilayered Goldberg Variations were reputedly written for harpsichord prodigy Johann Gottlieb Goldberg to play, sending his insomniac employer off to sleep. Almost hypnotic in its endless invention, this performance by Esfahani follows his critically acclaimed recording of the work in 2017.
Supported by The Very Reverend Michael Tavinor
Mahan Esfahani © Bernhard Musil
SYMPHONY OF PSALMS
7.45 – 9.45 pm Cathedral
£50, £45, £32, £25, £15, £10
Anna Harvey mezzo soprano
Magnus Walker tenor
Timothy Ridout viola
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Adrian Partington conductor
Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin 17'
L Boulanger Psalm 130 (Du fond de l’abîme) 25'
Walton Viola Concerto 27'
Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms 21'
The sparkling dance rhythms in Ravel’s elegantly neoclassical suite belie the sombre dedication of each movement to a friend who had died in World War I. Although as a woman she was excluded from the fighting, Lili Boulanger also saw the extreme toll of war and composed the touching Psalm 130 with its dark harmonies as a heart-breaking lament to loss of hope. Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, also deeply moving, maps a journey from keening sinfulness to redemption and ferocious exaltation.
Supported by the Elmley Foundation and Pamela White
Magnus Walker © Ash Mills
Three Choirs Festival Hereford 2015 © Ash Mills
SATURDAY
4
AUGUST
Medieval Shrines
9.30 – 10.30 am Powell Theatre
£12 (including breakfast)
Medieval shrines were at the heart of faith and religion in the Middle Ages but were ruthlessly destroyed at the Reformation. Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford, explores their significance in medieval times and what they may be saying to the Church of today.
FamiLy EvEnt
Dance! Dance!
9.30 – 10.15 am Leominster Priory
£5 adults, children FREE
Ideal for babies, toddlers and siblings
Fun and interactive music sessions. See p 7 for more information.
Free Organ Talk
11 am – 12 noon All Saints Church
The last in the IBO's series of talks and demonstrations on organ building.
Three Choirs Festival
Youth Choir
11.15 am – 12.30 pm Cathedral
£35, £30, £25, £15, £10, £5
Philip Smith baritone
Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir
English Symphony Orchestra
Peter Nardone conductor
Cecilia McDowall Stabat Mater 30'
Elgar Serenade for Strings 14'
Elgar (arr. Fraser) Sea Pictures 22'
The Stabat Mater reimagines the meditations of the Virgin Mary as she stands before the Cross. This setting by Cecilia McDowall is at times contemplative and solemn, at others impassioned and emphatic. Alongside this is a choral arrangement by Donald Fraser of Elgar’s dramatic Sea Pictures, recently recorded by the ESO, who also celebrate their local connections with Elgar’s effervescent Serenade.
Supported by Mr and Mrs David Ball, Michael Guittard and Harry Prince, and the Elgar Society
Get involved!
If you're an experienced singer aged 14-25, you might like to consider joining the youth choir. Full details of what to expect and how to apply can be found at 3choirs.org/take-part
Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir
© Sally Corrick
FamiLy EvEnt
Three Stories About Home
1.30 – 2.30 pm Powell Theatre £10 adults, £5 children
Ideal for ages 4+
Producer of last weekend’s Hansel and Gretel retelling, Kate Romano returns with stories for a younger audience using shadow puppetry and music. As she narrates Three Stories of Home, a string quartet will underscore these highly engaging tales with evocative music. See p 7 for more information.
Gothic Voices: Stella Maris – Virga Jesse
2.30 – 4.15 pm Leominster Priory £27, £22, £12
Gothic Voices
For centuries the figure of Mary has deeply captivated the devotees of European religious culture. This programme, marrying music from two of Gothic Voices’ most celebrated recordings, explores this fascination through the eyes of both men and women. Ancient liturgical texts and poems illuminate Mary’s various mythical and human aspects, set to music by masters of medieval England, offset by contemporary responses to these themes on the one hand, and introduced and reflected on by the celebrated Hildegard of Bingen, writing in the 12th century, on the other.
£9
Coach departs 1.30 pm, returns by approx. 5 pm
Supported by Leominster Town Council
Gothic Voices © Eric Richmond
Hildegard of Bingen
Leominster Priory Organ Recital
5 – 6 pm Leominster Priory
£12 (unreserved)
George de Voil organ
Br uhns Praeludium in E minor 9'
Schumann Selection from Six Studies, Op. 56 15'
Bach Prelude and Fugue in G
BW v 541 8'
Reger Benedictus Op. 59 No 9 6'
Oortmerssen Nun ruhen alle Wälder 3'
Liszt Prelude and Fugue on BACH 11'
George de Voil is already making a name for himself as a talented organist and choral director, so this last in our organ recital series is sure to be a showstopper. The programme takes Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, 1693 – 2013 as its theme, in a series of intricately crafted works from across the centuries.
£9
Coach departs 4 pm, returns by approx. 6.40 pm
Supported by Father Michael Thomas
Flute, Viola and Harp Recital
5.15 – 6.30 pm St Francis Xavier Church
£15, under 26 FREE
Kristin Hammerseth flute
Henrietta Hill viola
Tomos Xerri harp
Programme to include:
Debussy Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp 16'
Sofia Gubaidulina The Garden of Joys and Sorrows 16'
Talented young Instrumental Fellows selected by the Philharmonia Orchestra perform a selection of twentieth-century repertoire for flute, viola and harp, starting with Debussy’s impressionistic trio of 1915. Setting out to write for ‘diverse instruments’, Debussy’s Trio is the first major work in this genre, but many composers since have made effective use of the distinctive yet complementary timbres of these instruments, not least Sofia Gubaidalina, whose work evokes a shimmering, suspended place of stillness.
Choral Evensong
5.30 – 6.20 pm Cathedral
FREE (ticket required)
Academia Musica
Robert Green organ
Jon Weller conductor
Rose Responses
Stanford Service in A
Bairstow Blessed City
Bach Pièce d’Orgue BW v 572
Leominster Priory
Kristin Hammerseth
BRAHMS' GERMAN REQUIEM
7.45 – 10 pm Cathedral
£55, £50, £32, £25, £15, £10
Elizabeth Watts soprano
Matthew Brook baritone
Three Choirs Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Geraint Bowen conductor
Vaughan Williams Toward the Unknown Region 14’
Parry Elegy for Brahms 11'
Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem 65'
Brahms was moved to write his German Requiem by the death of his mother. He uses a German text rather than the usual Latin one to focus on comforting the grieving and considered it a ‘human Requiem’. It is preceded in this festival finale by Parry’s richly radiant expression of admiration composed after Brahms’ own death, and Vaughan Williams’ romantically optimistic vision of the future.
Supported by the Three Choirs Foundation and the Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust
Three Choirs Festival Hereford 2015 © Ash Mills
YOUR VISIT
Festival Hub
The heart of the festival is in the Festival Hub, located in Hereford Cathedral School. A perfect place to meet up with old friends over a drink (and make a few new ones!), you’ll find the Old Deanery bar and garden, serving a selection of fine wines, cask ales and local ciders, as well as the dining room where we serve our pre-concert meals. Relax with the daily newspapers in the Quiet Room, or wander round the Sports Hall art exhibition, where there will be over 30 local artists exhibiting a wide range of styles. You can be sure of a warm welcome from our Friends of Hereford
Three Choirs Festival in the Sports Hall Café and the Zimmerman Café, serving a range of hot and cold drinks, cakes, breakfasts, lunches and suppers.
Opening Times
Bar
10 am – midnight
Dining Room 6 – 7.30 pm
Sports Hall Café 10 am – 8 pm
Zimmerman Café 9.30 am – 6 pm
Quiet Room 10 am – 8 pm
Pre-concert Dining
You can pre-book a two-course sitdown dinner, served in the Hereford Cathedral School Dining Hall, at 6pm each evening of the festival. Priced at £25 per person, all menus include a choice of dessert, cheese, a glass of wine, and tea or coffee. Special dietary requirements can be catered for, but please inform the ticket office at the time of booking.
Pre-concert Dinner Menu
Saturday 28 July
• Turkey escalope with a lemon and honey jus
• Butternut squash and quinoa roulade (v)
Sunday 29 July
• Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding
• Lentil roast with an apple glaze (v)
Monday 30 July
• Spanish-style chicken and chorizo stew with rice
• Vegetarian paella (v)
Tuesday 31 July
• Fillet of Scottish salmon with hollandaise sauce
• Vegetarian moussaka (v)
Wednesday 1 August
• Boeuf bourguignon
• Mushroom bourguignon (v)
Thursday 2 August
• Chicken tikka masala, pilau rice and naan bread
• Chickpea and spinach balti, pilau rice and naan bread (v)
Friday 3 August
• Breaded cod, chips and mushy peas
• Glamorgan sausage and chips (v)
Saturday 4 August
• Beef lasagne, garlic bread and mixed leaves
• Tomato and mozzarella ravioli, garlic bread and mixed leaves (v)
© Ash Mills
School House
Open daily 10 am – 7.45 pm
The information hub of the festival site, you’ll find the ticket office, information point and shop in School House. Our friendly staff and volunteers are on hand to offer practical information and local knowledge and can point you in the right direction. While you’re picking up your tickets, browse books, CDs and a range of items to take home as a souvenir of the festival.
Hereford Guild of Guides Walking Tours
Musical Walking Tours
Monday 30 July – Friday 3 August
10.45 am – 12 noon daily
£5, meet at the Elgar statue in the cathedral close
Discover Elgar’s links to the city of Hereford, and to the Three Choirs Festival.
Historic Hereford
Monday 30 July – Saturday 4 August
11.30 am – 1 pm daily
Sunday 29 July 2.30 – 4 pm
£5, meet at the west front of the cathedral
An introduction to this ancient border city and some of its famous residents.
Designer Crafts Exhibition
Open daily 10 am – 7.30 pm
The Herefordshire Guild of Craftsmen will be exhibiting at the Left Bank for the duration of the festival joined by guests who share a passion and excellence in their chosen craft. Exhibiting unique pieces in wood, glass, textiles, ceramics, leather, resin and art, several members will be working on current projects during the week: further details will be on the festival's website. Situated on the first floor (lift access), the selling exhibition will be open 9.30 am – 7.30 pm daily with a Prosecco bar, a terrace and a view over the river to rest and revive.
Organ Exhibition
Open daily 10 am – 6 pm
Members of The Institute of British Organ Building will be exhibiting in the side chapel at All Saints Church, with contributors including Mander Organs, Penny’s Mill, Harrison & Harrison, Richard Bower and Vincent Woodstock. They will also present a series of free talks throughout the week –brief information can be found in the event pages in this brochure, and full details will be available on our website and in the programme.
Crafts from the Herefordshire Guild of Craftsmen
The Elgar statue at Hereford Cathedral © Ash Mills
minutes
Hereford City Venues
Full details of seating areas and venue accessibility can be found online at 3choirs.org/your-visit
See p 34–35 for details of facilities
Coaches to outlying venues will collect from and return to Broad Street.
1. Hereford Cathedral hR1 2nG 2. Hereford Cathedral School hR1 2nG
3. Bishop’s Palace & Gardens hR1 2nG
Left Bank hR4 9DG
St Francis Xavier Church hR4 9
All Saints Church hR4 9aa
Hereford Shire Hall hR1 2hP
Holy Trinity Church hR4 oDU
Belmont Abbey hR2 9RZ
10. Leominster Priory hR6 8nh 11. Tomkins Theatre hR4 0DU 12. St John’s Methodist Church hR1 2PR
BOOKING INFORMATION
How to book
Online: 3choirs.org
By Phone: 01452 768 928
(local rate from a UK landline) Monday to Friday 10 am – 4 pm
In person: from Monday 23 July, School House, Hereford Cathedral School hR1 2nG
Monday 23 – 10 am – 4 pm
Thursday 26 July
Friday 27 July 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday 28 July – 10 am – 7.45 pm
Saturday 4 August
Booking Opens
Gold and Life Members
10am, Wednesday 4 April
Standard Members 10am, Monday 9 April
Public Booking 10am, Monday 23 April
Why not become a member?
Starting at £40, you’ll get access to priority booking and exclusive events and benefits. Visit 3choirs.org/ membership or call our ticket office for more information.
Booking Fees and Dispatch
A £2.50 booking fee applies to each order, plus 50p for postage (alternatively, you can collect your tickets at the festival or print them at home).
You should receive tickets sent by post within two weeks of placing your order. Tickets held at the box office for events in the cathedral will remain at the box office, while tickets for non-cathedral events will be taken to the door of the venue one hour before the event.
Multi-event Discount
7–10 events 5% discount 11 or more events 10% discount
Discount applies to all price bands but does not apply to additional seats, and free events do not count towards your event total.
Festival Firsts
If you’re a first-time festival-goer and live locally, you can get free tickets! Please contact our friendly ticket office team for more information and to book your tickets. If you’re a regular Three Choirs Festival attendee, we’d love you to help us share the experience with new people. When you complete your booking, you’ll be invited to donate: we’d like to suggest the cost of a single seat, but you’re welcome to give more or less. Please consider sharing your love of the festival and help grow our audiences.
© Ash Mills
Cathedral Rehearsals
Access to rehearsals is free of charge to Society members, young people under 26 (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult), benefit recipients, and senior citizens (proof of eligibility should be shown on the door). Anyone wishing to attend rehearsals who does not qualify for free entry may purchase a one-day rehearsal pass for £5, subject to availability.
Details of rehearsal times and any restrictions will be available 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:
Saturday 28 July (p 8) Trio Dali
Tuesday 31 July (p 18) Gould Piano Trio
Wednesday 1 August (p 21) The Singing Violin
Saturday 4 August (p 32) Flute, Viola and Harp Recital
SHYPP
The festival’s nominated charity for 2018 is the Supported Housing for Young People Project (SHYPP), who provide housing, training and employment opportunities for young people across Herefordshire. The festival is working in partnership with SHYPP and Encore, the Herefordshire Music Hub to present an event on Sunday 29 July (see p 11 for details).
Accessibility
We welcome all visitors to the festival and will be happy to help with access requirements wherever possible. A separate fact sheet is available, giving full details of access to all venues.
Please contact the ticket office at the time of booking if you have particular access requirements, and note that not all seats can be removed for wheelchairs. A very limited number of car parking spaces is available for disabled drivers with a blue badge, and these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
For detailed information, please visit 3choirs.org/your-visit
Souvenir Programme Book
This beautifully-produced publication contains full details of every concert alongside song texts, notes, articles and much, much more – a great memento of your visit. Pre-order your copy for a reduced price of £15 (£17 at the festival), and you can opt to receive an electronic preview copy to browse before the festival, or pick it up from the ticket office.
Gould Piano Trio
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is a world-class symphony orchestra for the 21st century, led by Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen.
The Orchestra’s home is Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London, where it presents over 50 performances each year. Six other residencies across the UK bring the Philharmonia to a wide national audience. Internationally, the Philharmonia is active across Europe, Asia and the USA.
The Philharmonia was founded in 1945. It has been self-governing since 1964 and is owned by its 80 members. Salonen has been Principal Conductor since 2008. Jakub Hrůša and Santtu-Matias Rouvali are Principal Guest Conductors and honorary conductor positions are held by Christoph von Dohnányi and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
The Philharmonia’s Principal International Partner is Wuliangye.
Philharmonia Orchestra © Ash Mills
Seating Plans
You can view seating plans and select your own seat for all reserved venues by booking online. Please note that Zone B seats are likely to have small areas of the stage obscured. Seats in Zone C will have a restricted view of the stage.
In the cathedral, Zones D, E and F have no view of the stage, but a TV relay system is in place for those seated in Zones C, D, E and F. No audio enhancement is in place in any part of the cathedral.
Plinth
South Transept
North Transept
Plinth
Stage
St John’s Door
Quire Stalls
North Door
Hereford Cathedral
Entrance
Leominster Priory
Shire Hall
Nave
Nave
Sponsors and Supporters
The Three Choirs Festival is grateful to the following organisations and individuals for their generous support:
Corporate
Public Bodies
Three Choirs Festival Friends Organisations
Trusts and Foundations
CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust ⋅ Hawthorne Charitable Trust
The Perry Family Charitable Trust ⋅ The Music Reprieval Trust Friends of Hereford Cathedral
Individual Supporters
Chairman’s Circle
Media Partner
Richard Arenschieldt ⋅ Mr and Mrs David Ball ⋅ Joanna Brickell
Michael Guittard and Harry Prince ⋅ Richard Hall ⋅ Terry and Penny Moore
Katharine O’Carroll and Robert and Sherill Atkins ⋅ Carolyn Pascall
The Very Reverend Michael Tavinor ⋅ Father Michael Thomas
Katharine Wedgbury ⋅ Pamela White ⋅ The Estate of Michael Morris
Thank you to the Postcode Lottery and everyone who donated to the 2017 Big Give Christmas Challenge in support of the Festival Chorus.
Richard Hall ⋅ William and Fiona Hanks ⋅ Glyn Morgan ⋅ Sir Roy Strong Father Michael Thomas ⋅ Clare Wichbold ⋅ Jeremy Wilding and Sue Vaughan
There are a number of ways in which you can support the work of Three Choirs Festival. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Genie Dyke: genie.dyke@3choirs.org
Compline
Lay Clerks in Concert
The Planets
King Olaf
Evensong
Evensong
Wulstan Atkins Lecture
Trio Dali
IBO Talk
Hansel & Gretel
Drumming Workshop
Never Failed Me Yet
IBO Talk
Tenebrae
Carousel Duo
Twelfth Night
Drama Workshop
James Gilchrist
Opening Service
JULY ● IBO Talk
Kit Downes
The Baronet and the Playboy
Monteverdi Vespers
Hymn of Praise
Heckelphone for Hereford
John Maine
Garden Party
The Singing Violin
Gould Trio
Automata Workshop
Evensong
IBO Talk
Magnard Ensemble
Elgar Society Lecture
100 Years On
Society Outing
Organ Recital
The Winter’s Tale
Ruby Hughes
30 JULY
Alive & Brel 29 JULY ● Festival Eucharist
31 JULY ● Celebrity Organ Recital
FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
1 AUGUST ● Hereford’s Curious Map ● IBO Talk
Liam Dunachie 2 AUGUST
Pioneers of Percussion
Parry Tribute
Evensong
Mahler and Bernstein
The Winter’s Tale
IBO Talk
Lilliput Duo
Parry and the Suffragettes
Parry’s Personality
Compline 3 AUGUST ● Hereford Bishops
Goldberg Variations
Symphony of Psalms
German Requiem
Evensong
IBO Talk
Clare Hammond
Puppetry Workshop
Evensong
Young Artists Recital
Organ Recital
Organ Recital
Gothic Voices
Society Lunch
Binchois Consort
Three Stories of Home
Youth Choir
IBO Talk
Lilliput Duo
Medieval Shrines
AUGUST