Three Choirs Pageant at Gloucester in 2026

Three Choirs Pageant at Gloucester Cathedral (Picture: Michael Whitefoot)

The Three Choirs Pageant, this 12 months at Gloucester, takes place from 25 July to 1 August 2026, curated by Adrian Partington who’s director of music at Gloucester Cathedral.

2026 is the seventy fifth anniversary of the Elgar Society in order that the music of Elgar is a renewed focus for the pageant. Adrian Partington conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in Elgar’s Symphony No. 1, Cockaigne Overture,  Martin Brabbins conducts Roderick Williams (!) and the Philharmonia in Sea Photos, and the pageant concludes with Adrian Partington conducting The Dream of Gerontius with John Findon, Niamh O’Sullivan, David Eire and the Three Choirs Pageant Refrain.

Gloucester Cathedral has a brand new organ, 54 years after the earlier one was put in.  Nicholson & Co. Ltd are renewing and rebuilding the instrument, all throughout the historic organ case which was initially constructed in 1666 by Thomas Harris. It’s the
solely full seventeenth century cathedral organ case surviving on this
nation. To have a good time, Katelyn Emerson is the soloist in Poulenc’s Organ Concerto and Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass in a live performance carried out by Adrian Partington and that includes soprano Rachel Nicholls, contralto Hilary Summers, tenor Gwyn Hughes and bass Ashley Riches. And there might be an organ recital from Thomas Ospital, organist of St Eustache in Paris .

Gloucester-born Gavin Higgins, is the Pageant’s inaugural Affiliate Composer, and Higgins premieres a brand new setting of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, sung by the three cathedral choirs and broadcast stay on BBC Radio 3.  Different works of his throughout the Pageant embody the UK premiere of Fanfare Americana, for orchestra, and City Fairy Tales performed by pianist Misha Kaploukhii. Different up to date composers on the pageant embody Cecilia McDowall, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, and Judith Weir.

Giant choral works embody Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Beethoven’s Mass in C, and Mozart’s Requiem with the Three Choirs Pageant Refrain, Monteverdi’s Vespers from La Serenissima and the three Cathedral Choirs, and Rachmaninov’s Vespers with Jeffrey Skidmore conducting Ex Cathedral. 

Adrian Partington can also be conducting a Come and Sing Mozart Requiem occasion, together with a come and sing a full cathedral Evensong, whereas the Gloucestershire Academy of Music collaborates with younger musicians and neighborhood choirs in a live performance exploring music and wellbeing. Free providers, open rehearsals, and accessible household occasions make sure that the Pageant continues to welcome audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Full particulars from the Three Choirs Pageant web site.