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Three Choirs Festival 2025: A Celebration of Choral Masterpieces

The 2025 Three Choirs Festival promises a captivating exploration of choral music's grandeur and emotional depth. Held at the historic Hereford Cathedral, the festival features an eclectic lineup, from William Mathias's exuberant 'This Worlde’s Joie' to Mendelssohn's dramatic 'Elijah.' Audiences will be treated to performances by acclaimed artists like Eleanor Dennis and Geraint Bowen, with works by Dvořák and Howells adding to the festival's rich tapestry. Join us as we delve into each event's unique offerings and the timeless beauty of choral compositions.

May 23, 2025

1. Three Choirs Festival: This Worlde’s Joie

We return to our residency at the Three Choirs Festival for the opening weekend of the 2025 festival in Hereford. Mathias’s glorious This Worlde’s Joie is the highlight of this year’s opening evening concert. Joyful and exuberant, this colourful work, full of uplifting voices and chiming bells, is paired with Dvořák’s Te Deum, an electrifying and ecstatic hymn of praise.

Jul 26, 2025

Philharmonia Orchestra

Hereford · Hereford Cathedral

2. Three Choirs Festival: Howells’s Hymnus Paradisi

A little piece of heaven and one of the greatest English choral pieces ever composed. Written as an outpouring of grief after the death of his nine-year-old son, the heartbreakingly beautiful Hymnus Paradisi gives a deeply personal voice to Howells’s pain.

Jul 30, 2025

Philharmonia Orchestra

Hereford · Hereford Cathedral

3. Three Choirs Festival: The Atonement

Discover Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s stirring masterpiece The Atonement in a celebration of his 150th anniversary year. Commissioned by the Three Choirs Festival, with the 1903 premiere conducted by the composer himself and a libretto by local writer Alice Parsons, this is an opportunity to hear a rarely performed gem with its lush, sweeping melodies and majestic grandeur.

Jul 31, 2025

Philharmonia Orchestra

Hereford · Hereford Cathedral

4. Three Choirs Festival: Mendelssohn’s Elijah

We close this year’s Three Choirs Festival with Mendelssohn’s masterpiece, Elijah. A breathtaking oratorio and epic drama of biblical proportions, prepare to be blown away by the full forces of the Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The story of the prophet Elijah is brought to life through majestic choruses, beautiful solo arias, and dramatic orchestral passages, building to a fiery climax with Elijah’s ascent to heaven in a flaming chariot.

Aug 2, 2025

Philharmonia Orchestra

Hereford · Hereford Cathedral

Conclusion

The 2025 Three Choirs Festival at Hereford Cathedral stands as a testament to the profound and enduring impact of choral music. Through the works of Mathias, Howells, Coleridge-Taylor, and Mendelssohn, the festival offers a rich tapestry of emotion, from joy and praise to heartache and redemption. As the final notes of Mendelssohn's 'Elijah' fade, we are reminded of the timeless power of music to move and inspire. Whether a devoted fan or new to this genre, the festival invites everyone to experience the transformative beauty of choral masterpieces.

2025 Artelize••