One of England's most revered composers, Sir Edward Elgar, and his musical legacy is celebrated at the annual Elgar Festival, which takes place in the heart of ‘Elgar Country’ – Worcester and Malvern – across the week closest to his birthday on 2 June, and held at a number of integral venues of both historic interest and personal significance to the composer including Worcester Cathedral and Guildhall, and Great Malvern Priory. This year the dates are 24 May – 1 June.
The Elgar Festival is established as a major event in the national festival calendar. Lauded as Critic’s Pick in The Guardian in 2018 and featured as one of the top 20 Jubilee events in 2022, the event offers a wide programme combining concerts of popular repertoire and new commissions performed by internationally recognised guest artists as well as the cream of the region’s musicians, plus talks, masterclasses, workshops, film screenings, relaxed and family-friendly events – plenty of participatory events for budding young musicians!
Amongst highlights this year are symphonic and ensemble concerts given by the Elgar Festival’s orchestra-in-residence – the English Symphony Orchestra (ESO) – under Principal Conductor and Festival Artistic Director, Kenneth Woods. The Festival Gala Concert in Worcester Cathedral features performances of Elgar’s Symphony no.2 and John Ireland’s oratorio ‘These Things Shall Be’, when the ESO is joined by the Festival Chorus and baritone soloist Gareth Brynmor John. Other world-renowned guest artists taking part in the Festival include Raphael Wallfisch, April Fredrick, Simon Callaghan and David Briggs.
Ian Venables is celebrated as Featured Composer, in this his 70th year, with a number of concerts featuring his works and a Q&A with the composer himself hosted by Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes, providing the perfect opportunity to meet 'Britain's greatest living composer of Art Songs' and to hear some of his chamber music.
British composers have been at the forefront in writing some of the world’s most beautiful and accomplished music for strings throughout the 20th century and perhaps no other orchestra has done more to champion the tradition of British music for strings as the English String Orchestra. Always highly anticipated, this year’s concert, on 30 May, features award-winning viola soloist Rosalind Ventris and programmes works by Elgar, Peter Fribbins and Ian Venables, concluding with William Walton’s thrilling Sonata for Strings, arranged from his String Quartet no. 2.
The Elgar Festival is delighted to be welcoming esteemed organ virtuoso, David Briggs, who can be heard performing the organ arrangement of Elgar’s Symphony no.1, alongside a work by Ian Venables dedicated to composer Herbert Howells. The abundance and variety of choral and song repertoire, meanwhile, is showcased by the region’s well-loved ensembles. Cellist Raphael Wallfisch and pianist Simon Callaghan bring the Festival to a close, on 1 June, with intimate works by British composers Kenneth Leighton and Ian Venables alongside John Ireland’s powerfully intense Cello Sonata and Elgar’s Violin Sonata in the arrangement for cello and piano by Donald Fraser.
Further information is provided on the website including details of where concerts take place and links to ticket sales.
Photo: Michael Whitefoot
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