This year’s Three Choirs Festival, which takes place in the English city of Hereford from 23 – 30 July, is marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of celebrated British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Three Choirs Festival 2022, Hereford Cathedral © Three Choirs Festival

The Three Choirs Festival is the oldest continuously running classical music festival in the world, dating back to 1715. Rotating between the three glorious cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester, the 294th festival is taking place in Hereford this year.

Born in Gloucestershire, Ralph Vaughan Williams is perhaps best known for his sublime single-movement work, The Lark Ascending, which is frequently voted Britain’s most popular classical music piece. In 2011, in a radio poll of New Yorkers for preferences of music to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, The Lark Ascending ranked second.

Three Choirs Festival 2022, Hereford Cathedral © Three Choirs Festival

Vaughan Williams is closely associated with the Three Choirs Festival, which in his lifetime hosted no fewer than nine premières of his work, including the magnificent Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. With over 25 events and projects celebrating the 150th anniversary, the counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire will all see activities reflecting the enduring popularity of Vaughan Williams’ music.

This year’s Three Choirs Festival was due to take place in Gloucester until Covid struck, cancelling the 2020 festival, and postponing Gloucester’s turn to host until 2023. Certain that Gloucester’s importance to Vaughan Williams should be recognised, even a year late, organisers retained their original planning and instead connected the 2022 and 2023 festivals, celebrating the composer’s works at both events.

Three Choirs Festival 2022, Hereford © Three Choirs Festival

With the addition of some exciting new projects in the intervening months, the festival has created its own ‘year of Vaughan Williams’ as a contribution to the national celebrations. As well as performances of his work, the festival will include talks, walks and an ambitious community project featuring new music from composer Liz Lane, inspired by Vaughan Williams’ own work.

Chief Executive, Alexis Paterson, said: “We’re very excited that some major growth in our activity coincides with this important anniversary. Our plans through to the summer of 2023 will see more people than ever being given extraordinary opportunities to sing and make music with the festival thanks to new and expanded creative partnerships. It’s great to be undertaking this work while celebrating a composer whose music is loved by so many.”

Three Choirs Festival 2022, Hereford © Three Choirs Festival

Herefordshire was ranked as the fourth best place to visit in the UK by Condé Nast Traveller in 2021. Once considered the county that time forgot, with its sleepy villages, ancient orchards and sweeping farmland, the Black & White Village Trail tourist route is the perfect way to explore the timeless English past. The county town of Hereford, with its ancient cathedral containing the world’s largest medieval map and a historic chain library, is a must-see on a heritage tour of the UK, and the Forest of Dean, with its romantic views of the River Wye, is incomparable.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a Culture Tour of the UK and Ireland, perhaps including a visit to the Three Choirs Festival in 2023 or beyond, please do contact our friendly team today. We have many years' experience organising concert and opera tours, which are very popular.