Classical Music in the Three Counties
Classical music has a special relationship with this part of the country where the beauty of the landscape seems to have translated itself into melody.
Across Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, concerts take place in cathedrals, historic houses and ancient churches - different in size, scale and tone but all fitting backdrops to present their musical programmes.
Elgar Country
This is Elgar country. Edward Elgar lived, walked and composed here, drawing deep inspiration from the Malvern Hills and their sense of space, solitude and reflection, so that his music feels inseparable from the landscape.
A visit to the Elgar Birthplace Museum, just outside Worcester, is a moving insight into his early life. Set in the modest cottage where he was born, it reveals how a composer of international stature emerged from very ordinary beginnings - and underlines how deeply rooted he remained in this area throughout his life.
The Three Choirs Festival
The longest standing classical music festival in the world, the Three Choirs Festival rotates each summer between the great cathedrals of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester.
The programme focuses on choral and orchestral works of all types from classics to contemporary commissions, performed in vast resonant spaces built for music of this scale, where it has been performed for generations.
Elgar’s works often feature, and hearing them here - where he had strong personal and creative connections - adds an extra dimension
Hellens Manor
Intimate concerts in an historic house
Music at Hellens Manor, one of the oldest houses in England, takes place on a smaller scale. Think chamber music in historic rooms or outside on a summer’s day.
The atmosphere tends to be relaxed with the marvellous surroundings playing a large part in the enjoyment of the whole event.
Great Malvern Priory
Candlelit peace and soaring sound
Great Malvern Priory, with magnificent stained glass and generous acoustics, oozes atmosphere and regularly hosts concerts of all types of classical music, often including Elgar in the programme because of his personal connection to the Priory
Smaller churches and hidden recitals
Beyond the headline venues, many small parish churches across the Three Counties host occasional classical concerts: string quartets, visiting choirs, solo instrumentalists.
These events can be an unexpected revelation.
Cheltenham Music Festival
Varied and elegant, Cheltenham Music Festival is a veritable smorgasbord of classical music staged in and around this elegant Regency town.
This annual event combines contemporary pieces and emerging talent with famous performers and familiar compositions.
