Community participation has been at the heart of the Three Choirs Festival for over 300 years, and is most clearly demonstrated through our Festival Chorus. Every year amateur volunteer singers from Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester come together, freely giving their time and musical know-how.
Our biggest challenges today are attracting new audiences and getting people from the local community to feel involved when the festival is held in each city. We are sometimes mistaken for a religious festival as we primarily use the cathedrals and local churches as concert venues. There is also a stigma attached to classical music which can be an intimidating prospect for many people who view it as highbrow or elitist. However, participation in singing can overcome many of these barriers!
The origins of the Three Choirs Festival lie in the relationship between the three cathedral choirs of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester. The Festival Chorus is made up of volunteer amateur singers who perform alongside the cathedral choirs, but also sing with international soloists and a professional orchestra, The Philharmonia. We will encourage local people to audition for the chorus so they can participate in concerts during festival week and experience the thrill of performing.