Event Description
Building on the success of previous years, the 2025 Festival themed ‘Celebrate with Elgar’ will run from Wednesday 24 May to Sunday 1 June and promises 12 days packed with 25 events that do just that. We’ll celebrate great music-making, our natural environment, young musicians, diversity, the music of today as well as music of the past, historic buildings, community and participation.
Highlights include Elgar’s Symphony No. 2 and John Ireland’s thrilling oratorio ‘These Things Shall Be’ performed by world-renowned English Symphony Orchestra and joined by the 2025 festival chorus on Saturday 31 May in Worcester Cathedral, conducted by Kenneth Woods. Recitals by Raphael Wallfisch, David Briggs and April Fredrick, several participatory events including ‘Come and Play Elgar 1’ and a Young Singers Masterclass. The ever-popular family concert returns hosted by Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes and we celebrate the work and 70th birthday of Worcester’s finest living composer Ian Venables. There are several free events, relaxed concerts, choral events, a film screening, Q and As, a guided walk, a new performance partnership with students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, performances by English String and Chamber Orchestras and a ’70s fusion Club Elgar. Our mission is to ensure that Elgar really is for everyone!
Photograph © Michael Whitefoot
