Local choir named after Elgar to return to this year’s festival

An ever popular local choir will return to this year’s Elgar Festival.

The Elgar Chorale will present a varied programme of works by Coleridge-Taylor, Thea Musgrave and including Elgar’s ‘So many true princesses’ on Saturday 30 May at 11.00am at St Martin in the Cornmarket in Worcester.

Kenneth Woods, Artistic Director of the Elgar Festival explained: “Always a festival favourite, we are delighted to welcome back the Elgar Chorale this year, under the directorship of Piers Maxim for what is set to be an exhilarating morning.”

Tickets cost £12.

The Elgar Chorale is a mixed voice choir of up to 40 singers, many of whom are professional musicians; it runs a busy programme of concerts and plays leading roles in some of the region’s premier music festivals, including at the Three Choirs Festival and further afield in Germany, France and South Africa.

Piers was appointed Director of Music of the Elgar Chorale in January 2015.  Piers began his musical career singing as a boy chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, London. An organist since his teens, he was Organ Scholar at his school, Christ’s Hospital. He continued to play during his time at Wells Cathedral and as a Choral Scholar at Clare College, Cambridge. After graduating, he continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.  Piers is currently Organist and Director of Music of Malvern Priory and Conductor of EC4 Orchestra based in London. He teaches piano and singing at schools in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

Set in the composer’s hometown and surrounding areas over the week closest to Elgar’s birthday on 2^nd June – this year’s festival will take place from Saturday 23 May until Sunday 31 May – the festival is an annual celebration of Elgar’s music spanning symphonic and string orchestra concerts by the resident English Symphony Orchestra, along with chamber concerts, choral concerts, recitals, workshops, masterclasses, street performances, a young composers competition, exhibits, tours and talks.

Since its inauguration in 2018, when it was a Critic’s Pick in both The Guardian and The Times, the festival has doubled in size and scale and continues to grow annually through an innovative development programme of appealing and accessible events, working with hundreds of both internationally renowned professional artists and amateur musicians and performers of all ages to ensure Elgar really is for everyone.

The music of the festival’s namesake will be the centrepiece of a busy programme of 27 events across 15 different venues with 3 pre-festival events including the relaxed concerts. The full breadth of Elgar’s work will be showcased, including songs, miniatures, chamber music and choral anthems alongside his most beloved orchestral masterpieces.

This year’s festival will bring together world-class professional musicians and artists alongside local choirs and ensembles placing the music of Worcester’s most famous son alongside that of his contemporaries and some of today’s leading composers and arrangers.

For a full list of events, costs and booking information, please visit www.elgarfestival.org