All welcome at Evensong ahead of festival highlight

A special Evensong celebration will take place ahead of a concert at Worcester Cathedral, as part of this year’s Elgar Festival.

The Evensong event will take place on Saturday 30 May at 5.30pm, ahead of the festival’s Gala Concert later that evening.

The programme will include ‘Festival Responses’ by David Briggs, ‘Canticles’ by Paviour in G and ‘Anthem I Saw the Lord’ by Stainer.  The performers will be Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir, directed by Stephen Shellard.

Kenneth Woods, Artistic Director of the Elgar Festival said : “This year’s choice of music represents some of the best compositions written for Cathedral music.  International concert organist David Briggs’ responses were commissioned by the Cathedral Chamber Choir for the 3 Choirs Festival in 2014 and Australian/English composer Paul Paviour’s canticles were recorded by the choir for a complete cd of his works on Regent Records. There is also Sir John Stainer’s monumental anthem ‘I Saw the Lord.’”

The 2026 Elgar Festival event takes place between Saturday 23 until Sunday 31 May.

Stephen Shellard comes from Dublin. He began his musical career as a Chorister in the choir of St Bartholomew’s Church, Ballsbridge, later moving to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where he became Head Chorister and Winstanley Scholar. He continued his musical education at Trinity College Dublin, during which time he became the youngest ever Alto Lay Vicar Choral in the 800-year history of St. Patrick’s. After completing his BA at Trinity College in 1990, Stephen moved to join Worcester Cathedral Choir as an Alto Lay Clerk, and later became the Senior Lay Clerk. In February 2023, he stepped down from this role after 32 years’ service, in order to focus more fully on his conducting career. 

The festival – which was launched in 2018 – was established by decree of Worcester City Council and is traditionally held on the weekend closest to Elgar’s birthday, 2 June 1857.

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.

Set in the composer’s hometown and surrounding areas 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.

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.