ORGANISERS of the annual celebration of the life and music of Worcestershire’s most famous composer are counting down the weeks until the spring event.
The Elgar Festival between May 24 and June 1 – 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.
Kenneth Woods, Artistic Director of The Elgar Festival said: “We are just weeks away, a weekend of the best of British music, played in the heart of Elgar country.
“The 2025 Elgar Festival promises to be a once in a lifetime celebration. We look forward to welcoming you.
“There’s nothing like that mixture of excitement and expectation just before a festival starts; the many long months of planning, preparing, fundraising and organising can sometimes seem to go on forever, and then, all of the sudden, it’s time for a party on a grand scale.
“This is going to be our grandest, and most fun, party yet – a birthday soirée in honour of Sir Edward Elgar for the ages.”
Themed ‘Celebrate with Elgar’, 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.
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 and world renowned English Symphony Orchestra.
Highlights this year include local orchestras and choirs as well as more regional performers and even world renowned musicians and composers.
There are several free events, relaxed concerts, an exhibition, choral events, a film screening, Q and As, a guided walk and a new performance partnership with students from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Since it began the festival has doubled in size and scale and championed Sir Edward to as wide an audience as possible whilst working with hundreds of both internationally renowned professional artists and amateur musicians and performers of all ages.
Visit www.elgarfestival.org for more information.
