Worcester Festival Choral Society (WFCS) is an independent, SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) choir of around 150 amateur singers that presents classical choral concerts at Worcester Cathedral, Worcester. The conductor is Samuel Hudson (Worcester Cathedral’s Director of Music) and the accompanist is Alexander Robson (Worcester Cathedral’s Assistant Director of Music). The Chairman is Susan White. The President is The Lord Bishop of Worcester and Senior Vice President is The Dean of Worcester.

Choir Worcester Festival Choral Society was founded in 1861 and has performed classical choral music in the City of Worcester ever since. Initially staging its concerts in Worcester’s former Music Hall (later known as the Public Hall; now demolished), most of the Society’s concerts since 1930 have taken place in Worcester Cathedral. To date the Society performed more than 350 concerts. It has also staged several choral premieres, been recorded, performed in other UK cities and hosted conductors such as Sir Edward Elgar.

The Society’s current concert orchestra is the Meridian Sinfonia, which has played at WFCS concerts since 2013. Each concert is also supported by professional soloists.

Directors of Music

+ Conductor Years William Done 1861 - 1868 & 1888-1889 Hugh Blair 1889 - 1897 Ivor Atkins 1897 - 1950 David Willcocks 1950 - 1957 Douglas Guest 1957 - 1963 Christopher Robinson 1963 - 1974 Donald Hunt 1975 - 1997 Adrian Lucas 1997 - 2012 Peter Nardone 2012 - 2018 Christopher Allsop 2018 - 2019 Samuel Hudson 2019 -

History Worcester Festival Choral Society was first established in 1861. Its aims were to cultivate choral music, and to provide singers to the Three Choirs Festival Chorus. These aims are still part of its objectives today.

The Society had close links with composer Sir Edward Elgar in the 1890s. At that time Elgar, who lived in Worcester, was a musician and not yet famous for composing music. Worcester Festival Choral Society had its own informal orchestral Band, and in the 1890s violinist Elgar became its leader. Several other musician members of his family also played in the WFCS Band.As Elgar’s reputation grew, WFCS performed several of his choral works at its concerts, conducted by the composer. Elgar also wrote two choral works that were given their world premiere by Worcester Festival Choral Society, which he also conducted: The Black Knight (1892) and Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands (1895) . Two WFCS conductors of that era were also close friends of Edward Elgar, and have music dedicated to them: his cantata The Black Knight was dedicated to Hugh Blair; and the Third Pomp and Circumstance March (1904) was dedicated to Ivor Atkins. . Other composers and conductors to have guest-conducted Worcester Festival Choral Society concerts over its history include Hubert Parry, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Walford Davies, Charles Villiers Stanford, Vernon Handley, Jonathan Willcocks and Sir Adrian Boult.

Worcester Festival Choral Society presents choral works written for SATB chorus, orchestra and soloists. Amongst the more traditional works performed are requiems, masses and oratorios by composers such as Mozart, Bach, Verdi, Haydn, Handel and Brahms. The choir also performs many late 19th/early 20th century choral pieces by composers such as Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Poulenc, Fauré and Britten; and later works by living composers including Morten Lauridsen, Jonathan Willcocks and Jonathan Dove.

In addition to its own concerts, Worcester Festival Choral Society’s appearances around the UK have included the King's Lynn festival and two Elgar Festivals at the Royal Albert Hall in the 1970s; Elgar concerts at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall with the BBC Singers and Chorus in the early 1990s; and a performance of Britten's War Requiem at Symphony Hall with the CBSO and City of Birmingham Chorus in 2004. Many of its singers also took part in a Three Choirs Festival 300th anniversary performance that was given to The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace in 2015. The following year, one of WFCS’s past Directors of Music, Sir David Willcocks, died. As a tribute, Worcester Festival Choral Society joined Worcester Cathedral Choir to create a music CD featuring many of the Christmas carol arrangements for which David Willcocks was famous, and it briefly entered the UK’s classical music charts.

The Society has commissioned two pieces from its conductors: A Song of Celebration composed by Dr Donald Hunt in 1995 (marking English Music Year); and Creation Canticles, by Adrian Lucas, in 2004.

For its 150th season in 2011, the Worcester Festival Choral Society performed Belshazzar’s Feast by Walton held a black tie dinner in Worcester’s Guildhall, which the four living Directors of Music (Sir David Willcocks, Dr Christopher Robinson, Dr Donald Hunt and Adrian Lucas) attended.

Performances Premieres +DateComposerCompositionDetails18 April 1893Edward ElgarThe Black KnightWorld Premiere conducted by the composer 4 Dec 1884Hugh BlairAdvent CantataWorld Premiere conducted by the composer 25 Nov 1901Horatio ParkerCome Away!World Premiere conducted by the composer 21 April 1896Edward Elgar Scenes from the Bavarian HighlandsWorld Premiere conducted by the composer 12 Feb 1929Alexander Brent-SmithChoral DancesWorld Premiere attended by Edward Elgar22 March 1980Edwin RoxburghThe RockWorld Premiere attended by the composer14 Oct 1995Donald HuntA song of celebrationWorld Premiere conducted by the composer27 March 2004Adrian LucasCreation CanticlesWorld Premiere conducted by the composer

Music conducted or attended by the composer

+DateComposerCompositionDetails14 April 1891Hubert ParryJudithConducted by the composer with Edward Elgar leading the orchestra4 May 1897Edward ElgarImperial March & Scenes from the Saga of King OlafConducted by the composer3 May 1900Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Hiawatha's Wedding Feast & The death of Minnehaha Conducted by the composer14 Jan 1901Edward ElgarSerenade for StringsConducted by the composer6 Feb 1902 Henry Walford DaviesThree Jovial HuntsmenConducted by the composer24 Feb 1903Edward ElgarCoronation OdeConducted by the composer9 Nov 1904Edward ElgarCaractacusConducted by the composer21 Feb 1905Charles Lee WilliamsFestival HymnConducted by the composer6 Dec 1905 Henry Walford DaviesThree Jovial HuntsmenConducted by the composer6 Dec 1905Hugh BlairTrafalgarConducted by the composer28 Nov 1906Ivor AtkinsHymn of FaithConducted by the composer19 Feb 1908Charles Villiers StanfordSongs of the SeaConducted by the composer1 Apr 1913Edward ElgarSerenade for StringsConducted by the composer15 March 1917Edward ElgarFor the FallenHelping to lead the WW1 memorial service in Worcester Cathedral in aid of the Worcester Red Cross War Depot Fund. Conducted by the composer.13 March 1928Edward ElgarDream of GerontiusPerforming Elgar's great choral work for the first time. Attended by the composer02 Dec 1930Edward ElgarSerenade for Strings Conducted by the composer25 July 1981David FanshaweAfrican Sanctus Performing at the King's Lynn Arts Festival attended by the composer10 March 1993Jonathan WillcocksVoices of TimeConducted by the composer. Fauré Requiem was also conducted by Sir David Willcocks15 November 2014Jonathan DoveThere was a ChildAttended by the composer.18 November 2017Jonathan DoveFor an Unknown SoldierAttended by the composer.16 March 2024Richard BlackfordMirror of PerfectionAttended by the composer.

Other event-related performances

+DateComposerCompositionDetails26 March 1947Edward ElgarThe ApostlesCelebrating 50 years of Sir Ivor Atkins as Organist and Choirmaster5 June 1953 George Frideric Handel Coronation AnthemTo honour the coronation of the Queen 14 March 1970Edward ElgarThe Music MakersThe 'So Called' Centenary concert conducted by Sir Adrian Boult5 May 1978Edward ElgarThe Music MakersParticipation in the Royal Albert Hall Concert with Sir Charles Groves, Yehudi Menuhin, Paul Tortelier and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra16 June 1980Edward ElgarThe ApostlesElgar Foundation Concert at the Royal Albert Hall Concert2 June 1981Edward ElgarThe Music MakersOn the unveiling of the Elgar Statue in Worcester with the CBSO 24 July 1981Edward ElgarDream of Gerontius Performing at the King's Lynn festival conducted by Vernon Handley13 Nov 2004Benjamin BrittenWar RequiemSinging with the CBSO chorus and orchestra at Symphony Hall Birmingham. Conducted by Adrian Lucas2 April 2011William WaltonBelshazzar’s Feast 150th Anniversary celebration attended by 4 living conductors19 Nov 2011Edward ElgarThe Dream of Gerontius150th Anniversary of the Worcester Festival Choral Society24 Nov 2015George Frideric HandelZadok the PriestSelected members singing at Buckingham Palace with other members of the Three Choirs Festival Chorus, to celebrate the festival's tricentennial

References

Further reading Allen, Kevin. Hugh Blair: Worcester’s Forgotten Organist, (2019, self-published). ISBN 978-0-9531227-7-6 Boden, Anthony; Hedley, Paul (2017). The Three Choirs Festival: A History. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 978-1783272099 Parsons, Mary. A Prevailing Passion, Osborne Books Ltd . 1996 Whitefoot, Michelle. A Choral Chronicle - The History of the Worcester Festival Choral Society, (2020, self-published). ISBN 978-1-5272-7786-1 Wulstan Atkins; Edward Elgar; Sir Ivor Atkins (26 April 1984). The Elgar-Atkins friendship. David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8583-8

External links Worcester Festival Choral Society web page Worcester Cathedral Three Choirs Festival Gloucester Choral Society Hereford Choral Society