A POPULAR and long running music festival has drawn to a close in Hereford after a successful week.

This year’s Three Choirs Festival was held in Hereford, and saw eight days of choral concerts, chamber music, family events, theatre and more.

Around 800 performers took part across the week, with almost 150 composers represented.

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This year’s festival brought a series of firsts. It was a first time for the festival village on Hereford Cathedral Close, the festival’s first ever mention on BBC Radio Four programme Woman’s Hour thanks to Luke Styles and Jessica Walker’s festival commission Voices of Power, a first UK performance for Finnish conductor Emilia Hoving, and premieres of 14 different pieces across the festival programme.

The festival celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015, and has been interrupted only by two world wars and the recent Covid pandemic.

It is believed to be the oldest continuously running classical music festival in the world.

Alexis Paterson, chief executive of the Three Choirs Festival, said:

"I can’t emphasise enough how fantastic every single one of our performers, volunteers, staff and audiences have been this week.

"This coming together of so many people with a shared love of music, coupled with an abundance of warmth and friendship, is a very special thing and I know we’ll all be taking treasured memories away from this week.

"I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved and the Hereford venues who’ve played host to our events, in particular Hereford Cathedral and the Cathedral School who host the heart of all our activity.

"I’m so proud of everyone involved and in particular of all of the new music and debut appearances we’ve been able to stage this year – it’s so vital that we keep on looking to the future."