A Song on the End of the World

Adrian Partington Conductor
April Fredrick Soprano
Clare Presland Mezzo-soprano
Marcus Farnsworth Baritone
Three Choirs Festival Chorus

Premiered in the 1999 Three Choirs Festival, Francis Pott’s A Song on the End of the World, tells of the horrors of violence and war in thrilling music that ranges from tortured magnificence to painful intimacy, setting texts from the Requiem Mass alongside poignant poems across the centuries by William Blake, Czeslaw Milosz and Charles Causley. This is a work that has to be experiences first-hand.

Holst’s Ode to Death sets Walt Whitman’s challenging poem about the mysteries of death to a beautiful score. Considered by many to be his most beautiful choral work, the piece is full of mystery and moments of pure tranquillity. Alongside these is Bax’s Tintagel, which describes a rough seascape and rugged Cornish coastline but also hints at the heroic acts of King Arthur and his court, and the UK premiere of Randall Svane’s scintillating orchestral Toccata, Quantum Flight.

Three Choirs Festival, 22-29 July 2023 in Gloucester

This historic 8-day festival, centred around the city of Gloucester, showcases rich and varied musical traditions from across the centuries and the world. From an evening offering in the Cathedral featuring the festival’s own choirs alongside three internationally renowned orchestras, to a lively and varied family programme, there is something for every music-lover. The Festival Village will host free performances on the community bandstand and there will also be free rehearsals in the Cathedral, to dip in and out of at your leisure.

Read and download the Festival brochure