Edington Festival celebrates 60 years

Edington Priory Church

The Edington Music Festival celebrates with its 60th this year. Since the first festival in 1956, during the last week of August singers from many cathedral and collegiate choirs come together to sing four services per day at the lovely priory church in the village of Edington on the edge of Salisbury Plain. 

This year the Schola Cantorum (which sings Matins and Compline) is directed by Peter Stevens, Assistant Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, the choir of men and boys is conducted by Matthew Martin (composer and Organist at the London Oratory), and the mixed voice consort is directed by Jeremy Summerly, whilst the festival is directed by Benjamin Nicholas, Director of Music at Merton College). As ever, music is varied with festival commissions from David Briggs (Magnificat octavi toni) and Marco Galvani (Tantum Ergo), whilst the other music includes John Sheppard's Missa Cantate, Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai, Duarte Lobo's missa pro defunctis, Grayston Ives' Edington Service, plus music by Pierre Villette, Richard Ayleward, Heinrich Schutz, Walford Davies, Philip Radcliffe, James MacMillan, Deodat de Severac, Elena Vorotko, Matthew Martin, Alonso Lobo, and Patrick Gowers.

Services run from Compline on Sunday 23 August to Solemn Eucharist on Sunday 30 August 2015, with Matins and Solemn Evensong in the morning, Solemn Evensong in the evening, preceded by music on the new organ, with a Solemn Requiem on Friday evening. Each evening ends with Compline, a magical way to end the day. There are no tickets, just turn up. Further information from the Edington Festival website.