Celebrate the 71st Edington Festival of Music in Wiltshire

Wiltshire has many ancient buildings and monuments, but, uniquely, it is also the home of the oldest festival of Music within the Liturgy in the world. Edington Festival of Music takes place in August each year and in 2026, locals and visitors of Wiltshire will be celebrating its 71st anniversary!

Edington Festival of Music: Its Past and Present

Hosted by the Parish of Edington in its fabulous 14^th century Priory Church since 1956, it started life as a fund-raising effort to save the church roof.  It succeeded. Gradually, what started as half a dozen Cambridge University choral scholars coming for the weekend to sing Evensong developed into an eight-day celebration of glorious church music, sung in the context (services) for which it was written.  All the singers, invited from Cathedrals and Collegiate choirs throughout the UK, are hosted locally, making this festival an intimately community event.  There is glorious music, opportunities for calm reflection and spiritual sustenance, friendships formed for life, and funds raised for community needs.

Edington Festival of Music 2026

This year the festival runs from August 23^rd to 30^th.  The new Festival Director, Alexander Hamilton, is Director of Music at His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, Hampton Court, and also fills a number of prestigious roles as organist, conductor, and as an enthusiastic promoter of the education of younger singers in church and cathedral choirs (choristers). He works with the Directors of each of the three choirs who share the singing during the festival; the Nave Choir of men, boys and girls led by Alexander Pott; the Consort of men and women who sing unaccompanied, directed by Jeremy Summerly; and the male-voice Schola, directed by Peter Stevens, who sing only plainchant.

This year’s theme is ‘The Tree of Life’, a fruitful subject for the exploration of birth, life, death, regeneration and rebirth, conservation and care of our world through music from Tallis, Palestrina and Byrd, through Purcell, Haydn and Mozart, to Britten, Stanford, Howells and Rutter, and everything in between.  The  Wednesday Evensong will be recorded live for BBC R3, and the Requiem Mass on Friday evening is Mozart’s.

New for this year is a sponsored lunch on Saturday 29^th August, marking the 70th anniversary of the Friends of Edington Priory Church. Everyone is invited to come and meet some of the people who make the festival what it is, to learn more about it, and meet and make friends with fellow travelers.  Anyone interested in being part of this can sign up by contacting the Secretary at secretary@edingtonfriends.org.uk or by phoning her on 01225 754626.

Further information can be gained from the website, www.edingtonfestival.org where the festival leaflet has been uploaded, or by emailing info@edingtonfestival.org .