Three Choirs Festival

Throughout February and March this year, the Three Choirs Festival was resident at The Living Room, a frontline homelessness setting and café in Hereford, offering creative sessions to visitors with the aim of putting together a three-minute musical presentation reflecting memories and impressions of Herefordshire through the eyes of the group at the heart of The Living Room’s mission. As sessions progressed, we welcomed a core of participants from the Herefordshire Veterans Choir.

The project was led by Jo Lowry, with Nicola Rose as musical coach, and composer Liz Dilnot Johnson, who wove the ideas of the participants into a faithful and sensitive representation of the originals. Visitors to The Living Room were also encouraged to contribute ideas to a suggestions box, and these included offerings in Polish and a lengthy Ode to the Beauty of Herefordshire. Many of these additional suggestions were also set to music by Liz.

At a well-attended, emotional final session, the final creations were recorded and then shared back with all of the participants and artists, who described the experience as ‘magical’ and ‘uplifting, stimulating and joyous’. There was unanimous enthusiasm for a public performance at the 2025 festival, which will take place on the Festival Bandstand on Monday 28 July at 1pm.