Worcester

The City of Worcester is within the county of  Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. It is situated 134 miles (216 km) north and west of London, and 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Birmingham. It has a population of 94,000 and is home to a large and growing University. The River Severn runs through the middle of the city, overlooked by the twelfth-century Worcester Cathedral. The site of the final battle of the English Civil War, Worcester was where Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army defeated King Charles II's Cavaliers, resulting in the English Interregnum, the ten year period during which England and Wales became a republic. Worcester was the home of Royal Worcester Porcelain and the birthplace of the composer Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934).  Along with the nearby cities of Gloucester and Hereford, Worcester is home to the Three Choirs Festival, the oldest choral festival in the world, dating back some 300 years. Worcester also boasts the famous (and secret recipe!) Worcestershire Sauce, still made today and sold worldwide.

Situated in the heart of England, Worcester is surrounded by glorious rural countryside, yet with the country's second city of Birmingham close at hand, a vibrant and cosmopolitan urban culture is never very far away! Worcester's magnificent cathedral is the setting for our final night WIFYS Gala Concert. Situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn, The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Worcester. Built between 1084 and 1504, Worcester Cathedral represents every style of English architecture from Norman to Perpendicular Gothic. It is famous for its Norman crypt, fine medieval library, unique chapter house, its unusual Transitional Gothic bays and fine woodwork, and its "exquisite" central tower which is of particularly fine proportion and which also houses the cathedral's amazing bells. WIFYS participants will be able to climb the tower, visit the unique ringing teaching centre and see and hear the bells during the week, as well as experiencing the breath-taking view of the city and beyond from the top of the cathedral tower!

The city centre has a wide range of shops, cafes, riverside walks, tourist attractions and places of interest, all within walking distance of WIFYS accommodation and atelier venues. Opportunities for street singing are scheduled during peak trading times in the city, and every visiting choir will have the opportunity to perform concerts in the city centre as well as an outside location.