The English Music Festival celebrates the brilliance, innovation, beauty and rich musical heritage of Britain with a strong focus on unearthing overlooked or forgotten masterpieces of the late-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century.

The eighteenth annual English Music Festival (EMF) returns to Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire from Friday 23 May until Bank Holiday Monday 26 May 2025. The opening concert, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Martin Yates, features the long-awaited World Première performance of the Symphony no.2 by the unjustly neglected composer Stanley Bate together with a rare performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s ‘Heroic Elegy and Triumphal Epilogue’ and the Cello Concerto of Sir Arthur Bliss performed by celebrated cellist Raphael Wallfisch – a highlight of the commemorations for the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death, alongside works by William Alwyn and Frederick Delius. Orchestral, chamber, choral concerts and recitals continue throughout the weekend. The full programme is available on the website.

Tickets are on sale from the website. Tickets for individual concerts will also be available on the door, subject to availability. Full Festival and Day Passes are also available.

Dorchester Abbey is the venue for the duration of the long weekend with talks taking place in the Village Hall as well as a Festival Lunch (pre-booking required). A dedicated mini-bus shuttle operates to/from Didcot Parkway rail station – bookings should be made in advance via the website.

£20 – £30