THE prestigious Three Choirs festival will be able to take place thanks to a ban on singing being lifted just in time.

The annual music meetings of the Three Choirs of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford have been taking place since 1729 - but members were devastated when the festival was put in jeopardy due to last minute coronavirus restrictions back in May.

The city group gathered at Worcester Cathedral on Monday (May 17) to sing together only to be told less than a day later that the rules had changed and they could no longer meet up indoors.

As a result, the choir was forced to practise outside.

Chorus member Claire Horacek said she was devastated and reduced to tears by the news.

However, on Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the indoor gathering rule and the ban on singing would be lifted from July 19 - meaning the festival can go ahead.

Member of the Three Choirs Chorus and Green city councillor, Marjory Bisset, said: 'I am delighted that the Three Choirs Festival 2021 is going ahead following the lifting of the ban on singing indoors.

"It has been a fraught few weeks for all involved in planning and performing. I am looking forward immensely to singing some enthralling music in our great cathedral."

The news has been welcomed by MP Robin Walker who said: "This is fantastic news for the choir and for the city. The festival is a major event in the calendar and brings so much to the city. I know it was frustrating and worrying for the choir when the restrictions in place put the plans at risk and I am so pleased they can now put on the event they have been practising for for so long."

The festival will take place in Worcester, from Saturday, July 24 - Sunday, August 1 2021, with an 'exciting programme of choral and orchestral concerts, recitals, talks, family events, cathedral services, theatre, exhibitions and more'.

This year’s festival, which incorporates the themes of journeying, exploration and looking to the future, will be the first for Worcester Artistic Director, Samuel Hudson, who took up the post in September 2019 but missed out on hosting a festival last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.