Acclaimed Musicians & Ensembles Coming to Dartington

The 2026 English Music Festival (EMF) will be held in Devon at the Dartington Hall estate, near Totnes. From 22nd to 25th May; the annual four-day event will bring exceptional musicians
and ensembles to the South West for the very first time, who will perform a diverse range of well-known masterpieces and lesser-known gems by renowned British composers.

a flood of exaltation

The Festival’s music ranges from Baroque to Contemporary, especially pioneering works from the Golden Renaissance period (C19 – C20) and will bring several world and UK premières to Devon this year. Key composers frequently championed include Elgar, Delius, Holst and Vaughan Williams, among many other brilliant and lesser-known composers whose works are rarely staged. Dartington Hall holds a special resonance in British history and culture and a tremendous musical significance.

After being re-established as a musical and cultural hub in the twentieth century, Dartington’s legacy will continue as the English Music Festival embraces its tradition of artistic excellence and enriches Devon’s musical landscape.

Widely acclaimed musicians and ensembles in this year’s EMF programme includes:
• University of Exeter Chapel Choir – “This renowned university choir and Howard Ionascu are excited to present a fascinating programme that combines sacred and secular English choral music in equal measure.”
• The London Mozart Players – open the Festival with exquisite orchestral works – “a flood of exaltation that left the audience breathless with the combined pomp and bombast,” Ham & High.
• Pianists Hirokai Takenouchi and Simon Callaghan; cellist Raphael Wallfisch; horn-player Ben Goldscheider and tenor James Gilchrist.

The website for The English Music Festival is at: https://www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk.
The full programme for the 2026 English Music Festival can be found at: https://www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk/2026-may-festival/programme.php