More than 90 choristers from cathedrals and colleges all over England will converge on Edington Priory for the 59th Festival of Music and Liturgy, which opens next weekend.

The festival, which will take inspiration from the poetry of George Herbert and the Seven Sacraments, features three choirs.

The Schola, the Nave Choir of men and boys and the Consort of mixed voices, each directed by a leading UK choir master, will sing up to four services a day, including Evensong. All events are unticketed and open to everyone, but people are urged to arrive in good time so services can start promptly. This year’s festival is particularly significant as it will feature the new Harrison and Harrison organ, which was installed earlier this year following two years of fundraising.

On Saturday, August 23 at 8pm the organ will be dedicated by the Bishop of Ramsbury before a recital by Andrew Lumsden, the current organist of Winchester Cathedral. His programme includes pieces by J.S. Bach, Frank Bridge, and the first performance of a new work by Guy Bovet.

He has stepped in to perform as former festival director Ashley Grote has had to cancel his appearance, due to serious illness in his family.

In addition there is a special Festival commission from Alec Roth for choir and organ as well as an appearance from festival organist Daniel Hyde, plus spots from other notable organists connected to festivals past and present. Each evening will see a short organ recital at 7.30pm before Evensong, except on August 20, when the service is held during the afternoon and recorded by the BBC for later transmission.