The Three Choirs Festival has a much longer history than Bubble, but 2026 marks our fourth year providing professional filming for orchestral performances at this remarkable event.
We are delighted to be back at Gloucester Cathedral for eight days of world-class choral and classical music. Throughout the festival, the Bubble Production team is providing live vision facilities and relaying the performances to 28 screens positioned around the cathedral.
Bringing Orchestral Performances to Every Seat
Filming orchestral performances inside a historic cathedral presents a unique set of challenges. Above all, our brief is to capture the scale and atmosphere of each concert without creating unnecessary visual clutter around the orchestra, choir or audience.
To achieve this, we use a carefully designed combination of robotic, fixed and operated cameras.
Four PTZ robotic cameras are mounted high on the cathedral pillars, providing excellent views without taking up valuable floor space. A further six discreet micro cameras are positioned within the orchestra. These work alongside the main operated cameras to produce a varied and engaging live programme.
As a result, audiences can enjoy close-up views of the conductor, soloists, choir and individual sections of the orchestra without intrusive equipment affecting the performance.
Energy-Efficient Lighting in Gloucester Cathedral
Lighting a large orchestral stage effectively is equally important. The main performance area is lit using two 10k-equivalent LED lights, each drawing only 800W.
These powerful LED fixtures generate significantly less heat than traditional lighting while also reducing the amount of electricity required. Therefore, they help us support the festival’s sustainability objectives without compromising the quality of the pictures.
The choir rake is supplemented by six smaller softbox lights, creating an even and natural-looking image across the full performance area.
Live Pictures Across 28 Cathedral Screens
The finished live production is relayed to 28 pillar-mounted and floor-mounted screens throughout Gloucester Cathedral.
These screens are particularly valuable for audience members seated in areas with restricted views. Instead of missing key moments, they can follow the conductor, soloists, choir and orchestra throughout the performance.
The system allows more of the audience to experience the visual detail and emotion of each concert, wherever they are seated.
A Specialist Classical Music Production Team
Across the eight-day festival, our four-person production team covers two concerts each day and occasionally three.
The team includes:
- A music director who follows the orchestral score
- A vision director who selects and cuts the live pictures
- A camera operator capturing the main stage action
- A vision engineer managing the technical production
Following the score is an essential part of filming classical music. It allows the production team to anticipate solos, musical cues, changes in tempo and important moments within the performance.
Rather than simply reacting to what happens on stage, the team can plan each shot and bring the audience closer to the m
Supporting the Three Choirs Festival
It is an honour to provide the live vision facilities for the Three Choirs Festival once again.
The festival is recognised as the world’s longest-running classical music festival. Its roots date back to the early eighteenth century, when local music societies began holding annual meetings involving the cathedral choirs of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford.
The name Three Choirs Festival was officially adopted in Gloucester in 1838. Today, the festival continues to bring exceptional choral and orchestral music to audiences while maintaining a tradition that stretches back more than 300 years.
For Bubble Production, it is a privilege to use our experience of filming orchestral performances to help every member of the audience enjoy this historic festival.
