Music service continues through new community partnerships

At the end of last year, Gloucestershire Libraries announced the difficult decision to close their Music Service from January 2026. Since then, they have been working closely with a number of partners who were keen to explore ways to keep the service going.

These discussions have now been successfully concluded.

The Gloucestershire Academy of Music will take on the orchestral music sets, while the Three Choirs Festival will take responsibility for the choral music sets. Both organisations will offer access to the music through a subscription service.

This approach ensures that valuable music resources remain available in the county and continue to support learning, performance and participation in music.

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member for libraries at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “This is a really positive outcome for the future of the music service in Gloucestershire. We know how important these resources are to individuals and groups across the county, and I’m very grateful to the Gloucestershire Academy of Music and the Three Choirs Festival for stepping in and helping to secure their future.

“Moving the service away from libraries was not an easy decision, and we understand the disappointment it caused. I’m pleased that, by working with trusted community partners, we’ve been able to find a way for the service to continue and for this music to remain in active use.”

Richard Ashton-Phillips, Executive Director, Gloucestershire Academy of Music, said: “We are delighted to be becoming custodians of the music collection. Being able to offer a home to the library and keep such a valuable cultural asset in the heart of the city centre is simply wonderful. We look forward to making the collection as accessible as possible to local musicians, ensembles, and orchestras for years to come.

“We are hugely grateful to the council for their support in making this a reality. We are also thrilled to be working in partnership alongside The Three Choirs Festival.”

David Francis, CEO Three Choirs Festival, said: “Three Choirs Festival is delighted to be partnering with Gloucestershire Academy of Music to ensure that sheet- and choral-music resources previously available through Gloucester Library remain in the city and will continue to be accessible for the many performance groups who benefit from this resource. We know from the demands on our existing library that choirs from far and wide seek scores from libraries, not least because it makes performing the music far more accessible and cost effective. We are grateful to Gloucestershire Libraries for making the transfer of the music possible.”