AS World War I drew to a close, speculation began about the future of the great national musical festivals. On 14 September 1918 a lengthy article appeared in the Saturday Review:

Going on to describe the provincial Festival as having been ‘one of the prime glories of musical life in this country’, the article stressed the key role which it had played in maintaining England's old supremacy in the department of choral singing, and ended with a plea for its future life: ‘After all, at a Festival it is not the band, nor the soloists, nor the novelties, nor the conductor, but the choir that's ‘the thing’. We could ill spare the institution that created the brilliant constellation to surround such a glorious central orb.’

Since the last Three Choirs Festival had been held in Gloucester in 1913, it was the turn of Worcester to lead off after the war – but the choral members in each of the three cities were all keen to accept the challenge. On the third Saturday in January 1919, Lord Coventry presided over a meeting of the Worcester Executive Committee. Four questions had been submitted to the Deans and Chapters and Festival Committees of Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester: (1) Should the Festivals be revived; (2) if so, what should their form and character be; (3) what should be the limit of expenditure incurred; and (4) where should the next Festival be held?