ouc ester ▁negoti ated ▁his ▁release ▁from ▁this ▁commit ment . ▁ ▁S ums ion ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁left ▁America ▁for ▁England ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁ ▁Despite ▁his ▁relatively ▁late ▁arrival ▁on ▁the ▁scene , ▁S ums ion ' s ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁Three ▁Ch oir s ▁Festival ▁at ▁Gl ouc ester ▁im pressed ▁both ▁music ▁colle agues ▁and ▁the ▁press . ▁ ▁In ▁those ▁days ▁the ▁resident ▁organ ist ▁bore ▁the ▁bur den ▁of ▁conduct ing , ▁and ▁though ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁several ▁compos ers ▁were ▁on ▁hand ▁to ▁conduct ▁their ▁own ▁works — not ably ▁El gar ▁and ▁the ▁Hung arian ▁composer ▁Z olt án ▁K od ály — S ums ion ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁works ▁such ▁as ▁Ver di ' s ▁Re qu iem ▁and ▁Hon eg ger ' s ▁King ▁David , ▁the ▁latter ▁being ▁a ▁Three ▁Ch oir s ▁debut . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁following ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁festival ▁that ▁El gar ▁made ▁his ▁oft - qu oted ▁pun : ▁‘ What ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁week ▁was ▁assumption ▁has ▁now ▁become ▁a ▁certain ty .’ ▁ ▁A ▁former ▁S ums ion ▁pup il ▁writes ▁that ▁S ums ion ' s ▁‘ vision ▁in ▁matters ▁of ▁programme ▁planning ▁together ▁with ▁his ▁skill ▁of ▁direction ▁in ▁a ▁very ▁wide ▁spectrum ▁of ▁works ▁made ▁him ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁conduct ors ’ ▁in ▁the ▁Three ▁Ch oir s ▁Festival ' s ▁history