▁the ▁age ▁of ▁nine , ▁S ums ion ▁became ▁a ▁prob ation er ▁in ▁the ▁Gl ouc ester ▁c athedral ▁cho ir , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁Herbert ▁Bre wer . ▁ ▁After ▁two ▁years ▁S ums ion ▁became ▁a ▁full ▁ch or ister ▁and ▁sang ▁with ▁the ▁cho ir ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁he ▁was ▁organ ist ▁at ▁Ash le worth , ▁a ▁small ▁village ▁six ▁miles ▁from ▁Gl ouc ester , ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁church ▁cho ir ▁and ▁the ▁" organ ▁blow er " ▁for ▁a ▁fee ▁of ▁£ 5 ▁a ▁quarter , ▁quite ▁a ▁responsibility ▁for ▁a ▁ 1 2 ▁year ▁old . ▁Gl ouc ester ▁was ▁( and ▁is ) ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁host ▁cities , ▁along ▁with ▁Wor c ester ▁and ▁Here ford , ▁of ▁the ▁Three ▁Ch oir s ▁Festival , ▁an ▁annual ▁festival ▁of ▁ch oral ▁emphas is ▁first ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁S ums ion ▁would ▁later ▁write ▁of ▁his ▁mus ically ▁form ative ▁experiences ▁at ▁the ▁c athedral : ▁‘ Qu ite ▁soon ▁after ▁my ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁cho ir ▁I ▁was ▁singing ▁with ▁the ▁[ Three ▁Ch oir s ] ▁Festival ▁Ch orus ▁and ▁gradually ▁absor bing ▁the ▁ch oral ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁classical ▁compos ers ▁and ▁the ▁contemporary ▁writers , ▁of ▁whom ▁the ▁giant ▁was ▁certainly ▁El gar .' ▁ ▁When ▁S ums ion ’