The power of individual voices: Ex Cathedra’s St Matthew Passion

Por Simon Cummings, 10 abril 2023

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“the telling way it highlighted the power and agency of individual voices”

Crítica hecha desde Symphony Hall, Birmingham el 7 abril 2023

Bach, Pasión según San Mateo, BWV244

Ex Cathedra

Gloucester Cathedral Youth Choir

Ex Cathedra Baroque Orchestra

Jeffrey Skidmore, Dirección

Margaret Lingas, Soprano

Martha McLorinan, Mezzosoprano

Bradley Smith, Tenor

James Robinson, Tenor

Themba Mvula, Bajo

Thomas Lowen, Bajo

Lawrence White, Bajo

Brazilian brilliance in Birmingham with Ex Cathedra

Katherine Dixson, 1st March

There’s more to Brazil than nuts and football, as our reviewer discovered in an evening devoted to Brazilian Baroque, presented by Ex Cathedra.

****1

Ex Cathedra's Good Friday St Matthew Passion at Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Andrew H. King, 29th March

Any venue, cathedral or concert hall, that advertises a Good Friday performance of J.S. Bach’s epic St Matthew Passion is likely to sell out; even Birmingham’s vast Symphony Hall is no exception, today being full to bursting with eager parishioners making their annual pilgrimage to wallow in Bach’s all-consuming musical ministry.

***11

More than just a concert: Ex Cathedra perform Rachmaninov’s Vespers

Simon Cummings, 15th October

Enhanced by bells, Ex Cathedra Jeffrey Skidmore give a low-key but highly dramatic performance of Rachmaninov’s Vespers in Birmingham Town Hall

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Inspired juxtapositions: Rachmaninov’s Vespers

Mark Pullinger, 27th September

In performing the Vespers in the acoustically wonderful Milton Court, Jeffrey Skidmore took the imaginative decision to interleaving its movements with solo piano works, played by Steven Osborne. It proved inspirational programming.

****1

Hommage à Marie Fel

Julie Jozwiak, 16th May

Le 16 mai, Carolyn Sampson et l'Ex Cathedra Consort and Baroque Orchestra donnaient un programme construit autour de la figure de Marie Fel, grande soprano du 18ème siècle. Un hommage tout à fait intéressant malgré une interprétation un peu monochrome.

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Wheel of Fortune: Carmina burana a safe bet for BRB

Mark Pullinger, 19th March

Celebrating 20 years as Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, David Bintley brings the company to London, where Balanchine’s Serenade acts as a delicate sorbet before the excesses of Bintley’s own Carmina burana.

***11

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Simon Cummings

Simon Cummings is a composer, writer and researcher based in the Cotswolds. He composes instrumental and electronic music, exploring aspects of algorithmic composition, and has recently completed a Ph.D. in composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire under the supervision of Richard Causton and Howard Skempton. His musical tastes are ludicrously broad but are focused most on contemporary/avant-garde classical and electronic music. When not composing, he writes regularly about new music; Simon is the author of the contemporary music blog 5:4 (5against4.com), and regularly contributes articles for a variety of books, journals and websites. Follow him on Twitter @5against4.

The power of individual voices: Ex Cathedra’s St Matthew Passion at Birmingham Symphony Hall