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

Jeffrey Skidmore

Ex Cathedra and Jeffrey Skidmore

Par Simon Cummings, 16 octobre 2023

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“incredible intonation and tuning, soaring to great heights and plunging into abyssal depths”

Critique faite à Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham, le 15 octobre 2023

Rachmaninov, Vêpres pour chœur, Op.37

Martha McLorinan, Mezzo-soprano

Peter Davoren, Ténor

Simone Rebello, Percussions

Ex Cathedra

Jeffrey Skidmore, Direction

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.

***11

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

Simon Cummings, 7th April

Bradley Smith, as Evangelist, and a fine cast of soloists drove this Good Friday account of Bach’s St Matthew Passion from Ex Cathedra in Birmingham.

****1

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

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

Ex Cathedra's small scale Messiah

Travis Mason, 7th December

Ex Cathedra's Chorus in fine voice for a "small scale" Messiah in Birmingham.

***11

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

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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.