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

By Simon Cummings, 10 April 2023

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

Reviewed at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on 7 April 2023

Bach, St Matthew Passion, BWV244

Ex Cathedra

Gloucester Cathedral Youth Choir

Ex Cathedra Baroque Orchestra

Jeffrey Skidmore, Conductor

Margaret Lingas, Soprano

Martha McLorinan, Mezzo-soprano

Bradley Smith, Tenor

James Robinson, Tenor

Themba Mvula, Bass

Thomas Lowen, Bass

Lawrence White, Bass

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

****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

More reviews...

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