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

By Andrew H. King, 02 April 2013

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Reviewed at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on 29 March 2013

Bach, St Matthew Passion, BWV244

Ex Cathedra

Ex Cathedra Baroque Orchestra

Jeffrey Skidmore, Conductor

Jeremy Budd, Evangelist

Themba Mvula, Jesus Christ

Greg Skidmore, Pilate

Katie Trethewey, Soprano

Martha McLorinan, Mezzo-soprano

Samuel Boden, Tenor

William Gaunt, Bass

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

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

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

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

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Andrew H. King

Following training as a singer and conductor, Andrew is now completing a doctoral thesis on the life and songs of Sir Granville Bantock. Interests include English and American music, with an emphasis on opera, choral music and song. Andrew has been published in MUSO, Early Music, and by BBC Radio 3 and the BBC Proms.