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

Jeffrey Skidmore

Ex Cathedra and Jeffrey Skidmore

By Simon Cummings, 16 October 2023

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

Reviewed at Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham on 15 October 2023

Rachmaninov, All Night Vigil (“Vespers”), Op.37

Martha McLorinan, Mezzo-soprano

Peter Davoren, Tenor

Simone Rebello, Percussion

Ex Cathedra

Jeffrey Skidmore, Conductor

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

Prom 11: Stockhausen's Welt-Parlament makes its London debut

Philip May, 19th July

Tonight’s Stockhausen Prom was in equal parts sonic experience and performance.In an introduction to a performance of Gesang der Jünglinge in 2001, Stockhausen proposed that “if you close your eyes every now and then, you might even see these angels”. In a concert performance this isn’t an empty suggestion; Gesang der Jünglinge is a truly acoustic experience.

*****

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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.