Jeffrey's 2010/11 Season Message

This season builds on the extraordinary success of last year’s 40th anniversary celebrations and presents concerts performed by Ex Cathedra’s Chamber Choir, XL Anniversary Choir, Consort, Academy of Vocal Music and Baroque Orchestra.

The season begins and ends with two major 400th anniversaries: the publication of Monteverdi’s revolutionary 1610 Vespers and the death in 1611 of Tomás Luis de Victoria, the greatest mystic composer from the Golden Age of Spain.

We perform two more of Bach’s greatest works: the Christmas Oratorio in Town Hall and the St Matthew Passion in Symphony Hall.

Christmas Music by Candlelight is the region’s not to be missed seasonal offering and this year we once again take the programme to Shrewsbury, Hagley and London in addition to giving the now traditional four performances at St Paul’s Church in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter.

Some of my favourite pieces from the 20th century make up the programme to celebrate my 60th birthday in February 2011. The concert, Peace on Earth, features all Ex Cathedra’s vocal ensembles and welcomes back a distinguished, internationally acclaimed quartet of soloists for Richard Strauss’ sublime choral masterpiece the Deutsche Motette.

Having explored Birmingham’s world class choral heritage with performances of Elijah 1846, and The Dream of Gerontius 1900 during our anniversary, we return to Rome with Harmonic Spiritual Theatre to investigate the origins of the oratorio with powerfully dramatic early Baroque music by Anerio, Charpentier, and Carissimi.

And Rome comes to Birmingham with a very special performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius to celebrate the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in September for the beatification of Cardinal Newman.

Our season continues with concerts in Malvern, Edinburgh, Leicester, London’s Cadogan Hall and St John’s, Smith Square, and Champagne in France. In March Ex Cathedra tours the USA for the first time.

We have forthcoming collaborations with CBSO, Black Voices, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Welsh National Opera, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Sing Up and the Ikon Gallery to perform in Birmingham’s wealth of wonderful venues including the Hippodrome, Symphony Hall, Town Hall, the Oratory, St Paul’s, St Philip’s, Birmingham’s unique Baroque Cathedral, and Pershore Car Park stairwell!

There is much to sing about as we take yet another exciting step forward to confirm Birmingham as the nation’s Singing City.