Ex Cathedra, conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore, plays Thomas Tallis's 'Spem in alium' alongside a world premiere by Roderick Williams and a piece by Alec Roth.
Ex Cathedra are at the Town Hall on Sunday 18 October, with Jeffrey Skidmore conducting. It's the opening of his final season as their conductor, so it's a bit of a milestone for the ensemble.
At the centre of the programme is Thomas Tallis's Spem in alium, which is described as perhaps the most iconic piece of choral music ever written. The rest of the concert is built around it: both the other pieces are written in 40 parts, just like the Tallis. There's a world premiere by Roderick Williams, and a revisit of Ex Cathedra's 2010 commission by Alec Roth, which they've described as spine-tingling. Hearing them side by side gives you a proper look at how that 40-part architecture works across different eras.
Ex Cathedra are a B:Music Associate Artist, and this is one of their Birmingham dates for the 2026-27 season. The whole thing runs for around two hours, so it's a full afternoon of choral music rather than a quick stop.
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Tickets are £22 to £48.50, and it starts at 16:00 on Sunday 18 October at the Town Hall, B3 3DQ. Under-16s have to be accompanied by an adult.
