Glorious Christmas Music fit for a Queen

One of the UK’s leading choral ensembles, Ex Cathedra, makes its debut appearance at Southwell Minster on Wednesday 3rd December when it performs music for the festive season by some of the greatest English composers of the 16th Century.

Previous Ex Cathedra members include local musician Marcus Farnsworth, founder and Artistic Director of the Southwell Music Festival. Now a successful international baritone, Marcus sang with Ex Cathedra as a member of the choir and soloist in the early days of his professional singing career.

Under the direction of Jeffrey Skidmore, ten of this country’s finest young singers who make up the current Ex Cathedra Consort take a journey back in time to the Court of Elizabeth I and the matchless beauty of the music performed there to celebrate Christ’s birthday. Together they evoke the very special spirit of An Elizabethan Christmas. “I am very excited to be able to bring these highly gifted and sensitive young singers to perform this wonderful music in the beautiful setting of Southwell Minster,” said Jeffrey Skidmore.
“I hope that this visit will be the first of many over the coming years.” The programme is built around William Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices for the Catholic rite and his setting of the canticles for the Anglican church known as The Great Service. It also includes John Sheppard’s stunning Verbum Caro and the sublime Videte miraculum by Thomas Tallis whose death in 1585 occurred in the same year that Elizabeth I issued the Statutes to Southwell Minster which guaranteed its future existence. Verse anthems by Orlando
Gibbons such as This is the record of John and consort songs for private and secular use complete the programme.

Tickets may be booked on line via www.excathedra.co.uk, or by calling 0121 345 0603. They are also available from The Cathedral Shop, Church St Tel. 01636 812933.