We are honoured to work with some wonderful composers, including our composers-in-residence, and are privileged to have commissioned and premiered the works listed below.
The list is in chronologically by performance date. Pieces in bold are Ex Cathedra commissions. Those not in bold are first performances, almost exclusively pieces written for Ex Cathedra.
We’d like to express our deep gratitude to all the individuals, trusts, sponsors and other funders whose generosity has made it possible to commission and premiere these works, to the composers and promoters who invited us to give performances – and to everyone who has bought a ticket to the concerts. It would not be possible without your support, thank you!
We look forward to adding to the list below in the coming years. If you would like to support a future commission, whatever the amount, please get in touch with one of the team, we’d be thrilled to discuss it with you.
The list below covers music performed in our concerts, but we also have a large body of music written for our Education & Participation projects by members of our team. You can find some of those at our dedicated www.singingschools.co.uk and www.singingmedicine.co.uk websites.
If anything is missing or incorrect in the list below, many apologies – please get in touch and we’ll update it.
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1983: John Joubert Three Portraits
1984: Anthony Pither The Abbot Adam of Angers
1986: Martin Bates Three Songs for Christmas
1986: John Joubert South of the Line (for the opening of the Adrian Boult Hall)
1992: Martin Bates Blessed are the peacemakers (first, short version for Birmingham’s Olympics bid)
1992: Martin Bates This Starry Stranger
1997: Thomas Jennefelt O salutaris hostia. Ex Cathedra recording.
1997: Thomas Jennefelt O Sapientia
1998: Roderick Williams O Adonai. Ex Cathedra recording.
1998: Roderick Williams O Radix Jesse
1999: Daryl Runswick O Clavis David. Ex Cathedra recording.
1999: Daryl Runswick O Oriens
2000: Jonathan Girling O Rex Gentium
2000: Fyfe Dangerfield Hutchins O Emmanuel. Ex Cathedra recording.
2000: Fyfe Dangerfield Hutchins A Better Resurrection (for our Academy of Vocal Music).
2001: Philip Sheppard Christmas at Sea. Ex Cathedra recording.
2002: Peter Wiegold Nowell, nowell: Out of your Sleep
2003: John Joubert Wings of Faith (NB Part 1 was premiered in 2000)
2004: Peter Sculthorpe Requiem (co-commissioned by Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Lichfield Festival with Ex Cathedra involved in the Lichfield performance)
2005: Martin Creed Work No. 409 (for the Ikon Gallery lift)
2005: Gabriel Jackson Sanctum est verum lumen (in 40 Parts)
2006: Alec Roth Shared Ground. Ex Cathedra recording.
2007: John Joubert This is the gate of the Lord (for the re-opening of Birmingham Town Hall)
2007: Fyfe Dangerfield Hutchins The Darkling Thrush.
2007: Alec Roth The Flower. Ex Cathedra recording.
2008: Alec Roth Unborn (adapted from The Traveller). Ex Cathedra recording here – and Ex Cathedra recording of The Traveller here.
2009: James MacMillan And lo, the Angel of the Lord
2010: Alec Roth Earthrise (40 Part version for our 40th anniversary). Ex Cathedra recording.
2011: Alec Roth Hymn to Gaia. Ex Cathedra recording.
2012: Alec Roth A Time to Dance. Ex Cathedra recording.
2012: Karlheinz Stockhausen Mittwoch aus Licht (first complete performance with Birmingham Opera Company for London 2012 Festival – World Parliament scene. Also BBC Proms London premiere 2013)
2012: Stephanie Martin The Portinari Nativity
2013: Alec Roth Sometime I sing (SATB version)
2014: Richard Green Ring out wild bells
2015: James MacMillan Seven Angels
2015: Roxanna Panufnik Since we Parted. Ex Cathedra recording.
2016: Sally Beamish A Shakespeare Masque (for Shakespeare Lives, text by Carol Ann Duffy, watch clips from BBC live stream)
2016: David Matthews Dawn Chorus
2017: Martin Bates Blessed are the peacemakers (complete version)
2017: Alec Roth Verlass uns nicht
2017: Alec Roth Die güldene Sonne: Dawn Chorus
2017: Elis Pehkonen The Beatitudes (2005)
2018: Roxanna Panufnik Child of Heaven: Dawn Chorus. Ex Cathedra recording.
2018: Marcus Barcham Stevens Fear not
2018: Liz Dilnot Johnson Gentle Flame
2018: Nimrod Borenstein and there was light
2019: Marcus Barcham Stevens And the Word
2019: Edward Caine Jankyn at the Angnes
2019: Alec Roth A Time to be Born and a Time to Die
2019: Alec Roth Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig (for our Academy of Vocal Music)
2019: Stevie Wishart Voicing the Dawn
2020: Liz Dilnot Johnson Blake Reimagined. Ex Cathedra recording.
2020: Marcus Barcham Stevens Lockdown Prayer
2021: Edward Caine M and A and R and I
2021: Liz Dilnot Johnson The Windhover: Dawn Chorus. Ex Cathedra recording.
2021: Liz Dilnot Johnson I Stand at the Door (an earlier version called Gentle Flame Cantata was written for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2019)
2021: Edward Caine Love came down
2021: Ruairi Edwards All will be well (for our ChoirMaker resource)
2021: Liz Dilnot Johnson Magi. Ex Cathedra recording.
2022: Liz Dilnot Johnson When a Child is a Witness (for Coventry City of Culture). Ex Cathedra recording of the choral movements.
2022: Penelope Thwaites A Song at Dawn
2022: Sally Beamish A Knock on the Door
2022: Alec Roth The Peace of the Night (performed by kind permission of Ensemble Nobiles)
2022: Liz Dilnot Johnson A Wild Midwinter Carol (8-part version)
2023: Liz Dilnot Johnson Generous Winter
2024: Liz Dilnot Johnson Ring out wild bells (10-part version)
2025: Piers Connor Kennedy Songs (first live performances given with Steven Grahl, by kind permission of Steven and Trinity College Cambridge)
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The image used on this page is taken from the full score of Alec Roth’s 40-part Earthrise, in which the music spells the word ‘ecce’ (behold) – and creates a wondrous, ethereal sound.