“Concerts given by Ex Cathedra are never just concerts. One of the most compelling aspects of their performances – aside from the actual singing – is the way they apply scholarship and historical understanding to the presentation of the music…

“To enhance the performance, conductor Jeffrey Skidmore had created a sequence of seven “Bell Preludes” … redolent of, and at times directly invoking, religious chant, from the outset these preludes established a heightened atmosphere … an entirely fitting context…”

“Blagoslovi dushe moya was articulated with a hushed tone of reverence – mezzo Martha McLorinan skilfully managing to project while also maintaining this attitude – culminating in a beautifully polarised music, the upper voices suggesting elation, the lower profundity. Blazhen muzh was kept simple, allowing its scale patterns to lilt, while Nyne otpushchayeshi (Blessed in the Man), featuring tenor Peter Davoren, created the impression of a softly shining brightness … wrapped in an atmosphere of deep peace…”

“… perhaps the most remarkable thing about Ex Cathedra’s performance: their incredible intonation and tuning, soaring to great heights and plunging into abyssal depths yet staying true, never wavering. The choir’s intricate shaping of the music continued to the last, Vzbrannoy voyevode passing through blazing fire before finally receding into a quiet, radiant joy.”

Read the full www.bachtrack.com review

Do join us in Hereford Cathedral (10 Feb 2024), St Martin-in-the-Fields (27 Feb 2014) and at Sherborne Abbey Festival (4 May 2024 – not yet available to book). Full details and booking for Hereford and London on our concert diary page.