The Garden of Love
Love and nature are in full bloom in this programme of evocative imagery and shimmering harmony.
Selections from Claude Le Jeune’s innovative 16th-century Le printemps set spring as the season of love, while the transient beauty of nature and youth is explored in Eric Whitacre’s Three Flower Songs. Love and longing is the timeless subject for Palestrina - a giant of the Italian Renaissance - and for Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur, who brings impressionistic colour and intimacy to his choral masterpiece.
We are thrilled that our 2025-26 cohort of talented Scholars will perform this concert as part of the new Live at the Centre series and that they will give the world premiere of a new commission from Bobbie-Jane Gardner.
Programme includes:
Daniel-Lesur Le Cantique des cantiques
Gardner New Work (world premiere)
Le Jeune Le printemps
Palestrina Surge, propera, amica mea
Whitacre Three Flower Songs
Running time approx. 2 hours, including interval.
With grateful thanks to the Hinrichsen Foundation for supporting the new work from Bobbie-Jane Gardner.
EX CATHEDRA Scholars Ensemble
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor
How to book
£24
£8 for full-time students and children (aged 17 or under)
Book online via the link on this page or call the B:Music box office on 0121 780 3333.
Getting there
St Peter’s Church is located in Wolverhampton city centre, adjacent to the Art Gallery and Civic Square. There are a number of car parks nearby. The city is well served by buses, trams and the train station is approximately a 10-minute walk.
The main entrance is the south door, which faces towards Lichfield Street.
Access
Everyone is welcome at Ex Cathedra’s concerts, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure you have a great experience.
The main entrance is accessible. There is a level access toilet located inside the church, please ask a steward for directions.
Designated, discounted seats have been allocated for wheelchair users and companions as the church has fixed pews; please call the box office to book these.
This concert is not amplified. The atmosphere will be quiet and still during the performance.
If you have any other access questions, please contact us, we are happy to help.
Concert FAQs
Find answers to your questions here. Do let us know if we've missed anything you'd find helpful.
Jeffrey says
"Ex Cathedra Scholars continue to be very active. Their Valentine’s Day concert in February 2025 - Chansons d’amour - was a great success, and their performance at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards ceremony at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in March 2025 was described as ‘a class act’. On 18 July 2025 in St Paul’s Church in the Jewellery Quarter they performed a diverse programme of choral music from around the world - The Language of Baroque - as part of the International Conference of Baroque Music that brought the world’s leading musicologists to Birmingham.
"The Garden of Love celebrates spring and the season of beauty and love with a programme of ravishing music to delight the senses, with music by Palestrina, Le Jeune, Daniel-Lesur, and Eric Whitacre - a Grand Tour of earthly delights."
