Powerful, passionate, hypnotic – in a time of turmoil and at the height of his powers, Rachmaninoff turned to the choral heritage he held dear, and created his awe-inspiring All-Night Vigil—better known as the Vespers.

This masterpiece of unaccompanied choral writing is a radiant tapestry of ancient chant and lush Romantic harmony. From its hushed opening prayer to its triumphant final blessing, the work moves with deep spiritual intensity and overwhelming emotional sweep.

With mesmeric melodies - and some of the lowest notes you’ll ever hear sung - it is beloved by audiences and singers alike.

“Concerts given by Ex Cathedra are never just concerts... 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 ... passing through blazing fire before finally receding into a quiet, radiant joy” - read the full www.bachtrack.com review

Running time: approx. 1 hr 40 minutes, including interval.

EX CATHEDRA Choir
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor

Martha McLorinan mezzo soprano
James Robinson tenor
Simone Rebello bells

We are thrilled to have been invited to give this concert by Lichfield Festival who will be announcing it as part of the full festival in due course. Please save the date and we very much look forward to seeing you there.

How to book

Save the date! Booking information will be published here as soon as available and on the Lichfield Festival website.

Access

Everyone is welcome at our concerts, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure you have a great experience.

Detailed access information is available on the cathedral website here. Gently ramped access is available via the main door at the West End of the cathedral. (The main entrance for audiences without access needs will be the south transept this year due to the location of the stage at the west end of the nave.)

Designated wheelchair seats will be allocated by the festival; please telephone the box office for details.

You may like to note that each half of this concert will be performed as an uninterrupted sequence and the atmosphere will be quiet and still for extended periods.  Audiences usually reserve applause for the end of each half.

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

"We are thrilled to return to Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, his most-loved work using orthodox chants from the Znamenny tradition, Greece and poignantly from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Recent discoveries from the original 1915 poster inform our performance and bells, so dear to Rachmaninoff and Russian Christian culture, will sound the chants between movements."