Hyperion Records

‘Cathedra’ is the name for the bishop’s throne, in the same way that a cathedral is the building that houses that throne. When Jeffrey Skidmore and one of the founding members of the choir were choosing a name for the new group in 1969, they chose Ex Cathedra because it literally means ‘from the throne’ or in English usage ‘with authority’. At the time, Jeffrey and several members of the choir sang at Birmingham Cathedral, and the name was partially chosen as a pun. But researching and understanding the repertoire so that it can be performed with authority has been a guiding principle for Jeffrey Skidmore since the choir’s first performances.

Birmingham remains the home of Ex Cathedra, and the group has grown into a unique musical resource, comprising a specialist choir, vocal consort, period-instrument orchestra and a thriving education programme. The group has established an international reputation as a leading choir and early music ensemble, with a repertoire that ranges from the twelfth to the twenty-first centuries, via almost all points in between. Ex Cathedra presents a series of concerts both in Birmingham, where the group is an Associate Artist at Town Hall, and in London, where it regularly appears in the St John’s Smith Square Christmas Festival and the Choral at Cadogan series. The group tours extensively within the Midlands and appears at festivals and concert series across the UK and abroad. Ex Cathedra took part in the first complete performance of Stockhausen’s Mittwoch for the London 2012 festival.

Comprising eight to twelve professional singers—who feature regularly as soloists with Ex Cathedra—the Consort is both one of the UK’s premiere vocal consorts and the culmination of the group’s commitment to choral training. Many Consort singers have, and continue to, come through Ex Cathedra’s academy system and many have gone on to pursue successful solo careers. The Consort presents its own concerts as part of the Ex Cathedra subscription series and has performed at festivals across the UK and Europe.

Schools and community projects lie at the heart of Ex Cathedra’s work, and an extensive programme of activity is delivered by a team of expert vocal tutors who are all members of Ex Cathedra.