In 40 Parts: Spem in alium, Ex Cathedra, The Town Hall, Birmingham | 18 October 2026. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review: David Gray & Paul Gray

In 40 Parts: Spem in alium

Ex Cathedra, The Town Hall, Birmingham | 18 October 2026.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review: David Gray & Paul Gray

“An exciting and profoundly moving choral concert, including a new work from Roderick Williams.”

The Eighth Tune – Thomas Tallis

Spem in alium – Thomas Tallis

The Third Tune – Thomas Tallis

The Wilderness – Roderick Williams

Sol justitae – Alec Roth

Earthrise – Alec Roth

Te lucis ante terminum – 7th century plainchant

Sing and glorify – Thomas Tallis

An intriguing and exciting concert. The performance not only highlighted the versatility and accomplishment of this choir but explored how three composers - two modern and one from the renaissance – approach the challenges of writing music for forty solo acapella voices.

Of the three approaches, Roderick Williams’ is the most radical and arresting. His new work, The Wilderness, bucks the trend of writing for eight equally sized choirs that all share music and text (the approach taken by Tallis and Roth). Instead, he uses unequal groupings and gives his groupings specific musical functions. So, we have two Ripieno Choirs, one of twelve, one of eight, two five-part consorts, two trios and four soloists.

Interpreting ‘The Wilderness’ in Birmingham Town Hall, the performers made great use of the space, placing the Ripieno groupings on the main stage, the consorts in the choir, the trios at a distance from the main body of singers, and the soloists dotted around the Hall. This arrangement of choirs meant the work felt quite ‘orchestral’ – ie. a result of the range and spacing of vocal textures at play. The effect was dynamic and dramatic.

Williams’s text is an eclectic curation drawn from various sources, all with a unifying theme of isolation and alienation. By giving each of the musical groupings a specific textual association, the composer can juxtapose the various elements of his text with clarity. This is far from being a wash of sound: it is an argument, carefully and thoughtfully articulated through the interplay of words and music.

The result is a very complete and satisfying piece of abstract narrative, showing how music can grapple with big and significant social ideas, while also being beautiful and profoundly moving.

This technically demanding piece was given an exceptionally fine performance. Soloists Katie Trethewey, Elana Stamp, Daniel Marles and Lawrence White were all exceptional.

The concert also gave us another chance to hear Alec Roth’s Earthrise. This is a 2009 commission from Ex Cathedra. Earthrise is also a work with a big idea at its core – our very place in the Universe. Roth gives us vocal writing at a scale comparable to Tallis’ Spem in alium, and to Tallis’ less well-known Sing and glorify.

Ex Cathedra delivered these glorious works – and the other works in this concert - with commitment, sensitivity, exquisite attention to detail and, where called for, a convincing wall of sound. Sopranos were particularly fearless during the Tallis. A most exceptional concert of the very highest standard, professionalism – and sheer beauty of sound.

Ex Cathedra

Jeffrey Skidmore - Conductor