In 40 Parts: Spem in alium

Imagine the sound of heaven itself. A voice calls out in the silence; then another, and another until the whole universe is resounding with sensuous, sacred song. Soaring, uplifting, remarkable, and truly monumental, Tallis’ Spem in alium is perhaps the most iconic piece of choral music ever written, a towering piece written in 40 different parts that creates its own sense of time and space. Every performance is special, and this unmissable concert also features a world premiere from Roderick Williams and revisits a 2010 piece written for Ex Cathedra by Alec Roth in 40 parts. What better way to open Jeffrey Skidmore’s final season as artistic director of Ex Cathedra! Alec Roth’s spine-tingling Earthrise takes inspiration from the famous 1968 photograph of the Earth as it rose above the horizon of the Moon, prompting astronaut Bill Anders to comment "We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth". Listen to excerpts here. And an exciting new work by Roderick Williams looks to the future, as well as the past, painting a picture of the urban wilderness that is home to many people living on the margins of society. The composer says "from my comfortable, privileged viewpoint as I tour many of the world’s most glamorous and wealthy cities as part of my career, I see many, many people whom that wealth and glamour have passed right by. We exist together in the same space but our experience of the city could not be more different. I write this piece in all humility for them."