Beginnings and Endings: Bach & Alec Roth from Ex Cathedra

Alec Roth has written a new cantata A Time to be Born and a Time to Die which will be premiered by Ex Cathedra, conductor Jeffrey Skidmore, at a concert with the theme of Beginnings and Endings on Saturday 9 February 2019 in the Bramall Concert Hall at the University of Birmingham. The concert, which is part of the newly revived biennial Birmingham Festival of Early Music, also includes Bach's cantatas Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes (For this the Son of God appeared) and Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben? (Dearest God when will I die?).

Roth's cantata is written for the same forces as the Bach cantatas, soloists, choir and period instrument orchestra, and is designed to link Bach's themes to those of the 21st century via ideas of beginnings and endings. Roth uses the hymn-tune Now the green blade riseth/Love is come again throughout the cantata, and the audience will join in to sing the hymn, led by Ex Cathedra and a specially-formed choir comprising nurses from Birmingham Children’s and Women’s Hospitals and members of the Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice Choir.

There is a pre-concert talk in which Alec Roth and Jeffery Skidmore will talk about the music in the concert, supported by Ex Cathedra’s youth training choir, its Academy of Vocal Music, conducted by Ex Cathedra’s newly-appointed Associate Conductor Sarah Latto.

The Birmingham Triennial Festival runs from 8 to 17 February, and concludes with Ex Cathedra's performance of Purcell's The Indian Queen at Birmingham Town Hall.

Further information from the Ex Cathedra website.