Ex Cathedra – In 40 Parts: Spem in Alium

Ex Cathedra sings Tallis’s soaring Spem in Alium, plus other 40-part masterpieces inspired by this awesome work, including a commission from Roderick Williams’ that paints a picture of the urban wilderness that is home to so many of society’s outcasts.

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. Tallis’s extraordinary Spem in Alium is a monument of renaissance music and one of the most iconic choral works every written – a towering 40-voice motet that creates its own sense of time and space. Every performance is special and today Ex Cathedra pairs it with modern masterpieces inspired by Tallis’s genius, specially written for this superb chamber choir. Alec Roth’s spine-tingling Earthrise re-imagines the Earth as seen from space, and a new work by Roderick Williams looks to the future, as well as the past.

This concert is part of our 300th anniversary celebrations.