RBC Chamber Choir
The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200 Jennens Road, B4 7XR
£10
£8 under 16s, over 60s
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RBC Chamber Choir
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor
Jeffrey Skidmore leads our acclaimed Chamber Choir in an evening of Baroque splendour. Experience Bach’s radiant Lobet den Herrn and joyful Singet dem Herrn, alongside Alec Roth’s evocative A Time to be Born.
A Time to be Born is a cantata for vocal soloists, choir, and orchestra, designed to be performed on either modern or Bach-period instruments. It sets words from a variety of poets from William Blake to Mary Coleridge, dealing with different aspects of childbirth - serious; comical; mystical. The central duet for alto and bass welcoming a new-born child into our dangerous world features a delightful text translated from Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs). The cantata was premiered in Birmingham by Ex Cathedra in 2019. Alec Roth’s usual practice of revising a new work after the first performance was disrupted by the onset of the Covid Pandemic. The composer is most grateful to Jeffrey Skidmore and the Birmingham Conservatoire students for giving the revised work (including a new concluding movement) its first performance.
Running time approx. one hour
A Time to be Born by Alec Roth was commissioned by Ex Cathedra and Jeffrey Skidmore, and given its world premiere in 2019. This was possible thanks to the generosity of a number of individuals and trusts. Ex Cathedra and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire would like to thank and acknowledge their support:
Isabel, Peter and Christopher in loving memory of Ernest Churcher
Graham and Vivien Mackenzie
William A Cadbury Charitable Trust
Elmley Foundation
John Feeney Charitable Trust
Grimmitt Trust
Leche Trust
Helen Rachael Mackaness Trust
Richard Armitage
Jane Arthur
David Brindley
Christine Diamente
Bill Good
Anne Hartley
Walter & Linda Jennings
Michael Lunn
Amy & Adam Maclean
Alison Perrier-Burgess
Ian Richards
Jill Robinson
Martin & Sandy Whittle
Marjorie Willetts