Midlands Classical Music Making

  JAMES BURTON SUCCEEDS JEFFREY SKIDMORE AT EX CATHEDRA                                                           By Christopher Morley   t the end of the 2026-27 concert season Jeffrey Skidmore finally retires as Artistic Director of the crack chamber choir Ex Cathedra after an astonishing 58 years as founder-director. His successor is James Burton, whose talents can be sampled at St Francis’ Church, Bournville, on Saturday November 14. He brings a huge range of experience, but begins by telling me his feelings at taking over from such a legendary conductor   “I am very excited and humbled to continue the incredible work achieved by Jeffrey over his long tenure with Ex Cathedra,” h...

  CBSO at Symphony Hall ★★★★★ Ilan Volkov’s tenure as the CBSO’s Principal Guest Conductor began auspiciously with a superlative performance of Bruckner’s Symphony No.7. He made his mark even before a note was played by correctly dividing the violins antiphonally left and right, bringing extra clarity to Bruckner’s dense string sound and making the passage in the slow movement where cellos and violas play rapturously together easier to appreciate as they directly faced the audience. Volkov was assiduous in following Bruckner’s tempi, the Scherzo was very fast as required but never hectic, the rustic cock-crowing motif fully relished. The finale likewise was well judged by Volkov with great momentum, from grounded thrusting basses topped by the CBSO’s braying brass, but ‘not too quickly’ as Bruckner wanted. The sublime Adagio is one of Bruckner’s highest achievements – and here was a performance worthy of it. Bruckner’s threnody to his musical idol Wagner complete with a quartet of ...