Impact case study database

Building creative communities through participation in contemporary music is at the heart of our impact strategy and underpins every aspect of this case study. This impact is achieved through our participatory compositional methodologies, public engagement in the co-production of experimental music, strategies for bringing together classical and improvising musicians as communities of (professional) practice, and using interdisciplinary approaches to help create new ways of understanding the world.

Our ‘flagship’ example of such community building is the ambitious *for-Wards project, developed by Cutler and Gardner in collaboration with 9 leading music organisations, directly involving 837 Birmingham residents in the compositional process itself. This included 10 professional composers and 40 diverse community groups made up of young mums, school children, amateur poets, community garden volunteers, golf enthusiasts and residential home tenants, resulting in the co-creation of 10 hyperlocal musical works. The performative outcomes of the project, taking place in non-concert hall spaces such as community gardens, working men’s clubs, school halls, country parks and churches, engaging communities across the city, reached an audience of 42,297 (live and online) [S01]. Birmingham Live (online newspaper) summarised the project and its impact: “Now more than 500 Birmingham residents are to have their own recorded sounds broadcast at six world premieres … when music created across the city and then intertwined with the sounds that make it tick will be heard in public for the first time. Named after Birmingham’s 19th century motto Forward, the for-Wards project links community groups from across 40 different city wards.” [S02] At the individual level, BBC Midlands Today (2/7/2018) focused on the experience of a year 6 pupil in Perry Barr, one of the most deprived areas of Birmingham, noting how he had ‘opened up and become more confident’ and developed his talents. [S02] Simon Duggall, Grammy-nominated record producer and musical leader of the Perry Barr group, reflected, “ For me, the for-Wards project is a celebration of the diversity that exists in my home town. It’s given me an opportunity to learn from and about different communities that I would possibly not otherwise get to know” and “ it was wonderful to see this sense of community still live and kicking in these areas. The music we made broke down barriers and brought us all together. The project empowered individuals to evolve, learn and grow”. [S03]

The for-Wards methodology now underpins Eastside Projects’ Twelve Tones,* the community participation strand of Station Clock, a large-scale aural clock and £2 million public artwork by Turner Prize-winning artist, Susan Philipsz, to be located at the new HS2 Curzon Street Station. Twelve Tones began in 2018, engaging with communities across Birmingham and Solihull to explore ideas of place through sound, time and people’s voices in a series of workshops and sharing events, and was featured on BBC Midlands Today (13/2/2020): “the voices of Brummies aged 4 to 94 have been captured in a capsule of time.” [S02] Gardner’s “hyperlocal methodological research supported … a thriving live project across the city, seeking out communities and making sounds and music together and building a new community across the city which we are all working on now to bring together for Susan Philipsz’s future artwork.” (Director, Eastside Projects). [S03] To date, Twelve Tones has created 668 voice recordings, working with 46 community groups. Further work on this project is currently paused due to Covid-19.

Changing working practices and developing careers.

Xhosa Cole was the youngest professional composer to work with for-Wards. He reflected, “ I came into the project thinking I knew a fair bit about Birmingham’s history, culture and community but I’ve learnt so much from all the individuals in the community groups, who really shaped the project for me and further shaped my perspective of my home city!” [S03] Cole went on to win the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2018, performing his co-created for-Wards commission Moving Ladywood in the final. Community-produced compositions are often marginalised in professional practice, but Cole invited a national audience to share sonically in the experience of the local Ladywood district community: “ *I felt as though when I was on stage, I had the full strength and voice of my community behind me, probably because they played such a vital role in bringing this tune to life. Bringing this level of musical integrity and authenticity to the stage may have been one of the things that helped me to win.*” Winning BBCYJM has in turn accelerated his professional profile: “ having that platform to perform, to showcase myself and my music opened many doors for me. Since then I have done a 23-date tour of the UK, performed at two proms and recorded saxophone for a UK top 30 album.” [S03]

for-Wards influenced the working practices of other composers in different ways. Edgbaston District composer, Matt Eaton (leader of alt-pop group Pram) explains: “ *Over the course of the project I developed new skills and interests previously unexplored within my practice, particularly in the area of community music and curation… As a result of the for-Wards project I was commissioned by Eastside Projects to deliver 20 workshops in sound art and composition as part of their "Twelve Tones" programme. for-Wards was my introduction to these workshop methods and they have since become a part of my practice.*” [S03] Composer and jazz musician Sebastiano Dessanay was part of the pilot phase of for-Wards and went on to translate aspects of its methodology into his own ‘377 Project’, which involved cycling and creating music in the 377 municipalities of his native Sardinia in 377 days (2018-19). Dessanay explains: “ *The 377 Project was born from a question I've had in my head for a long time ‘what of Sardinia is within me when I compose?’ During the for-Wards project I engaged with communities with different backgrounds which forced me to ‘enter’ those worlds, which I felt were very different from mine. It was then that I thought I needed to answer my question by engaging with communities and places I was connected with.*” [S03]

Other research beyond for-Wards has also impacted careers and professional practices. Cutler’s Karembeu’s Guide [R04] written for saxophonist Trish Clowes (former BBC R3 New Generation Artist), impacted her work as performer and artistic director of Emulsion Sinfonietta. The novelty of this co-created piece is the way it bridges the jazz-classical genre divide through ‘directed improvisation’, which Clowes explains “ required that I use my skills as an improviser in a different way to playing jazz standards or contemporary jazz contexts,” describing the process as “ extremely fulfilling,” the approach informing “ *how I will consider bringing together musicians trained in different traditions for future projects.*” [S04]

This work won a British Composer Award which brought new audiences and an increased profile to the Emulsion Sinfonietta, as did its subsequent release on NMC Recordings (reaching no.10 in Classical Specialist Chart, 26/10/18) and critical reception, e.g. 4* Times review (19/10/18), 5* Classical Music Magazine review (Jan 2019) and four separate broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 (10/12/16, 1/2/17, 11/3/17, 5/1/19). [S05] The ‘proven success’ [S05] of Karembeu’s Guide as a composer/performer collaboration led directly to Radio 3 commissioning Cutler’s Hawaii saxophone concerto [R05] for Clowes as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Hawaii’s subsequent Radio 3 broadcast, CD release, and nomination for a 2020 Ivor Novello Award is evidence of continuing reach and significance, and has added to Clowes’s growing profile as a performer.

Clancy’s Salt Interventions [R06] changed Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter Katie Kim’s attitude to cross-genre collaboration. She explains: “I am normally a very solitary writer and reluctant to collaborate … but Sean's reimagining … encouraged me look at the way I approach composing and arranging differently.” [S06] It has led to new collaborative relationships, including her decision “to continue working with Crash Ensemble’s cellist and artistic director, exploring areas in my new works that I previously may have been too intimidated to investigate,” and it has enabled Kim to reach new audiences, identifying “a new listenership … that otherwise would not have been exposed to my genre of music before.” [S06]

Influencing fields beyond music

Our methods have been translated into diverse fields such as public art (see Twelve Tones, above), science communication, and language preservation. For example, Hamilton's three musical works for the Irish Language Art Song Project [R03] contributed to tackling the lack of art song in Irish/Gaeilge, raising awareness in the professional singing community and wider society. Dáirine Ní Mheadhra, co-founder of ILASP, said: “With the Irish language in constant decline, and with the number of contemporary art songs representing the language at a surprisingly low number… we are now proud to have created an online resource that provides spoken recordings, word-for-word translations, and phonetic guides for singing in Irish completely free of charge.” [S07] Irish language expert Alan Titley said: “I learned a lot during the course of this project … [Andrew] married the text with the music in a compelling way … [that] would inspire others to follow in his path… to show that it can be done in itself is a success.” [S07]

Ingamells’s methods for reading the actions of active participants as musical notation in Make each face a living note [R02] were adopted by ‘Hand Of’ arts education charity (enriching the education of disadvantaged children) for their Northumberland Space Programme (2018–ongoing) in which children read each other as notation and could themselves be ‘played’ by a giant spotlight acting as a telescope. To date 60 children have participated in the project. North East Ambition (EU-funded careers guidance platform) reported, “ Teachers observed that working alongside composer Andy Ingamells has had a notable impact on levels on confidence and soft skills like resilience and teamwork. Before the start of the programme, only two pupils said that they wanted to go to university and at the end, every child that took part said that they would like to”. [S08] The project was featured on ITV News (Tyne Tees, 14/11/18), in which the children's headteacher commented, “To be able to see that they're all able to perform, to move, to dance, to play an instrument has just been amazing”. [S08] Impacts from this work are ongoing. For example, musical resources created during the Northumberland Space Programme were subsequently adapted for a Young Palaeontologist Workshop at Dublin Zoo in order to “demonstrate the concept of deep time through a danceable rhythm… [a] very difficult [concept] for young people to fully grasp and [Ingamells’s] video made it much easier for us to communicate our scientific research.” [S09] Hand Of’s CEO writes: “Andy Ingamells’s expertise and performance interests continue to inspire many workshops and projects which we develop for vulnerable children... providing examples of theatrical musical activities for workshop leaders across all of our projects nationwide.” [S09]

The editions created by members of the French Music Research Hub have provided new work, new approaches, and new perspectives on the repertoire involved. These in turn enabled key events where renowned professional performers and arts organizations could present international audiences with the opportunity to encounter previously unheard repertoire by major composers and hear familiar works in significantly new guises. The resulting performances featured below are merely the most high-profile instances of the sustained activity by the Hub. For instance, the AHRC-funded Accenting the Classics project concerts gave new performance perspectives on standard repertoire (e.g. Bach, Chopin, Mendelssohn) using these historic editions, alongside public performances of genuine rarities (e.g. Vuillemin, Büsser). The Hub’s research is regularly presented at RBC’s Public Research Seminars. For instance, a 2019 seminar by Thompson featured the first modern performance of a Concerto Grosso by Charles Henri de Blainville. All members of the Hub: Dingle (Messiaen Un oiseau), Sadler (Rameau Zoroastre), Thompson (Charpentier motets) and Mawer and Moore ( Accenting the Classics) outlined their work at RBC’s 2018 Musicology Showcase, live-streamed on Facebook (over 1800 views) to schools and colleges from across Europe as well as A-level students and members of the public.

Messiaen World Premiere

Dingle’s realization of Messiaen’s, Un oiseau des arbres de Vie (Oiseau Tui) ( R01), received its world premiere by the BBC Philharmonic under Nicholas Collon at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms on 7 August 2015. In addition to the audience in the hall (5022), the event was broadcast twice on BBC Radio 3, twice on the BBC World Service, made available thorugh the European Broadcasters Union and subsequently carried on overseas national broadcasters such as Antena 2, RTP (Portugal), Bartók Rádió (Hungary), Polskie Radio (Poland), RÚV (Iceland) as well as being live-streamed on worldconcerthall.com. The performance was also part of a selection from The Proms repeated on BBC Radio 3 in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The premiere was preceded by a BBC Proms Extra event, in which Dingle was joined by pianist/scholar Peter Hill and Christopher Cook for a discussion of the work, broadcast on Radio 3 during the concert interval. The event was covered by the national press ( The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent) as well as leading online sites (including The Arts Desk, Seen and Heard International, Classical Source and Bachtrack) ( S01). Writing in The Telegraph John Allison noted that ‘The full house for this Prom … was lucky to hear it … yet as orchestrated with total idiomatic command by the Messiaen scholar Christopher Dingle … it deserves to be heard more widely’ ( S01), while Martin Kettle in The Guardian referred to ‘Christopher Dingle’s exciting and vivid realisation of Messiaen’s L’Oiseau Tui [sic]’ ( S01). Renowned conductor, Nicholas Collon, who gave the premiere, has testified that:

It was an eye-opening experience to conduct this piece. It remains the hardest piece I have ever conducted, thanks to the extraordinary frequency of its metre and tempo changes, despite its brevity! It’s a wonderful glimpse into what might have happened to Messiaen’s compositional style had he lived longer, and I’m sure it made an enormous impression on the packed Proms audience. I would certainly like to do it again, and am already trying to programme it in Finland in 2023 ( S02).

Similarly, in conversation in 2015, leading composer Julian Anderson, CBE, stated that ‘He never wrote music like that before. It was extraordinary. His wonderful orchestration, as perfectly realised by you in the Tui, revealed this summer, was a thing of total joy because that, again, was new colours, new sounds and new ways. He’d never written orchestral music like that’ ( S03).

The Director of the BBC Philharmonic commented that ‘Olivier Messiaen is one of the most important twentieth century composers […] to have the opportunity to perform a world premiere of a forgotten and recently realised work by Messiaen fits perfectly with our ambitions’ ( S04). This was elaborated by the Head of Music Programmes, BBC Radio 3 and Director of the BBC Proms 2015:

The performance of Un oiseau des arbres de Vie (Oiseau Tui) was a significant moment for lovers of Messiaen’s music and we were pleased to premiere it at the BBC Proms in 2015, so that it could reach the widest possible audience – both in the Royal Albert Hall, on BBC Radio 3 and across the world via our links with the European Broadcasting Union. The BBC Proms has always been committed to championing new music and a discovery of a hitherto unknown work by Messiaen was very exciting. Thanks to Christopher Dingle, who completed the orchestration from Messiaen’s short score and prepared the performing parts, the BBC Philharmonic and conductor Nicholas Collon were able to give this work the high-profile performance it deserved. It was a truly creative example of scholarship and performance combining to bring the music to life from the original manuscript. ( S05)

The Messiaen premiere was the new music headline the review of 2015 on Musical America Worldwide ( S01), a site used by more than 14,000 performing arts organizations and 24,000 musicians and professionals in more than 95 countries.

Rameau – Zoroastre (1756 version) – First Critical Edition

Sadler’s new edition of the 1756 version of Rameau’s Zoroastre for the landmark Bärenreiter Rameau Opera Omnia received its concert premiere in Montpellier in 2016 by Ensemble Pygmalion under Raphaël Pichon. The ensemble devoted their summer season to the work, with further performances at the Beaune Festival, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Versailles and Theater an der Wien. These led to broadcasts across Europe by RadioFrance and l'Union Européenne de Radio Télévision (UER), with further broadcasts in the UK (BBC Radio 3), Denmark (DR – as Opera of the Week), Belgium (Klara), Poland (Polskie Radio) and Sweden (Sveriges Radio). The importance for Pichon and the Ensemble of being able to present this version of the work is reflected in the fact that it attracted significant previews (e.g. Le Figaro (print and online interview), Opera News and a broadcast on France Culture) as well as reviews in a range of media (e.g. Le Figaro, Diapason, La Croix, Bachtrack.com, Baroquiades.com) ( S06).

The first fully-staged production using Sadler’s edition was at the Komische Oper Berlin, conductor Christian Curnyn, in June and July 2017. The opera was central to the promotion of the company’s 2017 season, reflected in the extensive promotional materials devoted to the opera ( S07). The benefit of presenting this music properly in a full modern production for the first time translated into substantial international press attention before and after the production (e.g. Berliner Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel, Financial Times), often noting the novelty and importance of now being able to hear this music ( S08). The German newspaper Volksstimme quoted Barrie Kosky, Director of the Komische Oper, as stating at the unveiling of the season that he wanted the company to keep its audience ‘curious about new things and continue the enormous range of its repertoire’ ( S08). The value of the work to performers is reflected in the comments of baritone Thomas Dolié, who sung one of the principal roles, Abramane: ‘It is very rare, even in France, that we put a full-scale production of a large Rameau opera like this one. It is not famous, but it is really one of the most difficult and probably one of the best. I have to say, I am really impressed’ ( S07).

Clérambault – New Realization of Genre

According to the librarian of Les Talens Lyriques, ‘the quality of his [Sadler’s] edition of the cantata La Muse de l'Opéra made it possible to recreate the work for the first time in its full orchestral form […] as originally intended by the composer […] opening the way for a reconsideration of the cantata's effectiveness’ ( S09). The edition thus enabled internationally renowned baroque specialist Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques to give the first modern performances (at Potsdam, Germany in June 2016 and the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, Austria in August 2017) of any French Baroque cantata to include realization of the inner parts. Previous performances of this repertoire had assumed that the extant scores represented the totality of the music, rather than the bare bones. The performances mark the first public dissemination of this fundamental new perspective on these works. As noted by Bruno Maury on the specialist Baroque website Baroquiades.com, ‘this cantata by Clérambault is revealed as a precious example of French baroque art in the first half of the 18th century, on a par with the great operas of which it is the brilliant miniature reflection’ ( S10). Sadler’s edition now forms the first of a major series of reconstituted cantatas being published by the prestigious Éditions du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, a series that already includes a further Clérambault cantata, Le Soleil, vainqueur des nuages, edited by Lorenzo Novelli, and Sadler’s edition of François Colin de Blamont’s Circe.

Rameau – Modern Premiere

Sadler’s reconstruction of Rameau’s motet Paroles qui ont précédé le Te Deum enabled the work to have its first performances since 1744 as part of the opening concert of the 2018 Utrecht Festival, one of the leading European early music festivals. The performers, the highly regarded choir Vox Luminis directed by Lionel Meunier, reprised the work the following evening as an encore to a filmed concert live-streamed in HD by Dutch broadcaster Avrotros and subsequently available on its YouTube channel (over 34,000 views); NPO Radio 4 (Netherlands – live and online in HD stream), BBC Radio 3, WSMT (Chicago, USA), Polskie Radio 24 (Poland) and made available through the European Broadcasters Union. The work, which Meunier claimed as a world premiere, led the social media campaign for the festival for both Vox Luminis and the broadcaster Avrotros (5.11). The importance of Sadler’s edition for the ensemble is reflected by the fact that Lionel Meunier posted the video of this piece in a Facebook post on 31st March 2020, 16th birthday of the founding of Vox Luminis, where he reflected on the emerging crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic:

Last but not least, I want to share some music, which I have in my head for the last days. That’s the best match in our days […] and such a souvenir from Utrecht Early Music Festival, largest gathering of early music lovers in the world. Rameau did rework this music with a new latin text for Louis XV who fell so gravely ill that it was thought necessary to administer the Last Rites. Yet just when his physicians had given up hope, Louis began a seemingly miraculous recovery. […] It finishes with hope. Hope is what made me dare to create this ensemble 16 years ago […] I ‘hope, not in vain’, to see you all again whenever that will be, to share our music live. ( S11)

Jeffrey Skidmore is internationally renowned as founder-director of the Birmingham-based vocal ensemble Ex Cathedra (ExC), which, as the principal conduit of his research, celebrated ‘50 years of Inspiring Singing’ during the 2019-20 season [ S01]. The impact of Skidmore’s research was recognised by the award of OBE for ‘services to choral music’ (2015), and an honorary PhD at the University of Birmingham (2017).

The specific impacts of Skidmore’s research since 2013 can be grouped into three main areas:

1. A significant expansion of the choral repertoire, achieved a) through his own performances as director of ExC, and b) through wider dissemination and usage of his performing editions by other choral groups worldwide.

2. Enhancing the cultural life of the City of Birmingham; and

3. Widening opportunities for young singers and nurturing the next generation of professional choral musicians.

All three impact strands were highlighted in the one-hour BBC R3 documentary on his work, The Choir (2017), which acknowledged how “Ex Cathedra, the Birmingham-based choir… has carved out a particular niche thanks to Jeffrey’s own research.” [ S02].

Expansion of the choral repertoire

Skidmore’s research directly influences the nature of ExC’s concert programming by introducing newly commissioned and newly rediscovered music that expands the choral repertoire and challenges existing understandings of the choral canon. This has resulted in an increased awareness of the breadth of the cultural heritage of European and South American choral music among audiences and choral participants worldwide. Moreover, by commissioning and co-producing new choral music Skidmore is actively contributing to this heritage.

Audiences experience new repertoire though ExC’s regular live concerts – typically 28 concerts per season (186 concerts during the census period, reaching an estimated total live audience of over 90,000) [ S01]. Skidmore’s research-informed live performances are regularly featured on BBC Radio 3, including ‘Live in Concert’ (4 times during census period), ‘In Tune’ (8 times), Early Music Show (twice) – these fourteen broadcasts reaching an extended audience of up to 1.4 million in the UK [ S02].

Skidmore’s recordings of South American and French Baroque repertoire [ R01, R04, R05] are released on the Hyperion label, while the contemporary music [ R02, R06] is released on Signum. Both labels have excellent worldwide distribution networks including 30 countries in 6 continents [ S03]. Reviews in the international press [selection in S04] speak not only of the superlative quality of the performances/recordings, but also of the importance of Skidmore’s discoveries and contribution to the repertoire: e.g., reviewers for R05 wrote ‘Skidmore’s research into Brazilian music has given us a really touching disc … meltingly beautiful’ ( MusicWeb International), and praised its ‘really worthwhile discoveries’ ( The Guardian), ‘hinting at the huge variety of Brazilian music that still awaits performance’ ( Gramophone); ‘representative, inclusive and faithful to the diversity of Brazilian colonial production’ ( Cultura Música, Portugal). Similarly, The Choir documentary acknowledged Skidmore’s ‘incredible research … in the cathedrals of South America, really investigating this South American Baroque repertoire which, until [Skidmore] started recording it was really not very well known at all.’ [ S02].

The fruits of Skidmore’s research have been made available to other choral participants worldwide through his performing editions of S. American and French Baroque repertoire. These are published and distributed internationally via ExC’s in-house ‘Stable Press’ (2604 scores sold since 2009; 957 within census period [ S05]). This enterprise has enabled those who first became familiar with the repertoire through Skidmore’s recordings to sing it themselves, resulting in performances by professional, amateur and youth choirs, particularly in the UK, Germany and USA, including leading universities and conservatoires (HEI customers since 2013 include 8 UK, 11 EU and 11 US [ S05]), and with a performance of Araujo’s Los coflades sung by a youth chorus (9-18 years) taking place as far afield as Mumbai (November 2016) [ S05].

Moreover, as an invited choral director at the prestigious Dartington International Summer School, Skidmore had the opportunity to programme repertoire arising from his research with a choir of c.100 participants in 2015 (‘Spem in Alium/Earthrise’ R02) and 2018 (‘Christmas in the Sun’ R05). He has similarly directed research-led programmes at the Early Music Course and Festival at the Oficina de Música de Curitiba in Brazil (dir. Rodolfo Richter) 2014-18.

Enhancing the cultural life of the City of Birmingham

Jeffrey Skidmore is a familiar cultural figure in the City of Birmingham, reaching live audiences at the heart of the city with ExC as an Associate Artist at Town Hall & Symphony Hall (THSH) since 2007. THSH’s Chief Executive writes: “It is [Skidmore’s] bravery in championing undiscovered and new writing that resonates most... [We] can only remain relevant by tirelessly encouraging new artists, new composers and curiosity in our audiences… Jeffrey’s ambition with Ex Cathedra is immensely helpful in supporting this, and creating a shared narrative with music makers across the city.” [ S06].

At THSH Skidmore has developed a unique ‘Birmingham Baroque’ partnership with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), through which his research insights in historical performance practices provide a basis for professional musicians to develop their skills in the field of baroque music. CBSO’s Chief Executive explains, “it has been fascinating for the orchestral players of the CBSO to benefit from Jeffrey’s expert knowledge... [which] made the whole experience far richer for all concerned – musicians and audience. And by performing this music with an outstanding specialist choir like Ex Cathedra … the CBSO has been able to expand the range of our world-class offer at our home in Symphony Hall, into areas of the repertoire that are simply not an option for most top symphonic orchestras.” [ S06].

Throughout his long association with ExC, Skidmore has retained an amateur choir at the heart of the organisation (membership 48), which provides opportunities for amateur singers to perform at the highest level alongside professional musicians. Members of the choir testify to the positive effect this has had on their lives. One longstanding member of 24 years writes: “The choir seem to move relentlessly from one USP to another: Monteverdi's contrafacta, French Baroque, Latin American Baroque... all based on Jeffrey's scholarship… Ex Cathedra has given me some of the greatest musical experiences anyone could wish for – and all as an amateur singer. Its amazing network of musicians has provided me with my best friends, my husband, most of my job opportunities and an endless parade of inspiring young professionals. I can honestly say that the choir was a factor in my decision to settle permanently in Birmingham. Without it, the city and the choral landscape in general would be a much poorer place.” Another member comments that Skidmore’s “research and guidance on pronunciation and performance style helped us to bring this glorious music alive for audiences in Birmingham and beyond. I believe that our CD recordings of hidden treasures of 17^th century Latin America … have helped to put Ex Cathedra and Birmingham on the cultural map.” [ S07].

Skidmore’s work with ExC is informed by an intimate understanding of and respect for the cultural diversity of the city, which he views as “a microcosm of the world – so to tackle the problems of Birmingham and the opportunities of Birmingham is what’s important to me as a born-and-bred Brummie.” [ S02]. Diversity initiatives inform and are embedded in Skidmore’s programming choices, e.g. including performing Purcell’s Indian Queen alongside South American Baroque repertoire; Roxana Panufnik’s commission for ExC alongside Milapfest (classical Indian music ensemble); and the commissioning of new music by female composers [especially R03, R06]. A prime example is Liz Dilnot Johnson’s ‘Jerusalem/Blake re-imagined’, commissioned for ExC’s 50^th anniversary concert (produced digitally under Covid-lockdown in September 2020: reaching an audience of 2,966 as of 08-10-20) which combined the voices of ExC with improvisations by Debipriya Sircar (sitar and voice). The deputy chair of Birmingham and Solihull LEP tweeted about this “magnificent response to those who have been using music to seek to divide us in recent weeks” (with reference to recent programming controversy at the BBC Proms) [ S06].

Widening opportunities for young singers and nurturing the next generation of professional choral musicians.

Creating opportunities for young people to engage with choral music through his research has been central to Skidmore’s mission, with the ethos of “local, young talent being developed through something as unknown as French Baroque music” a central theme of Skidmore’s conversation with Sarah Mohr-Pietch in The Choir documentary [ S02].

ExC’s Academy of Vocal Music (AVM) is an established choral training programme for children in Birmingham aged 4-18 (benefitting more than 130 children since 2013 [ S08]), which includes the opportunity to sing alongside ExC in selected concerts and recordings (including research-led projects, e.g. R02, R03). Benefits of this involvement extend beyond the musical: “I have not only developed my musical and singing knowledge but have also been equipped with invaluable communication, self-management and social skills.” [AVM member, S08].

Working with and nurturing young voices has also informed the methodology of his research (through which impact is embedded in the research process itself) since his initial forays into S. American Baroque music, which began with a series of workshops for Birmingham schoolchildren. A recent example of this methodology in practice, providing opportunities for widening participation and involvement of young people in high-quality innovative choral performances, is the Shakespeare Odes production [ R03] which involved 30 children (aged 10-18) in AVM, together with 30 KS2 children from Stratford-upon-Avon and 90 KS2 from Tower Hamlets [ S5]. One AVM member commented, “The Shakespeare Odes concert at Southwell Cathedral was the best day of my life!” [ S08]. Streaming of this project via BBC iPlayer reached over 24,000 viewers (average engagement time 9’52”) [ S02].

ExC provides a route into the singing profession, and important employment opportunities for young professional singers who typically form the core of the ExC Consort. Over the years this has helped launch the international careers of numerous high-profile musicians (conductors and soloists), including Paul Agnew, Nigel Short, Carolyn Sampson, Eamonn Dougan, Marcus Farnsworth, Pat Dunachie and Nick Ashby (the latter two joining the acclaimed King’s Singers in 2016 and 2019, respectively). This has been achieved in large part through Skidmore’s work as Artistic Director for Early Music and Chamber Choir conductor at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire over more than two decades, though which he has overseen the training of 70 singers (14 since 2013) who went on to sing professionally with ExC. [ S09] This route into the choral singing profession is now (since 2016) recognised by a series of ExC Scholarships at RBC, and a graduate scholarship programme (4 scholarships in each scheme annually). International soprano soloist Carolyn Sampson joined ExC at the age 19 and writes, “my experience in this extraordinary choir gave me valuable performing opportunities and, crucially, insight into repertoire … [which] led to my feeling comfortable when I came to work with other orchestras in Europe on French baroque repertoire. [The] Marie Fel [CD, R04] for which we won a Gramophone Award … was truly a highlight of my career, and was only possible thanks to Jeffrey's belief in me and his dedication to the music.” [ S10, S04].