Director of Music Howard Ionascu
Associate Director of Music Stephen Tanner
Honorary Patron Countess Cecilia Rodrigo
Honorary President The Lord Mayor of Exeter
Honorary Vice Presidents Paul Morgan, Raymond Calcraft, Andrew Millington
Associate Director of Music Stephen Tanner
Honorary Patron Countess Cecilia Rodrigo
Honorary President The Lord Mayor of Exeter
Honorary Vice Presidents Paul Morgan, Raymond Calcraft, Andrew Millington
With around 100 members, Exeter Philharmonic Choir has a long tradition of singing choral music, old and new. We always perform with professional orchestras and soloists to maintain our quality of music-making.
Founded in 1846, the choir sang its first concert in 1847, Handel’s much-loved Messiah. Since then we have given concerts in Exeter every year without interruption, despite world wars and pandemics. We have also toured in Spain, Germany and the Isle of Wight, recorded two CDs and performed Joaquín Rodrigo’s music in London’s Royal Festival Hall.
2023/24 season
Founded in 1846, the choir sang its first concert in 1847, Handel’s much-loved Messiah. Since then we have given concerts in Exeter every year without interruption, despite world wars and pandemics. We have also toured in Spain, Germany and the Isle of Wight, recorded two CDs and performed Joaquín Rodrigo’s music in London’s Royal Festival Hall.
2023/24 season
The season began on 4 November with an evening of Baroque music, when Exeter Philharmonic Choir and director of music Howard Ionascu welcomed the Isca Ensemble, renowned vocal soloists and young oboe player Fergus McCready to Exeter Cathedral. Fergus delighted the audience with his playing of the Concerto in D minor for oboe, strings and continuo by Marcello. The climax of the evening was Handel’s sublime Dixit Dominus.
Our popular two nights of ‘Carols in the Cathedral’ in December showcased Christmas music both traditional and new, including a carol recently composed for the choir by associate director of music Stephen Tanner. Special guest artist was Julian Poore on solo trumpet.
On 16 March 2024, a large force of 200 musicians assembled in Exeter Cathedral to perform Verdi’s magnificent Requiem. The choir was joined by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, four internationally acclaimed vocal soloists and a group of guest singers, all of whom excelled in conveying the drama and beauty of this monumental work.
By contrast, ’A Night at the Opera’ - a sparkling gala evening of arias, duets and choruses -closed the season in May in the more intimate setting of St David’s Church. Two rising opera stars, soprano Camilla Harris and tenor Rhys Batt, and two local keyboard maestros, Stephen Tanner and Andrew Downton, shared the stage with the choir for a feast of music spanning four centuries, from Monteverdi to Puccini.
2022/23 season
Variety was the keynote of our 2022/23 season, ranging from ‘Gloria’, a celebration of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign, in November 2022, to a fascinating journey back to 17th-century Venice in March 2023, with a performance of Monteverdi’s monumental Vespers of 1610. The combined forces of EPC, Devon County Junior Choir, world-class professional singers and the virtuoso wind orchestra of His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts, plus period instruments such as theorbo and viola da gamba, thrilled the audience with their spellbinding sounds and technical brilliance.
In between, our two concerts of ‘Carols in the Cathedral’ in December once again brought the joy of Christmas music, with renowned soprano Amy Carson as special guest while Stephen Tanner, our associate director of music, complemented the singing with superb playing on the Cathedral organ. Finally, our summer concert in May was combined with a workshop exploring Sir Karl Jenkins’ choral classic, The Armed Man. The day ended with a moving performance of the work, enhanced by guest musicians on keyboard, trumpet, cello and percussion.
Other musical highlights
During the coronavirus restrictions of March 2020 to May 2021, members met virtually on Zoom and, when permitted, rehearsed together in the open air until ‘normal’ rehearsals resumed officially in September 2021. Returning, with much relief, to Exeter Cathedral in November 2021 for the start of the choir’s 175th season, we performed Fauré’s poignant Requiem, and in December sang our customary two nights of Carols in the Cathedral, with Isca Voices as guests. In March 2022 the London Mozart Players joined us in Exeter Cathedral for Brahms’ monumental Ein deutsches Requiem.
Our 2019/20 season had begun in October 2019 with English and American music at Holy Trinity Church, Exmouth, followed by the two carol concerts in Exeter Cathedral featuring Winchester College Quiristers and Chaconne Brass. On March 2020 we returned to the Cathedral to perform Beethoven Missa Solemnis, accompanied by the English Chamber Orchestra – just one week before the start of the nationwide lockdown.
Looking further back to more normal times, the choir’s 2018/19 season included a debut appearance in Exeter’s Northcott Theatre in June 2019, performing Rossini Petite Messe solennelle and Brahms Liebeslieder-Walzer. Exeter Cathedral was the venue in March 2019 for a performance of Haydn Creation with the London Mozart Players, and also in November 2018 for Bruckner Mass in E minor and John Rutter Requiem.
Howard Ionascu was appointed as the choir’s Director of Music in September 2017. His first season in 2017/18 included a Mozart concert in Exeter Cathedral, featuring the Requiem and Clarinet Concerto, and a concert of French and English music at Buckfast Abbey, accompanied by its superb new Ruffatti organ.
The choir celebrated its 170th anniversary season in 2016/17 with three masterworks in Exeter Cathedral – Handel Messiah, Verdi Requiem and Elgar The Dream of Gerontius, the latter work being chosen by Andrew Millington for his last performance with the choir before his retirement as Director of Music.
Other highlights of recent years included a nautical-themed concert in March 2016 in Exeter Cathedral. This featured Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony, together with the first performance of Andrew Millington’s new work, The Seafarer, based on an Anglo-Saxon poem from the unique 10th-century Exeter Book, housed in Exeter Cathedral’s Library and Archives. In 2012 the choir joined the Scottish National Orchestra and Exeter Cathedral Choir for the first recording of the Lazarus Requiem by contemporary composer Patrick Hawes.
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Our popular two nights of ‘Carols in the Cathedral’ in December showcased Christmas music both traditional and new, including a carol recently composed for the choir by associate director of music Stephen Tanner. Special guest artist was Julian Poore on solo trumpet.
On 16 March 2024, a large force of 200 musicians assembled in Exeter Cathedral to perform Verdi’s magnificent Requiem. The choir was joined by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, four internationally acclaimed vocal soloists and a group of guest singers, all of whom excelled in conveying the drama and beauty of this monumental work.
By contrast, ’A Night at the Opera’ - a sparkling gala evening of arias, duets and choruses -closed the season in May in the more intimate setting of St David’s Church. Two rising opera stars, soprano Camilla Harris and tenor Rhys Batt, and two local keyboard maestros, Stephen Tanner and Andrew Downton, shared the stage with the choir for a feast of music spanning four centuries, from Monteverdi to Puccini.
2022/23 season
Variety was the keynote of our 2022/23 season, ranging from ‘Gloria’, a celebration of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign, in November 2022, to a fascinating journey back to 17th-century Venice in March 2023, with a performance of Monteverdi’s monumental Vespers of 1610. The combined forces of EPC, Devon County Junior Choir, world-class professional singers and the virtuoso wind orchestra of His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts, plus period instruments such as theorbo and viola da gamba, thrilled the audience with their spellbinding sounds and technical brilliance.
In between, our two concerts of ‘Carols in the Cathedral’ in December once again brought the joy of Christmas music, with renowned soprano Amy Carson as special guest while Stephen Tanner, our associate director of music, complemented the singing with superb playing on the Cathedral organ. Finally, our summer concert in May was combined with a workshop exploring Sir Karl Jenkins’ choral classic, The Armed Man. The day ended with a moving performance of the work, enhanced by guest musicians on keyboard, trumpet, cello and percussion.
Other musical highlights
During the coronavirus restrictions of March 2020 to May 2021, members met virtually on Zoom and, when permitted, rehearsed together in the open air until ‘normal’ rehearsals resumed officially in September 2021. Returning, with much relief, to Exeter Cathedral in November 2021 for the start of the choir’s 175th season, we performed Fauré’s poignant Requiem, and in December sang our customary two nights of Carols in the Cathedral, with Isca Voices as guests. In March 2022 the London Mozart Players joined us in Exeter Cathedral for Brahms’ monumental Ein deutsches Requiem.
Our 2019/20 season had begun in October 2019 with English and American music at Holy Trinity Church, Exmouth, followed by the two carol concerts in Exeter Cathedral featuring Winchester College Quiristers and Chaconne Brass. On March 2020 we returned to the Cathedral to perform Beethoven Missa Solemnis, accompanied by the English Chamber Orchestra – just one week before the start of the nationwide lockdown.
Looking further back to more normal times, the choir’s 2018/19 season included a debut appearance in Exeter’s Northcott Theatre in June 2019, performing Rossini Petite Messe solennelle and Brahms Liebeslieder-Walzer. Exeter Cathedral was the venue in March 2019 for a performance of Haydn Creation with the London Mozart Players, and also in November 2018 for Bruckner Mass in E minor and John Rutter Requiem.
Howard Ionascu was appointed as the choir’s Director of Music in September 2017. His first season in 2017/18 included a Mozart concert in Exeter Cathedral, featuring the Requiem and Clarinet Concerto, and a concert of French and English music at Buckfast Abbey, accompanied by its superb new Ruffatti organ.
The choir celebrated its 170th anniversary season in 2016/17 with three masterworks in Exeter Cathedral – Handel Messiah, Verdi Requiem and Elgar The Dream of Gerontius, the latter work being chosen by Andrew Millington for his last performance with the choir before his retirement as Director of Music.
Other highlights of recent years included a nautical-themed concert in March 2016 in Exeter Cathedral. This featured Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony, together with the first performance of Andrew Millington’s new work, The Seafarer, based on an Anglo-Saxon poem from the unique 10th-century Exeter Book, housed in Exeter Cathedral’s Library and Archives. In 2012 the choir joined the Scottish National Orchestra and Exeter Cathedral Choir for the first recording of the Lazarus Requiem by contemporary composer Patrick Hawes.
