The newest release in the collectable ‘A Year at..’ series takes us to the glorious baroque church of St Philip in the heart of Birmingham, which became the Cathedral of the new Birmingham Diocese in 1905. The Cathedral is renowned for its graceful Italianate architecture and the remarkable late nineteenth-century stained glass windows, many by Edward Burne-Jones.

In this first recording from Birmingham under musical director, David Hardie, we are taken on a musical journey through the church’s year from Advent to Christ the King.

Alongside the great festivals, Birmingham Cathedral, situated at the heart of Britain’s ‘Second City’, as well as celebrating the cultural and demographic diversity of this great city, has a special mission to support the vulnerable and marginalised in society. The recording features musical items performed during the year to recognise all aspects of its mission.

Birmingham Cathedral Choir sings five choral services each week and gives regular concerts and radio broadcasts. The choristers come from many different schools and reflect the diversity of their city. Many of the adult singers are students or graduates of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire or the University of Birmingham.

David Hardie studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and the Royal Northern College of Music and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He has held posts at Dunblane Cathedral, Manchester Cathedral, St Peter’s Hale, and with the Chester St Cecilia Singers. David came to Birmingham as Assistant Director of Music at Birmingham Cathedral and Organist of the Blue Coat School, Edgbaston, before becoming Head of Music at the Cathedral in 2018.

Ashley Wagner studied at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and was appointed Assistant Head of Music at Birmingham Cathedral in his final year of study. He is also Organist of the Blue Coat School, Edgbaston, accompanist to the Royal Sutton Coldfield Choral Society, and teaches at three local schools. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and has won several awards in international organ competitions.