Exeter Philharmonic Choir will launch its 2025-26 season with a premiere of a new choral work which explores the history of weather and meteorology, The Weather Book, on Saturday 8 November at Exeter Cathedral.
Its composer Cecilia McDowall will give a pre-concert talk about the piece at the nearby Devon and Exeter Institution.
The programme also includes Tragic Overture and Alto Rhapsody by Brahms, Poulenc’s Gloria and Toward the Unknown Region by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Howard Ionascu will conduct the choir with mezzo-soprano Cecily Shaw and sopranos Agnes Auer and Seohyun Go.
Exeter Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1846 and currently has around 100 members. It has given concerts in Exeter every year since its inaugural performance of Handel’s Messiah in 1847.
The choir has performed in the Royal Festival Hall and toured in Germany and Spain.
Cecilia McDowall is a British composer best known for her choral compositions. She has won awards including the Ivor Novello Award and the British Composer Award, for which she has been shortlisted seven times.
Her work has been performed by organisations including City of London Sinfonia, London Mozart Players and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chorus and at festivals worldwide.
The premiere of The Weather Book takes place at 7.30pm on Saturday 8 November 2025 at Exeter Cathedral. Tickets cost £16-30 plus booking fee.
The pre-concert talk with Cecilia McDowall begins at 6.30pm at the Devon and Exeter Institution. Admission is free but must be booked with concert tickets.
For more information and to book tickets visit the Exeter Cathedral website.
