CANTATA ELIENSIS

The Cantata Eliensis tells the story of the founding and building of the great cathedral at Ely over a period of four centuries or more.

The libretto, by Nick Pitts-Tucker, is derived from original material as much as possible, with the chief source being the Liber Eliensis, a contemporary account written by the monks at Ely Abbey no later than 1172 AD.  Other sources are Bede's History of the English Church and secondary sources from each period.

The three acts of the Cantata Eliensis were commissioned from three different composers – Anna Krause, Toby Young and Louis Mander.  Each piece lasts for approximately thirty minutes and is scored for soloists, chorus and small instrumental ensemble.

The première of Cantata Eliensis took place at St Wulfram's Church, Grantham on 28 September 2014 as part of the Gravity Fields Festival.  As a result of this we were invited to do a performance at Ely Cathedral which took place in the stunning Lady Chapel on 26 June 2015, to great acclaim.  We are most grateful to everyone at Ely Cathedral who provided enthusiastic support for this ambitious project.