Wednesday 28 October 2026, Ely Cathedral
We are delighted to announce that the Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus will perform with Britten Sinfonia at Ely Cathedral on Wednesday 28 October 2026, as part of Surround Sound Playlist, the orchestra’s immersive cathedral concert experience.
Conceived by Britten Sinfonia’s CEO and Artistic Director, Meurig Bowen, Surround Sound Playlist was created to break down the barriers that many people feel around classical music. The concert works like a live, eclectic playlist, with short pieces flowing seamlessly from one to the next. Performers are spread across multiple stages around the cathedral, and atmospheric lighting and projection accompany the music.
Many of the rows of seats have been removed, and audiences are encouraged to bring cushions and rugs and to sit or lie down in the Nave’s Immersive Zone. The programme ranges from much-loved favourites such as Allegri’s Miserere, Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and Handel’s Zadok the Priest to music by Bartók, Ligeti, Purcell and Ravel, and by living composers including Eriks Ešenvalds, Morten Lauridsen, Caroline Shaw and Eric Whitacre.
Britten Sinfonia will be joined by the choir Tenebrae, conducted by Nigel Short, saxophonist Amy Dickson, oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros, and harmonica and melodeon player Will Pound. Local choirs and secondary school ensembles will also take part at each venue.
The 2025 tour sold out. More than a third of the groups who attended included someone coming to a classical concert for the first time.
Tickets are Pay What You Can, from £6. The concert is a good way to introduce friends, family and younger audiences to live classical music.
Date: Wednesday 28 October 2026
Venue: Ely Cathedral
Tickets: https://www.brittensinfonia.com/events/britten-sinfonias-surround-sound-playlist-ely-cathedral-2026
Watch a preview here
The concert is part of a five-cathedral autumn tour by Britten Sinfonia, supported by a National Lottery Touring Fund grant from Arts Council England.
