The concert diary for the next seven days is dominated by Wednesday's day-long tribute to the much-missed cellist Jacqueline du Pr at Symphony Hall. A feature devoted to that event, with full details of its concerts, will appear later in The Birmingham Post, so here this column turns its attention to other things. Ex Cathedra never seems to let up in its busy activities, with a crowded concert diary in which this expert chamber choir finds a bewildering range of absorbing repertoire to explore. After all the Christmas festivities of recent events, Saturday's programme sees Jeffrey Skidmore's singers presenting more sombre stuff with a menu of Stabat Mater settings from various centuries. John Browne's 15th-century version from the Eton Choir-book of this medieval hymn depicting the sorrows of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross is followed by Palestrina's from the 16th century and Scarlatti's from the 18th century. Finally comes the extraordinary triple-choir treatment of 1963 by the great Polish composer Kryzstof Penderecki. The awesome surroundings of Birmingham's magnificent Oratory on Hagley Road offer many acoustic and spatial possibilities for these performances. With luck the venue's recent heating problems will have been solved by now, otherwise an extra element will be added to the generally penitential atmosphere (7.30pm, details on 0121 236 5622). This weekend offers further delights for lovers of choral music, with tomorrow night bringing a choice between the Tallis Scholars performing 16th-century English music by John Taverner, Christopher Tye, John Sheppard and Thomas Tallis himself at Symphony Hall (7.30pm, 0121 780 3333); while over at Birmingham Conservatoire Paul Spicer directs the Conservatoire Chamber Choir in a programme of Brahms, Liszt (the Missa Choralis) and Peter Cornelius, with a rare chance to hear this Wagner disciple's Requiem (7.30pm, 0121 236 5622). City organist Thomas Trotter presides over a programme of ceremonial music for organ and brass tonight at Symphony Hall, when he is joined by the Heart of England Brass Ensemble for an evening under the general title "Crown Imperial". Walton's magnificent march of that name, composed for the 1937 Coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, naturally figures, and there are also works by Gigout, Gardner, Grieg, Handel, Elgar, Jehan Alain and Dupre (7.30pm, details on 0121 780 3333). At the other end of the weekend Trotter nips over to Birmingham Cathedral for the latest in his long-running series of much-loved Monday lunchtime concerts, with a programme of Sweelinck, Bach, Saint-Saens, Bridge and, guess what, Crown Imperial again (1pm, 0121 236 5622). The acclaimed organist and pianist Wayne Marshall is at the Barber Institute tomorrow lunchtime, making his official visit as current president of Birmingham University's Music Society. Admission to his recital at 1.10pm is free, tickets for the subsequent buffet costing £3. Also visiting the Barber Institute this week is the attractive period-instrument Academy of Ancient Music, bringing on Wednesday a mouthwatering sequence of baroque concertos by Handel, Vivaldi and Bach (his popular Concerto for Oboe and Violin, and the wonderful Double Violin Concerto). The concert begins at 7.30pm, with details of both these events available on 0121 414 7333. Tuesday brings two prizewinning young musicians to Birmingham, with Julian Bliss joining the CBSO for Mozart's sublime Clarinet Concerto (7.30pm, 0121 780 3333), and John Reid, Birmingham Accompanist of the Year, collaborating with mezzo-soprano Diana Moore in Berlioz's lovely Les Nuits d'Ete, three songs from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn and the Shakespeare Songs by the Viennese child-prodigy composer, Erich Korngold. Sponsored by Yamaha and the Incorporated Society of Musicians, this Adrian Boult Hall concert begins at 1.05pm, with details on 0121 236 5622. | 
