The Panther is a new choral anthem by Nico Muhly, setting a text by Eleanor Parker, based on a poem from The Exeter Book.
Muhly says: "The Exeter Book is a collection of Old English poetry, likely compiled in the 10th century. It contains, among other things, a poem comparing Christ to a panther, in a fabulous extended metaphor. When my dear friend James Mustard, the Canon Precentor at Exeter Cathedral (which, as you might expect, houses the Book itself) asked me if I would consider setting that poem to celebrate Exeter’s hosting of the Northern European Cathedrals Conference this winter, I asked the wonderful Eleanor Parker if she would make a translation for me, and the result is The Panther."
The first performance will take place on Wednesday February 4 at Exeter Cathedral under the direction of Timothy Noon, during the Northern European Cathedrals Conference. The Panther was commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Exeter, with generous support of the Malcolm Walker Fund, to celebrate the opening in 2025 of Exeter Cathedral’s Treasures Exhibition, putting The Exeter Book on public display for the first time since its bequeathal to Exeter Cathedral in 1072.
The service will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong weekly programme.