The Cinematic Orchestra to perform at St Paul's Cathedral

The show launches St Paul’s Cathedral and fabric’s newly announced four-year partnership and marks The Cinematic Orchestra’s first London performance since their appearance at the Royal Festival Hall in 2024. Running through to 2030, the partnership will see fabric become the Cathedral’s exclusive partner for contemporary music, building on the celebrated performances previously held with RY X in 2024 and Patti Smith in 2025.

The seated, minimal-amplification concerts form part of the Cathedral’s wider initiative to welcome new audiences through its doors, using contemporary music to introduce the space to those who might not otherwise experience it, while offering longstanding visitors and worshippers a new way to encounter the building.
For this unique performance, The Cinematic Orchestra will be joined by a collection of guests representing the group’s past, present and future. Among them is Canadian composer/vocalist/pianist Patrick Watson, perennial featured vocalist Heidi Vogel, NYC-based composer/producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist Elliott Skinner and Bristol-based singer/songwriter Kathleen Frances. Rounding out the performers is a top-flight band including special guest NYC drummer Marcus Gilmore, bassist Vinicius Cajado from Sao Paulo, and London-based keyboardist Al MacSween. 

Patrick Watson co-wrote and sings on one of Cinematic Orchestra’s most beloved and enduring recordings, “To Build a Home”, which has gone on to become the group’s most widely recognised song. Despite its enduring legacy, the pair have performed together only a handful of times. Their most recent appearance came at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in 2019, and this will mark their first performance together in London since the release concert for Ma Fleur at the Barbican in 2007 – the album on which “To Build a Home” first appeared.

Over a career spanning decades, Patrick Watson has established himself as one of contemporary music’s most distinctive voices. Alongside a string of gold and platinum-certified releases, he has composed extensively for film, including 15 scores, and built a global following through his own acclaimed recordings and sold-out live performances.

Longtime collaborator and vocalist Heidi Vogel will also join the performance. A regular presence on both the London and Los Angeles jazz scenes, Vogel has toured and recorded with The Cinematic Orchestra since 2007, becoming an integral part of the group’s live history over nearly two decades.
The performance will also introduce two artists – Elliott Skinner and Kathleen Frances – with whom The Cinematic Orchestra have been writing and recording as they develop material for their forthcoming album.

Together, the guests reflect the distinctive history of The Cinematic Orchestra while offering a glimpse towards the next chapter of the group’s evolving story.
Following two landmark shows at St Paul’s Cathedral organised by fabric, RY X in 2024 and Patti Smith in 2025, this October’s performance begins a new and ongoing programme of carefully curated contemporary music within the Cathedral.

There are few spaces quite like St Paul’s. Beneath its soaring, centuries-old dome, sound is given the space to travel, linger and unfold. The pairing of The Cinematic Orchestra’s expansive compositions, Patrick Watson’s unmistakable vocals and the Cathedral’s extraordinary natural reverberation promises a truly unique listening experience – bringing together contemporary music and one of London’s most breathtaking architectural settings.

The 29th October is set to be a night of profound artistry, bringing together artists from across The Cinematic Orchestra’s past, present and future for a rare performance within one of the world’s most remarkable spaces.

A very limited number of seated tickets will be available for this intimate and atmospheric concert. Tickets will be released soon and are expected to sell out quickly. Sign-up here for early access to ticket sales.