Commotio News

Commotio was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of former member Lydia Press in a climbing accident in the Alps.  Lydia sang with Commotio during her first two years as an undergraduate, and returned periodically during her last two years in Oxford.  She sang on our debut CD recording and most recently joined us for a concert in the North Oxfordshire village of Ramsden in August 2007.  Lydia was a talented singer who enthusiastically embraced Commotio's repertoire and made a valuable contribution to many other choral activities across Oxford.  

Commotio extends its deepest sympathy to Lydia's family and friends at this difficult time.

May 2008 - Aled Jones features Commotio yet again.

Aled Jones played the Stabat Mater by Knut Nystedt from "Night" on his Radio 3 programme The Choir on Sunday May 4th. 

He referred to the pairing of cello with chorus as "... an unusual combination, but one that really, really works..."

This is the third time in less than a year he has featured works from our CDs - we must be doing something right!

March 2008 - Ivan Moody reviews us in the International Record Review  

This review of "Night" in a prestigious magazine was full of good things. Ivan was particularly pleased with Rosie Banks' performance of the Elizabeth Maconchy work: 

"...a magnificent set of  Variations on a Theme from Vaughan Williams's 'Job' for solo cello, hitherto inexplicably unknown to me. It's a dazzling, light-filled work, encompassing a wide emotional range, and I fervently hope that Banks's stunning performance will ensure that its reputation spreads far and wide."

About the whole CD, he enthused:

"This is a recording that demands to be heard: an extraordinary young choir and an outstanding cellist performing almost unknown repertoire of the highest quality. I look forward to a positively glowing future."

March 2008 - Commotio on Radio 3 again

Aled Jones played a track from "Night" on his programme The Choir on Sunday March 16th, and was very complimentary about the CD.

Nine months ago he featured our first CD ("Towards the Light") in his programme.

February 2008 - Successful CD Launch Concert

Our latest CD, entitled "Night", was launched at a most successful and well-attended concert in St George's, Bloomsbury on February 16th 2008, as a result of which we are looking forward to a number of reviews in magazines covering new CDs, choral singing and so forth. 

Commotio's Latest Recording Project - 2007 - request for help

Commotio's debut CD received critical acclaim, as well as making previously unrecorded modern choral music available to the general public. 

In June 2007 the choir recorded a second CD, of works for choir and cello, including a commissioned piece entitled "Night" (from which the CD takes its title) by the exciting young composer Richard Allain which was premiered at our concert in Merton College Oxford on June 9th 2007. 

Whilst CD sales mitigate the costs of such a project, the choir will not recoup all the commissioning and recording fees, and is therefore seeking funding.

If you are interested in becoming involved, or can help in any other way, please get in touch with us. 
One way to help is by becoming a Commotio Friend ; another way might involve corporate sponsorship.
These and other possibilities are discussed on our Please Help! page.

Commotio is a registered charity (number 1112857)

Commotio on Radio 3

Commotio could be heard last year in two Radio 3 programmes. 

On Sunday 21st May 2006, Brian Kay played  Three Spiritual Nocturnes from our recent Peter Klatzow CD during his 3 For All  programme. You can listen to his comments here.

And then on Sunday 4th June, the choir featured in Aled Jones' programme entitled (appropriately!) The Choir. 

Commotio's Second Recording Project - March 2006

In March 2006 Commotio contributed to a second recording project, in collaboration with the young Oxford-based composer Thomas Hyde.  Thomas was a fellow student of Matthew Berry during his time at Oxford and the Royal Academy.  Through this connection Commotio has enjoyed links with the composer for a number of years and has premièred two of his pieces.  

Thomas Hyde studied composition with David Matthews while still at school, with Simon Bainbridge at the Royal Academy and is currently pursuing doctoral work with Robert Saxton in Oxford.  The forthcoming recording, which is to include three choral works, will produce a portfolio CD of Thomas’s compositions.  The choral works will be 'As a lily among thorns', 'O Nata Lux' and 'Sweet was the Song'.  

Further details of the recording will be provided as they become available.

Commotio's First Professional Recording Project

In June 2005 Commotio joined forces with the record label Herald, to produce a cd of previously unrecorded music, the work of South African composer Peter Klatzow. The composer was born in the Transvaal in 1945 and is currently Associate Professor in Composition and Fellow at the University of Cape Town. His work embraces both Western and African styles, with works for choir and instrument in particular demonstrating this philosophy. His "Prayers & Dances of Praise from Africa" juxtapose traditional choral prayers of Western influence, with rhythmic dances for marimba conveying the spirit of African music making. Commotio first performed Klatzow’s music in March 2004 and have enjoyed a close relationship since Matthew Berry’s visits to Cape Town in 2003-4. 

Klatzow’s works have been warmly received by the choir and their audiences alike. The session producer, James Whitbourn, remarked "Peter's music is vibrant and fresh; he is able to write in a distinctive and original style, with an unusual African tang, yet in a musical language which can be readily understood and enjoyed. A really good disc of these pieces is long overdue, and Peter is well served by Matt and Commotio. They were well prepared, but managed to perform with freshness and spontaneity on the day, which is what every composer hopes for." 

The project aims to raise the profile of contemporary South African music in the UK. The cd was recorded at Douai Abbey, near Reading, where Commotio  returned in concert on 31st December 2005, bringing with them some of their Klatzow repertoire. We would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in supporting the project, whether financially, through South African links, or by editorial publicity. For more information please contact the Choir Manager.

The CD is now available - see the Recordings page for more information.

An article about the CD appeared in the December 2005 edition of Classical Music - and we were delighted to appear on the cover as well!  Click here to see the article, or here to see the cover!

...and in the March/April 2006 edition of Musical Opinion, Robert Matthew-Walker describes the CD as "... an intelligent, original and desirable album...", and in his opinion Commotio "...is a very good choir"!

Not to be outdone, Ivan Moody in the July 2006 edition of The Gramophone enthuses "All of the music is splendidly performed ... I urge anyone interested in contemporary choral music to try this."

Successful Debut at Dorchester Abbey

On Saturday 9th April 2005, Commotio had a day out in the country, performing for the first time at the Abbey in Dorchester-on-Thames. We took an exciting and varied programme, including rarely-performed motets by Villette, Allain and Panufnik and the intimate, haunting Requiem by Herbert Howells. It was a privilege to have Richard Allain in the audience, arriving just in time to hear the opening bars of his work! The concert also featured John Rutter’s Gloria in the year of the composer’s 60th birthday. This popular work, scored for 8-part brass ensemble and percussion, was a thrilling start to the second half, and a contrast to the intense Panufnik motet which drew the evening to a close. Commotio was delighted to be supporting a local charity, Music for Autism, which is run by Shillingford resident and international conductor John Lubbock. Music for Autism helps local specialist schools with equipment, and funds special concerts for autistic children and their parents. Interval refreshments raised over £250 for the charity. Our thanks go to everyone who helped to make the day so successful.