Commotio News (Oxford choir singing modern music)

January 24th 2012 - Francis Pott CD at the top of Amazon's Classical Releases!

February 4th 2011 - our latest CD, "In the Heart of Things", will be launched in London:

Reviewer: Terry Blain

"Luminosity is that rare artefact, a choral ballet, a seven-movement composition lasting 30 minutes, and what's recorded here is effectively a soundtrack to a fuller realisation involving dancers, light (ultraviolet at the American premiere) and other visual content. The music itself proves striking enough in this glowingly committed performance by the Oxford chamber choir Commotio.

Whitbourn's musical language is plain-speaking & non-virtuosic, which is not to say uninteresting. The opening 'Lux in tenebris' section is effectively one long vocal crescendo on simple harmonies: drama and involvement are injected by the deft terracing of the climactic sequence, and the imaginative deployment of accompanying instruments, including tanpura, gong and viola.

The balance of the disc is filled by shorter pieces, the most significant being the Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis written in 2005 for King's College, Cambridge. This highly dramatic setting, most unusually, boasts not only a solo tenor in a cantor-like role, but also a bi-lingual text (English & Latin), and a tam-tam. The performance is again superbly sympathetic."

Performance: _*****
Recording:      _****

March 2010 - The poster advertising Luminosity in Blackwell's Music Shop window, in Broad Street, Oxford

It being a sunny day, Balliol College can be seen in the reflection!

Also pictured are Robin Whitehouse and James Longstaffe, who work at Blackwell's but have also previously sung with Commotio.

James's main concern with the photograph was whether his soul would be stolen; Robin, on the other hand, was pondering how much he should charge.

Commotio attracts all sorts!

February 2010 - James Whitbourn's choral works - Commotio's new CD now available, and roaring up the charts!

The CD, published by Naxos, is available via many routes, but on Amazon it was recently the fastest-selling CD:

If you want to buy a copy, then visit Amazon, or HMV online - or better still, visit an HMV shop, where each purchase will help to keep us near the top of the charts!

- and there is a most interesting interview with James Whitbourn, by Raymond Bisha, on the Naxos blog - including clips from several tracks.

- as well as an interview with James on TV, when BBC SouthEast News wanted to know about "the fastest-selling choral CD" - watch it here

- and another play the following day, referring to "an Oxfordshire choir called Commotio who are just stunning".

... and it's in the Official Specialist Classical Chart - first coming in at number 11, but now at number 2!

In July 2009 Commotio will be recording a CD of the later choral works of the composer James Whitbourn, to be published on the prestigious Naxos label later in the year. If you would like to receive more information, or to be alerted once the CD is available, please send us a message.

The CD sales will go some way towards the costs of this project, but the choir will not recoup all the commissioning and recording fees, and would gratefully receive any offers of 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.

December 2008 - Modern choral music: the 'squeaky gate' theory finally put to rest!

In the Oxford Times, reviewer Nicola Lisle has written a most interesting article, not only previewing our December concert, but also laying to rest the idea that all modern choral music is difficult to listen to. With some beautiful works this Saturday, the concert has music to please listeners of all persuasions and tastes. More 'Smooth Classics' than 'Squeaky Gate'!

The Richard Allain work "Ubi caritas", as sung by Commotio on our CD 'Night', is now featured on the 2008 Classic FM compilation CD "Smooth Classics", alongside works by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Vaughan Williams, Brahms, Puccini, Mendlessohn and many others.

Classic FM were very keen to have this track available, since they play it regularly, and acknowledge its calming effects!

They broadcast it in May of this year (see below), and it is now on their "core play-list".

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.

A memorial page has been set up, where you may make a donation to a very worthy charity - full details are available there.

Mark Forrest played a track from "Night" on his programme on May 20th. He later commented:

"What a lovely response to our Classic FM premiere on yesterday’s programme. I played a new recording of Richard Allain’s Ubi Caritas, a delightful choral work from a new disc called ‘Night’ featuring one of Oxford’s finest chamber choirs, Commotio.
US choral composers like Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre seem to dominate when it comes to popular contemporary a capella choral works, so it’s great to be able to champion a British composer."

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!

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."

"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."

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.

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 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.

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.

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'.

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.

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."

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.