I defy anyone to sing better than Commotio!
​​Bob Chilcott (composer)
I applaud the fine work of Commotio and the choir’s conductor, Matthew Berry. It is so exciting to find a young, vibrant choir that takes such care and pleasure in its commitment and exploration of new music. Go, Commotio!
Eric Whitacre (composer)
Commotio's concert ... bore all the hallmarks of this extraordinary choir - a fascinating mix of different styles by mainly contemporary composers, all showcasing these singers' remarkable rapport and range of techniques.
Nicola Lisle, Oxford Times, June 2009
You certainly can do extraordinary things with the human voice, and these singers are particularly suited to take on the challenge... 
All served to prove the versatility of this extraordinary choir, which, under the skilful and meticulous direction of conductor Matthew Berry, never fails to impress.
Nicola Lisle, Oxford Times, June 2008
Every time I hear Commotio, I am impressed with the virtuosity and immense musicality of this exceptionally well-drilled choir
Nicola Lisle, Oxford Times, March 2007
... this programme, full of delights, symbolised the turn of the year, a transition between the winter darkness and the light of spring. 
... the harmonies of Klatzow's Three Spiritual Nocturnes hold no terrors for today's listener; Commotio's special strength lies in creating a vivid sense of colour ... 
Matthew Berry is nothing if not hardworking, and under his direction the long periods of this new work unfolded before the audience as music of extraordinary depth. 
... in Towards the Light (a concerto for organ, choir and marimba), written by Klatzow in 2003 ... Commotio combined earth and fire in a formidable architecture of sound.
Patrick Cogswell, Newbury Weekly News, January 2006
The choir has … a reputation for the quality of its performances, which invariably combine vocal purity, technical expertise and a deep sense of commitment.
Nicola Lisle, Classical Music, December 2005
The programme, billed as Music for Advent, was rich and varied; and, though I had heard none of it before, thoroughly captivating... as a group, they produced a scintillating, crisp and clear sound, and engaged with some difficult music without compromise... 
I very much hope that Commotio will grace Oxford with another five years’ worth of concerts of this standard.
James Ballance, Oxford Times, December 2004
At first sight, Commotio’s programme at Exeter looked distinctly uninspiring. Among the handful of featured composers, not one familiar name leapt out to grab the attention. But this is what Commotio is all about; this is the choir that dares to be different, shaping its repertoire around neglected choral works that deserve to be heard. And it certainly was worth listening to…each piece erupted in a blaze of triumph, all undiscovered gems that delighted, fascinated and inspired. 
Perhaps the most exciting piece of the evening was Klatzow's Prayers and Dances of Praise from Africa...traditional choral sections were interwoven with dances on the marimba...the wild, upbeat rhythms bringing the evening to a rousing conclusion.
Nicola Lisle, Oxford Times, June 2004
…if you’re only half a choral-music freak, you’ll sense from the moment young Matthew Berry takes post before his singers you’re in the presence of an approachable off-the-wall fellow, whose last wish is to make you want to bolt in the interval. He requires of you an open ear, that’s all…Commotio (meaning roughly ‘exciting noise’) is one of those choirs on the cusp between part-time and professional…its provenance is amateur, its effects highly expert.
Derek Jole, Oxford Times, March 2004
All members of this choir can seriously sing…No doubt about it, in a city rich in choirs, Commotio stands out.
Derek Jole, Oxford Times, February 2003
The Commotio choir’s concert in Keble Chapel on Saturday was so accomplished that it was hard to believe that these singer are amateurs…The total effect was to reinforce my conviction that if modern instrumental music has its problem, and opera seems stuck in a groove, modern church music marches confidently on.
Hugh Vickers, Oxford Times, December 2002
As with all the music heard at this concert, the rise and fall of the interweaving voices was beautifully controlled and sensitively conducted by Matthew Berry.
Derek Ansell, Newbury Weekly News, January 2002
Matthew Berry is to be congratulated on bringing us such an interesting programme and rehearsing the choir with great attention to detail.
Peter Westley, Sevenoaks Chronicle, March 2001
The voices of the 18 singers blended to produce a rich tapestry of sound which echoed around the Abbey church...minor criticisms aside, these are clearly talented musicians...
Lesley McEwen, Newbury Weekly News, January 2000
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CD: Francis Pott: At First Light; Word
​(Naxos, 8.573976)
Read an interview with Francis Pott discussing this project with David Smith (Presto Classical)
July 2020
Always precise, contemporary music specialists Commotio and music director Matthew Berry mirror the composer’s careful text-setting in their phrasing, chasing ‘polyphonic burnout’ in the demanding motet with impressively controlled energy. 
​Alexandra Coghlan, Gramophone, August 2020
Editor's Choice, Gramophone, September 2020
At First Light (2018) — essentially a Requiem combining biblical, liturgical and secular poetic texts — is an extraordinarily powerful, unflinching addressing of grief’s complexities, Francis Pott’s texturally and harmonically rich and varied music seducing ear, mind and heart. Joseph Spooner plays the moving solo cello part magnificently, and Berry’s choir Commotio is excellent, as it is in Word (2012), where RS Thomas’s poetry and St John’s Prologue are thought-provokingly conjoined, Christian Wilson deft in the role of solo organist. 
​Stephen Pettitt, The Times, 9th August 2020
Word is an impressive piece. The text demands – and repays – careful thought on the part of the listener while Francis Pott’s music evidences great empathy with the words. Commotio sing what is clearly demanding music with great skill and assurance.

[Regarding At First Light] It’s writing that demands – and here receives – great accuracy and precision. The members of Commotio articulate it superbly, always investing their singing with great rhythmic vitality and drive. In the last couple of minutes, I wouldn’t like to speculate as to the number of parts into which the choir is divided but the music fairly teems with activity. This is a real tour de force on the part of this highly accomplished choir

​The singing of Commotio is equally eloquent and accomplished. I’ve greatly admired their work on disc in the past but I think their achievement in this work [At First Light] – and in Word – is arguably their most significant to date. Their founder-conductor, Matthew Berry, has clearly prepared them scrupulously in these two demanding scores and draws excellent, highly committed performances from them. 
​John Quinn, MusicWeb International, August 2020
Throughout Pott works in a modern tonality that poses few challenges to the vocal group, Commotio, who have an ongoing relationship with the contemporary repertoire, their unfailingly accurate intonation is here paramount in creating the subtle shifts of colours required in predominantly quiet music...The recording, made in Keble College Chapel, Oxford, has a perfect ambiance with enough reverberation to add to the size and weight of Commotio, while retaining sufficient clarity to separate strands. A major and very desirable choral release.
​David Denton, David's Review Corner, July 2020
[At First Light is] an endurance test to strain the limits of most choirs, but Oxford-based Commotio negotiate its punishing (and relentless) double-choir counterpoint with remarkable ease, unflagging energy testament to the singers’ commitment to the composer as much to Matthew Berry’s skills as director...Throughout, Pott’s forty-minute-plus At First Light is served by singing of formidable accuracy and a cellist of peerless musicianship....The slightly shorter Word (2012) is no less intellectually probing...the demanding organ role (including a climatic epilogue) is superbly realised by Christian Wilson...Together, these two works represent a significant addition to choral literature
​David Truslove, Colins Column, July 2020
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CD: All Good Things
​(Naxos, 8.573383)
"There are a number of things about Commotio that I have always found compelling. Firstly, their sound: it is clear and mobile and I never tire of listening to it. Their sound is also consistent, even though the singers change from time to time. The choir work in a very detailed way with their conductor Matthew Berry who encourages honest, good music making with a real focus on intonation. They are an enabled, intelligent group who clearly love what they do."
​Bob Chilcott, Presto Classical, 11th September 2017
"On the one hand you have a master of melody, and on the other a writer of jazz idioms that hark back to the early days of the King's Singers...Underpinning this is a formidable choral writer. Chilcott's music may be popular and audience friendly, but that in no way diminishes the compositional strength  of his unaccompanied works such as Marriage to My Lady Poverty, Thou, my love, art fair, and the humorous Weather Report...Commotio are no strangers to the composer's music and give very persuasive performances." 
​Shirley Ratcliffe, Choir & Organ, November/December 2017 (4-stars)
"Is it jazz? Is it classical? Does it matter? Yes, maybe, and no, are probably the answers. More importantly , this CD swings, and is thoroughly enjoyable...The Blake-inspired Jazz Songs of Innocence...finds the women of Commotio in zesty voice, neatly nailing the syncopations in the faster numbers, and distilling considerable poignancy in The Divine Image...Of the shorter pieces the unaccompanied Weather Report provides the Commotio singers the opportunity to show their paces technically, and they turn in an appropriately dashing performance." 
​Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine, November 2017 (Performance 4-stars, Recording 4-stars)
"This is a most enjoyable disc, full of attractive and entertaining music...The jazz musicians are slick, tight and professional. Their contributions seem right on the money to me. As for the singing of Commotio, it’s consistently fine...The choir is disciplined and well-balanced and diction is very good. It’s clear that they’ve been expertly trained by Matthew Berry who on this occasion shares the conducting duties with Bob Chilcott...Buy this disc to blow away the cobwebs and put a smile on your face."
​John Quinn, Music Web International Presto Classical, October 2017
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CD: The Rose in the Middle of Winter
​(Naxos, 8.573159)
The Rose in the Middle of Winter ... just missed the deadline last year, but is far too good to be overlooked. Chilcott could not wish for better performances than these...
Claire Stevens, Choir and Organ, November 2014
... a whole disc of carols ... every one still imbued with a memorable melody, they are all sung simply beautifully by Commotio.
... gems such as The Advent Candle ... will make all but the hardest hearts swell with Christmas spirit.
Caroline Gill, Gramophone, December 2013
The music on this disc, which is unfailingly attractive, certainly communicates with the listener directly and strongly. That communication with the listener is undoubtedly enhanced by the performances of Commotio. I’ve encountered this fine chamber choir already on disc ... on both occasions I was most impressed with their singing. Here, once again, they deliver the goods. Their singing is technically excellent and they consistently demonstrate complete commitment to the music.
John Quinn, MusicWeb International, November 2013
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CD: In the Heart of Things
​(Naxos, 8.572739)
The performances here are extraordinarily fine. Commotio... have a straight English tone that is well suited to delineate intricate counterpoint and complex harmony without blurring.
William J Gatens, American Record Guide, July/August 2012
Commotio presents a sound that exudes maturity and cohesion. Indeed, the choir is relentlessly tight in ensemble and harmony... a choir that should be lauded for championing such a fine contemporary composer. Indeed, the excellent singing certainly does justice to Francis Pott, whose Mass, in particular, is a welcome addition to the choral repertory.
...a choir dedicated to the performance of contemporary music ...under the baton of Matthew Berry, Commotio are truly experts in this field.
Christian Stobbs, New Directions Magazine, May 2012
Uniquely good
Andrew McGregor (BBC) / Caroline Gill (Gramophone Magazine) CD Review, BBC Radio 3, 21st April 2012
... a testing sing for the 31 voices of Matthew Berry’s Commotio, but there’s a relaxed clarity in their performance bespeaking fine technique and excellent preparation.
Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine, April 2012
...as a supreme choral polyphonist Pott can build up an agitated climax with the best of them - but it is those melting moments of repose which are especially telling and memorable...Grace Davidson floats effortlessly above the Oxford-based chamber choir Commotio, adding her seraphic poise to their perfect intonation... this is a powerful disc of important music.
Malcolm Riley, Gramophone Magazine, February 2012
This is a most distinguished disc. The singing of Commotio is consistently fine in every respect. Anyone thinking of acquiring this disc can be assured that it is a significant addition to the Naxos catalogue. An excellent collection...
John Quinn, MusicWeb International
Commotio's latest recording ... is, quite simply, stunning. Listening to this CD is an unforgettable experience.
Nicola Lisle, Oxford Times, February 2012
A programme misprint once maintained that Francis Pott's music had been "hard in many countries". Singers might privately agree but audiences certainly wouldn't. Pott is one of today's most interesting choral composers, managing to make challenging, intricate music instantly accessible. Combine his work with the vocal dexterity of Commotio, one of our finest young choirs, and you know you can expect a programme of rare quality.
Stephen Pritchard, The Observer, February 2012
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CD: Luminosity
​(Naxos, 8.572103)
The scholarly music of British composer James Whitbourn is some of the freshest to appear on the contemporary landscape. Along with his American counterpart, Eric Whitacre, the two have each achieved a unique choral sound that stretches far beyond traditional, sacred boundaries, while maintaining accessibility and tonality. 
This sensational compilation is infused with an array of distinctive colors and sounds... 
This is 21st-century concert music that will hopefully continue to influence choral music for years to come.
Jane Holstein, Christianity Today, July 2010
This immediately effective music certainly gets right away from outworn Howells-derived conventions. Commotio provide excellent, fully committed performances.
Andrew Thomson, Choir & Organ, May 2010
James Whitbourn ... is part of a new generation of musicians who are no longer bound to the notion that contemporary music needs to challenge the listener with difficulty. This album is extraordinary. It expands the experience of classical music beyond the edges of the traditional map of classical styles. The word “luminosity” describes the nature of celestial light, and the music of composer James Whitbourn is a celebration of that light—peaceful, radiant and clear.
Tom Manoff, All Things Considered, April 2010
Luminosity ... proves striking enough in this glowingly committed performance by the Oxford chamber choir Commotio. 
...The performance is again superbly sympathetic
Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine, April 2010
James Whitbourn is one of the most approachable of the younger generation of British composers, his sacred choral works drawing much critical acclaim.  ... the music harmonically straightforward and obviously deeply satisfying to perform. Commotio ... possess that tonal quality that is fast becoming a national style.
David Denton, David's Review Corner, February 2010
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CD: Night
​(Herald, HAVPCD340)
This is a recording that demands to be heard: an extraordinary young choir and an outstanding cellist...
Ivan Moody, International Record Review, March 2008
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CD: Towards the Light
​(Herald, HAVPCD316)
Commotio's small but perfectly formed forces ... make a large claim for Klatzow's uniquely appealing and distinctly luminous voice - ... 'an almost Turneresque experiment in music.'
Michael Quinn, Choir & Organ
This is a fabulous disc: Commotio's debut CD is testament to this exciting, vibrant young choir ... the music featured is well worth getting to know. Highly recommended.
Julian Thomas, Cathedral Music
Klatzow’s voice is a distinctive one, with something of the English choral tradition certainly to be felt in it, but also a very strong African quality.All of the music is splendidly performed; Commotio have a timbre of creamy richness and seamless blend, and the recording quality is excellent. 
I urge anyone interested in contemporary choral music to try this.
Ivan Moody, Gramophone, July 2006
... this is wonderfully attractive music, structurally and technically within a European tradition ... but with African melodic shapes and rhythms forming a distinctive and original fusion. 
The fresh, young Oxford voices sing with an infectious enjoyment and enthusiasm welded onto a foundation of secure and well-disciplined technique. Also included are eight short anthems that are appealing and should enter a wider church-music repertoire. 
... a rich and refreshing anthology in which one can sense some of the excitement and optimism of contemporary South Africa.
Church Music Quarterly, June 2006
Matthew Berry ... conducts his excellent Oxford-based choir with great skill and commitment. The rapt, lullaby-like Cover Me With the Night is perhaps the stand-out moment.
TB, Muso, April/May 2006
... a highly impressive [CD] debut ... 
The choir has ...masterly technical control and precision of pitching, and a pleasing uniformity of tone across its full dynamic range. One of its most impressive attributes, however, is the extraordinary clarity of its diction. 
Vivacious, versatile and ever-perceptive to the nuances of Berry's direction, Henry Parkes is one of those organists beyond the wildest dreams of most choral conductors. His crisp, responsive and resourceful contributions ... elevate performances which are already of the very highest order.
Marc Rochester, International Record Review, April 2006
... here is an intelligent, original and desirable album ... most of the short choral works in this collection are likely to appeal to many choirs and their audiences. The interested listener's task is made easier by the quality of the singing. 
This is a very good choir... 
There is no doubt as to what the composer intended and he must have been particularly pleased at the standard of the performances throughout... 
In addition...we can savour some utterly committed accounts of these works.
Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Opinion, March 2006
It’s very exciting hearing these things rehearsed by somebody like Matt. Because none of my choral music has been recorded before, he’s got a clean slate as far as repertoire is concerned. There are no points of comparison. It’s unique. It’s a wonderful referential standing that Matthew’s creating. It’s all coming to life for the first time, which is great. It’s interesting that it’s a small choir, but they produce a wonderful, resonant sound, and everyone is very committed to his or her part.
Peter Klatzow, Classical Music, December 2005