The City of Oxford Choir came into being in 1977 to celebrate Oxford’s twinning with Leiden in The Netherlands. On 8 July 2023 we will be joined by the Leiden English Choir for a special concert in the magnificent surroundings of the Town Hall. In the spirit of twinning and co-operation we celebrate the world, our brief custodianship of it, and the gift of it we make to our children.
Earthrise by the contemporary British composer Alec Roth, was inspired by the iconic photograph of Earth taken from Apollo 8 in 1968, that picture which shows “our small blue planet in the vast darkness of space… its great beauty, its great vulnerability”. ”Earthrise is a fabulous choral work in three movements with the sort of poly-choral, lushly harmonised climaxes that send shivers down the spine.” Richard Morrison, The Times.
The concert will also feature the UK premiere of To see a World by Hebe de Champeaux, with material inspired by reports from the observatory in Mauna Loa (Hawaii), which since 1958 has been monitoring data related to atmospheric change, alongside powerful words from William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence.
The remainder of the programme includes works by John Ireland, Herbert Howells, Arvo Pärt, Jonathan Dove and Sarah Quartel.
The City of Oxford Choir are joined by the Leiden English Choir, their conductor Hebe de Champeaux, by Thame Children’s Choir, the cellist Annelies Scott and by the organist Tim Wakerell.