Concerts

Intermezzo's concert at Easter 2024 took place on Saturday 20th April in SJE Arts. The title was "Songs of Love", with music related to all aspects of love: love of God, love for one's mother, romantic love, love spurned, even twisted and obsessive love.

Works included Jake Runstad's lovely Let My Love Be Heard, Eric Whitacre's passionate With a Lily in Your Hand, three of Cyrillus Kreek's Psalms of Love, and works by composers new to us: Eleanor Daley, Ambrož Čopi, Paul Sjolund, and an irresistible Haitian piece by Sten Källman that got everybody dancing.

Thank you to everyone who came to our summer concert on 9th September in SJE Arts!

The programme featured music with a connection to "mother, father, and child". It included the dramatic Which Was the Son Of... by Arvo Pärt, and When David Heard by Eric Whitacre, as well as less well-known mysterious works by Rihards Dubra and Vytautas Miškinis. Also featured was the lovely And the swallow by young American composer Caroline Shaw, and works by Nigel Short, Laura Jēkabsone, and some American pieces from the spiritual or gospel tradition. Our performance included, of course, some music in Finnish and Latvian.

If you enjoy our work, consider supporting out committed performances of both well- and lesser-known chamber choir music, as well as getting access to reserved seats, by joining the Friends of Intermezzo.

Intermezzo's summer 2022 was on 17th September in SJE Arts, with a theme of music inspired by flight. It featured dramatic repertoire including: Runestad - One Flock, Whitacre - Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine, Mäntyjärvi - Väinämöinen uneksii lentävästä veneestään, plus works by Janequin, Ešenvalds, Kirchner, LaBarr, and more.

We were delighted to return to rehearsals over the summer, working hard on a programme called Songs of Perseverance and Songs of Rejoicing. The repertoire ranged from gospel (Hogan - Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?), through steadfast (Runestad - I Will Lift Mine Eyes) to purely joyful (Augustinas - Cantate Domino) and also included music by Geillo, Whitacre, Ticheli, and Pärt. Plus works with special guest percussionists!

The concert took place on Saturday 2nd October in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, High St, Oxford.

Our Summer 2018 concert took place on Saturday 15th April 2018 to a full and appreciative house at SJE Arts, Oxford. The programme featured music with a 'heaven and angels' connection:

Eric Whitacre - Sainte-Chapelle
Rihards Dubra - Hail, Queen of Heaven
Tomás Luis de Victoria - Regina Caeli laetare à 8
John Taverner - Song for Athene
Kirby Shaw - Plenty Good Room (On the Glory Train)
György Orbán - Daemon irrepit callidus
Patrick Hawes - Hallelujah, and I Saw a New Heaven, from Revelation
Howard Skempton - More Sweet Than My Refrain
Ēriks Ešenvalds - Rivers of Light
Ēriks Ešenvalds - Long Road

Our Summer 2017 concert took place on Saturday 16th September in the wonderful venue of SJE Arts. The concert was sold out, and very well-received by its audience of more than 250. The programme included music with a "weather" connection:

Eric Whitacre - i thank You God for most this amazing day
Jake Runestad - Come to the Woods
Cyrillus Kreek - The Sun Will Not Strike You by Day
Giedrius Svilainis - Sodai, Sodai, Leliumoi
Clément Janequin - La Guerre
Shawn Kirchner - Unclouded Day
‘Mastersingers’ - Weather Forecast
Imants Ramiņš - Blow, Winds, Blow
Eric Whitacre - Cloudburst
René Clausen - Tonight Eternity Alone

Intermezzo were delighted to be invited to the Church of St Mary and St John on the Cowley Road for their Christmas service on Sunday 18th December at 5.30pm. The service featured some beautiful pieces by Lauridsen, Chilcott, Elder and Miškinis alongside carols from the church choir and congregation.

Our Spring 2016 concert took place at University Church of St Mary the Virgin. It included music with a British connection, and some works featuring organ accompaniment:

Gabriel Jackson - To Morning
Ed Rex - This Marriage
Jonathan Dove - Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars
Philip Stopford - Ave, Regina Caelorum
Eric Whitacre - Her Sacred Spirit Soars
Gabriel Jackson - O sacrum convivium
Paul Mealor - O Sanctissima Maria
Benjamin Britten - Antiphon
Ola Gjeilo - Sanctus ‘London’
Benjamin Britten - Rejoice in the Lamb