The Thread of Connection: How Our Repertoire Defines "The Gift of Love"

An inside look at the musical architecture of our upcoming Summer 2026 series.

Our Summer 2026 repertoire bridges 20th-century French masterpieces with African American Spirituals, creating an intimate, acoustic oasis of sound right next to Oakland's Lake Merritt.

When building a concert series around a concept as vast as "love," it is easy to fall into predictable patterns. But love, in its true human complexity, is rarely a single note. It is comfort, it is grief, it is resilience, and it is celebration.

As our singers dig deep into their scores this week to prepare for our August performances at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Oakland, we are focusing on how the music itself maps out these different emotional territories. For our 40-member a cappella chamber choir, The Gift of Love isn't just a title—it is an exploration of how unamplified vocal music can capture the rawest corners of the human experience.

Here is how the music on our program connects to the core pillars of our theme:

1. Love as Sanctuary and Quiet Comfort

Love often manifests as a quiet space to heal. To capture this, we are performing Maurice Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas. Rooted in ancient Gregorian plainsong, its simple text translates to: "Where charity and love are, God is there." Duruflé’s lush, impressionistic harmonies create a gentle, shimmering fabric of sound that feels like a physical embrace. It demands absolute vocal precision and a seamless ensemble blend, offering the listener a moment of pure, unamplified equilibrium away from the noise of daily life.

2. Love as Resilience and Remembrance

Love is also what carries us through profound sorrow. The deep, historical weight of the African American Spiritual explores this survival, anchored on our program by Moses Hogan’s comforting, deeply resonant arrangement of Give Me Jesus and Ysayë Barnwell’s raw, striking Wanna Die Easy When I Die. These pieces don't shy away from pain; instead, they use rich, grounded, multi-part harmonies to show how love provides the strength to endure. Singing them requires an immense depth of vocal tone that vibrates through the room, turning grief into a shared monument of resilience.

3. Love as Community and Overwhelming Joy

Finally, love is a communal celebration—an energy that lifts the spirit and demands movement. We bridge our classical repertoire into the vibrant world of Gospel and soul with Richard Smallwood’s Heritage/Healing and Sam Cooke’s timeless Bring It on Home to Me. These selections require our singers to pivot seamlessly, shedding formal restraint to deliver a powerful, enveloping wall of sound filled with syncopated rhythm, soaring vocal lines, and pure, infectious joy.

Join Us in the East Bay This August

By weaving these entirely different musical traditions together, The Gift of Love becomes a living tapestry. The fluid grace of a 20th-century French masterpiece prepares your ears for the profound gravity of a spiritual, which then gives way to the celebratory lift of gospel music. It is a complete emotional arc, designed to be experienced live in a space built for acoustic beauty.

As you plan your weekend, we invite you to lock in your plans to join us. Following our Advance ticket sell-out earlier this week, our $5-off Discount Tickets are currently active. Securing your seats now guarantees your place near Oakland's Lake Merritt this August before standard door pricing takes effect.

Select your performance date and reserve your seats below:

[ Get Your $5-Off Discount Tickets for August 9 or 16 Here ]

Concert Schedule & Venue Details

• Performance 1: Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM — Click Here for August 9th Tickets via Eventbrite

• Performance 2: Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM — Click Here for August 16th Tickets via Eventbrite

• The Venue: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave, Oakland, CA 94610 (Located steps from Lake Merritt in the Adams Point neighborhood)