"The Gift of Love": Music for Healing & Loss
- AfterGlow Chorus
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
An invitation for the caregivers, the seekers, and the quiet souls looking for rest, connection, and restorative harmony in Oakland.
Whether you spend your days dedicated to caring for others, are moving through a season of quiet loss, or are simply navigating a deep personal transition, finding a moment of true, sustaining peace can feel exceptionally rare.
When life feels heavy, what carries us through is the extraordinary power of love, human connection, and the transcendent beauty of live music.
This August, AfterGlow Chorus invites you to step inside the breathtaking acoustics of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakland for "The Gift of Love": Music for Healing & Loss—a concert series designed to be a musical oasis for your spirit. Built entirely from the warmth, depth, and stunning acoustic power of an auditioned a cappella choir, this is an afternoon to drop your shoulders, rest, and remember the shared strength that connects us all.
The Three Musical Chapters of the Experience
Our director and singers have carefully constructed this program as a continuous journey designed to fill the historic sanctuary of St. Paul's with light, deep feeling, and soaring joy:
Chapter 1: Sustaining the Spirit (Serenity & Light): We open in spaces of quiet grace and luminous beauty, inviting you to simply breathe through the modal perfection of Maurice Duruflé’s "Ubi Caritas," and the towering, close-harmony walls of sound in Thomas LaVoy’s "Alleluia."
Chapter 2: Honoring the Journey (Endurance & Deep Feeling): This movement gives an extraordinarily beautiful voice to the love that carries us through life's most challenging chapters. Our auditioned choir channels this raw, resilient power through historic African American spirituals, featuring Ysayë Barnwell’s moving "Wanna Die Easy When I Die," alongside Stacey Gibbs’ driving, rhythmic arrangement of "Wade in the Water."
Chapter 3: Restoring the Joy (Triumphant Soul): Our final movement brings the momentum to elevate, renew, and ignite our collective spirit. The performance closes with roof-raising warmth—featuring the triumphant gospel power of Richard Smallwood’s "Healing," and the soulful comfort of Sam Cooke’s classics.
A Purple Moment from Our Spring Stage
Before we bring the restorative landscape of The Gift of Love to life next month, we wanted to share a brand-new live release from our recent spring concert series, Purple Reign.
Watch our auditioned a cappella choir perform our soulful rendition of Prince’s legendary anthem, "Purple Rain"—a song that, at its core, is about the transcendent beauty of loving someone through the heavy storms of life:
August 9 & 16 are Approaching: Join Us in Oakland
Summer weekends move quickly, and our opening performance is now only three weeks away. The Gift of Love is a singular acoustic experience designed specifically for the sanctuary of St. Paul's—an afternoon of warmth and reflection that will not be replicated.
Because seating capacity inside the church sanctuary is limited and prime viewing sections fill up quickly as performance dates approach, we recommend planning online in advance to ensure your place with us.
Select your preferred afternoon below to join the performance:
Concert Schedule & Venue Details
Performance 1: Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM — August 9th Tickets via Eventbrite
Performance 2: Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM — August 16th Tickets via Eventbrite
The Venue: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave, Oakland, CA 94610 (Located near Lake Merritt, conveniently accessible from San Francisco, Berkeley, and across the East Bay).
Sing With Us: Auditions for Our Upcoming Season
Are you an experienced choral singer in the San Francisco Bay Area? AfterGlow Chorus is a premier, auditioned a cappella choir welcoming passionate vocalists across all voice parts who share our commitment to musical excellence and deep artistic community. To learn more about our ensemble, rehearsal schedule, and upcoming audition dates in Oakland, visit our Auditions Page.
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