Oxfordshire composer Jenny Mahler turns landscapes into a choral celebration of nature

Charlbury composer Jenny Mahler draws inspiration from the Cotswolds landscape for Anchor, a new choral work exploring nature, belonging and our connection to the world around us.

What if singing could help us look at the world around us a little differently? For Oxfordshire composer, music activist and educator Jenny Mahler, that’s at the heart of Anchor, a new choral work launching on Monday, 7th September 2026.

Inspired by the Cotswolds landscapes where she grew up, the piece explores belonging, hope and our relationship with nature.

Written for SATB choir and piano, Anchor weaves imagery of blackthorn, cherry blossom, beech trees, heather, lapwings and wagtails into soaring melodies. Its message isn’t about adding to our climate anxiety, but about finding our way back to the things that ground us.

“Even small moments spent outdoors can help us feel grounded and inspire us to care for the places around us,” Jenny says.

It’s a connection she knows well. Jenny has lived in Charlbury all her life and remembers music as “the absolute highlight” of her school days, with inspiring teachers at Charlbury Primary School and Chipping Norton helping to ignite her lifelong passion for singing and choirs.

This love of the Oxfordshire landscape is equally evident in her everyday life. She enjoys local walks with Oslo, her Romanian rescue dog, particularly when the bluebells appear in April.

“The nature, the trees, the people, and the strong sense of community make this area special for me,” she says.

There’s a distinctly creative thread running through Jenny’s local life, too. She enjoys Oxfordshire Artweeks, is learning the peaceful craft of spoon carving with the Oxfordshire Bodgers in Eynsham, and is inspired by local artists including Rosannagh Scarlet Esson, who created the artwork for Anchor.

She also praises CATS (Cotswolds Arts Through Schools), which brings artists into primary schools to share creative experiences with children.

And perhaps it’s this combination of music, nature, creativity and community that makes Anchor so appealing. The piece begins quietly, with piano motifs reflecting the rhythm of breathing, before building into a stirring chorus. Its recurring refrain – “Come back to your breath, come back to your anchor” – feels like both an invitation and a gentle reminder.

Jenny hopes the work will be accessible to experienced choral singers, community choirs and first-time performers alike, creating an opportunity to sing together while reflecting on the natural world.

Her own wish for the world is simple: “Peace & harmony for all living beings.”

Find out more at jennymahler.co.uk.

Share