As the East Oxford Community Choir prepares for a joint concert with a choir from Grenoble, NICOLA LISLE talks to the choir's founder, Mel Houldershaw

The phrase "glutton for punishment" springs to mind. Not content with teaching music to children and forming a children's choir that developed into an adult choir, Mel Houldershaw has, since 2001, been involved in putting on bi-annual concerts with vocal ensemble Interlude, from Grenoble, France. Chatting to her over a cup of coffee, it's clear she positively revels in all this activity.

She formed the East Oxford Community Choir in 1996, in response to growing interest among the parents of the children she was teaching. Four years later the opportunity presented itself, quite by chance, to join forces with a choir in Grenoble, one of Oxford's twin towns. So how did it come about?

"There's a lovely little story here," said Mel. "One of our choir members, Susie Pye, works for the local council and went over to Grenoble where she met somebody there who lamented that Grenoble did not have a choir to twin with in Oxford. Ah,' said Susie, I sing in a choir!' And that's how it began. And it's really blossomed.

"If we'd searched for ages, we couldn't have found a better choir to twin with. And now we have friends in the choir. We go over there at least once a year and they come over here at least once a year. We just gel. It's wonderful to go somewhere else and see different cultures and different audiences who are so enthusiastic.

"I don't know if this is generally the case in France, but there are fewer members in their choir who actually read music, devoted though they are to their music. They make up for it with their commitment."

Previous concerts with Interlude include Bernstein's Mass in 2005 and Orff's Carmina Burana in 2007, both of which were joint performances with choirs from Oxford's other twin cities of Leiden and Bonn. For the Bernstein, the choir brought in distinguished conductor John Lubbock. He was able to bring in talented young soloists, who have since forged successful careers. One included Welshman Rhydian Roberts, who famously lost in the final of The X-Factor amid much controversy.

The choir's forthcoming concert is a mainly baroque programme, consisting of Vivaldi's Dixit Dominus and Oboe Concerto in C, Pergolesi's Laudate Pueri and the little-known Requiem by the 19th century German composer Joseph Rheinberger. Performing the oboe concerto will be international soloist Chris Redgate, while the Pergolesi will be sung by soprano Helen Maxey, one of the choir's regular soloists, whose voice has been described as "angelic".

Joining Mel in conducting duties will be Peter Asprey, a Royal College of Music graduate who now sings with the award-winning, Oxford-based choir Stile Antico.

It all sounds very ambitious, so it comes as a surprise to learn that there are no auditions for the East Oxford Community Choir. For some members it is their first experience of singing in a choir. Their repertoire is, as Mel says, "very wide", ranging from very early music to modern pieces, including the commissioning of new work from local composer John Duggan. So how does Mel ensure high standards?

"Good question! We're very lucky in Oxford because the general standard of amateur choirs is higher than you would expect. We have enough good singers, who can hold a line on their own, which means that you can actually go for anything you want. We've got these good people. We're just lucky."

The choir's future plans sound equally ambitious. After their forthcoming concerts there will be no time to relax, because they have a fundraising concert at Warneford Meadow in June, followed by a performance as part of the Cowley Road Carnival in July, and then they are off to Grenoble in October.

The big project for next year is a joint production with Celia Macfarlane and Oxford Youth Dance. Once again, a new piece has been commissioned from John Duggan, who will be recreating the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlyn. The piece will premiere at the Oxford Playhouse in March.

"We were talking about what we could do, and realised that there was no piece that was suitable," Mel said. "So John had the idea of doing the Pied Piper of Hamlyn, and you can see that being danced to with a choir.

"We have done other projects together in the past, and I love working with dancers - I love the idea of cross-media. And it's exciting for the youngsters to get these experiences. They're part of something they wouldn't normally be in."

After that, it's off to Grenoble again at Easter, with the Grenoble choir making a return visit in July. Clearly, the East Oxford Community Choir is a group that doesn't believe in standing still for too long.

East Oxford Community Choir and Interlude will be at Keble College Chapel this evening, and Dorchester Abbey tomorrow. Box office: 01865 305305.