Orchestra of St John's | Taking classical music out into the community

JENEBA KANNEH-MASON IS OUR NEW ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

OXINABOX REVIEW: ‘Jeneba Kanneh-Mason is a truly exciting pianist and her performance with OSJ at Dorchester Abbey made it abundantly clear why’

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and the OSJ Orchestra were locked in perfect synergy, the opening of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major Allegramente sparkling with jazz-inflected vitality.

‘Ravel’s Adagio assai was rendered with such poignant beauty that the audience at Dorchester Abbey sat in rapt silence’

Dorchester Abbey provided the perfect backdrop for an evening that proved as spiritually uplifting as it was musically exhilarating. Under the baton of the ever-masterful John Lubbock OBEOrchestra of St John’s delivered a night of French elegance and Stravinskian wit that left the capacity audience spellbound.

The programme for this esteemed evening also included Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite) and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with soprano Suzzie Vango, tenor Dominic Bevan and bass Alex Jones in what was a superb evening in every respect.

READ MORE

Concerts
  • All
  • Christ Church Cathedral
  • Dorchester Abbey
  • Jacqueline du Pre Building
  • My Music at SJE Arts
  • My Music at Sheldonian Theatre
  • New House
  • Online
  • SJE Arts
  • Sheldonian Theatre
  • St John's Waterloo
  • Tetbury Festival
  • Town Hall, Oxford
16 May 2026
Dorchester Abbey Oxfordshire
+ Google Map

Alma Dei creatoris is a sacred motet that serves as an offertory to the Virgin Mary, possibly written around 1777.
Horn Concerto No 4 (K 495) is a cheerful, virtuosic work from 1786 for his friend, horn player Joseph Leutgeb, famed for its playful dialogue and hunting themes.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit) is a medieval Latin hymn and prayer.
The Sinfonia Concertante for strings is a rich and complex piece featuring solo violin and viola that emerged from his quest for artistic freedom in 1779.

Find out more »
£17.50 – £30.00 251 tickets left Buy Now
13 June 2026
Dorchester Abbey Oxfordshire
+ Google Map

VW’s Symphony No 5 is a serene and contemplative work, often called the "Celestial City," completed in 1943 during World War II, which offers a pastoral and mysterious sound world that contrasts with the previous Fourth Symphony.
Walton's Crown Imperial, a grand orchestral march from the 1937 coronation of King George VI, is a staple of British state occasions.
Elgar’s Cello Concerto is a deeply personal and elegiac work written after World War I, in contrast with his earlier, more bombastic style.

Find out more »
£17.50 – £30.00 254 tickets left Buy Now
01 September 2026
Dorchester Abbey Oxfordshire
+ Google Map

NEW - season tickets for all seven concerts at Dorchester Abbey September to December 2026. offering a discount of 15% off the standard price for Front area (front pews and side chapel) and 15% off Middle area (pews). FRONTS £183...

Find out more »
£153.00 – £183.00 50 tickets left Buy Now
19 September 2026
Dorchester Abbey Oxfordshire
+ Google Map

Lili Boulanger's D'un matin de printemps is a brief, nuanced piece combining joyful high spirits with poignant introspection.
Rejecting the flashy, empty virtuosity popular at the time, Schumann envisioned a new type of piano concerto - one where the piano and orchestra engage in a passionate, equal dialogue.
Composed in just five weeks in late 1850, Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish" is a joyous, five-movement masterpiece inspired by his move to Düsseldorf and a trip to the Rhineland.

Find out more »
£20.00 – £30.00 300 tickets left Buy Now
Load More
An orchestra with a noble cause
A professional orchestra bringing the best music to all
Concerts

A richly varied programme of concerts, both orchestral and choral, at SJE Arts and the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, and at Dorchester Abbey.

musician on hospital ward
Serenading

Our Serenading programme brings together the wide range of social and community engagement work that we do.

music for autism banner 2
Music for Autism

A cornerstone of Connections, our Music for Autism programme has been running continuously for over 20 years. OSJ’s musicians spend around 70 days a year in special schools, both locally and nationally, playing to and engaging with children and young people with autism.

rising opera stars S
Young Artists Scheme

 Fostering talented young singers and instrumentalists in the early stages of their professional careers and inviting them to perform alongside OSJ’s established musicians.

Our Latest News

Thank you for reaching our target for ‘The Big Give 2025’

Thank you for reaching our target for ‘The Big Give 2025’ We accessed a total of £18,000 including matched funding. This will go towards our Music for Autism and Serenading community programmes As part of our Serenading initiative, OSJ musicians…

Review of concert for The Music Therapy Charity

Our annual fundraising concert on November 20th 2025 as a huge success in raising the profile of The Music Therapy Charity. Held at St John’s Waterloo, with the St John’s Orchestra, conducted by John Lubbock, one of our Vice Presidents…

OXINABOX REVIEW: ‘Jeneba Kanneh-Mason is a truly exciting pianist and her performance with OSJ at Dorchester Abbey made it abundantly clear why’

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and the OSJ Orchestra were locked in perfect synergy, the opening of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, Allegramente, sparkling with jazz-inflected vitality, while the central Adagio assai was rendered with such poignant beauty that the audience at Dorchester Abbey on Saturday night sat in rapt silence….

From our YouTube channel


Annual Review 2024-25


Jan Schmolck plays Bach in Dorchester Abbey


QI: John Lubbock on ‘The Home Key’


J0hn Lubbock talks abut his life and music 2024

supported by

From our online shop

Book concerts

Forthcoming concerts

How to support OSJ

You can support all aspects of the work of OSJ by donating to us via the Charities Aid Foundation. Please click on the DONATE button in the page footer.

Why an orchestra must work in the community

John Lubbock recorded at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford

Workshop videos

Available online for SEN schools