About this Event
The Orchestra Session gives its first-ever performance on Saturday 21 November 2026, in the medieval chapel at the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester.
We're a new 20-piece chamber orchestra built on a simple idea: professional and exceptional amateur musicians sharing one stage, one mission.
The programme
An evening of string repertoire you'll likely recognise, even if you've never known its name:
- J.S. Bach — Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
- J.S. Bach — Air, from Orchestral Suite No. 3 ("Air on the G String")
- Pachelbel — Canon in D major
- Vivaldi — The Four Seasons (selected movements: Spring, Summer, Winter)
- Mendelssohn — String Symphony No. 10
- Dvořák — Serenade for Strings
The concert will have an interval.
The venue
The Chapel at the Hospital of St Cross is one of Winchester's most remarkable buildings - founded around 1132 by Henry of Blois, and often described as England's oldest and most complete almshouse. Its 12th-century chapel has been called "a miniature cathedral," with stone vaulting, a central tower, and Transitional Norman-Gothic architecture rarely heard performed in.
Beyond the concert
A fixed share of every ticket sold is donated to charities working to make instrumental learning accessible to people who couldn't otherwise afford an instrument, tuition, or a place in an ensemble - a permanent commitment, not a one-off gesture.
Parking
There is limited parking available at the venue. Please consider parking in the city centre and hopping on the No. 1 Blue Star bus that runs a regular service and drops off right outside the Hospital of St. Cross. Alternatively, park in town and enjoy a 30 minute moonlit walk down the RIver Itchen which will bring you along side the Hospital of St. Cross (roughly 1.5 miles).
Agenda
🕑: 06:30 PM - 07:30 PM
Doors Open: Drinks at the Bar
Info: A selection of drinks available at the bar in the Hundreds Men Hall.
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:15 PM
The First Movement Concert - 1st Half
Host: The Orchestra Session
🕑: 08:15 PM - 08:35 PM
Interval: Drinks at the Bar
Info: A selection of drinks available at the bar in the Hundreds Men Hall.
🕑: 08:35 PM - 09:30 PM
The First Movement - 2nd Half
Host: The Orchestra Session
Event venue & nearby stays
The Hospital of St Cross, Saint Cross Back Street, Winchester, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.