Events at the Octagon

Unmeasured Chamber Concerts 2026

A monthly chamber series of internationally acclaimed musicians, curated by period-instrument specialists Matthew Wadsworth (lute) and Kate Bennett Wadsworth (cello/viol). Concerts are an hour long and take place in the beautiful acoustics of the Octagon Chapel, designed in 1753 by Thomas Ivory, on the first Friday of the month.

Stormy Beethoven

Friday 9 January, 2026 at 7pm

Blustery chamber music by the young Beethoven: the Cello Sonata in G minor, op. 5 no. 2 and the Piano Trio in C minor, op. 1 no. 3

Gary Cooper, fortepiano
Sabine Cooper, violin
Kate Bennett Wadsworth, cello

Londinium Consort

Friday 3 February at 7.00pm

A special guest recital of old and new music by the exciting young ensemble, the Londinium Consort – 2025-26 Co-Holders of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ New Elizabethan Award.

Tickets:
General admission £20.00 (+ £1.68 booking fee) Your ticket includes a glass of wine.
Under 18s £2.00 (+ £0.17 booking fee) Your ticket includes a glass/cup of juice.
Come With Us £80.00 (+ £6.72 booking fee) Admits 5. Come in a group of 5 and pay for only 4 tickets (you still get the free drink)
Buy tickets in advance here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/unmeasured

The Voice Project – Diving Dream

Saturday 24 January, 2026 at 5pm and 8pm

An an immersive, surround-sound and light experience specially designed for the Octagon Chapel. The performance will feature newly written music as well as songs from the Voice Project back catalogue, with settings of Coleridge, Emily Dickinson, Katrina Porteous, Hafiz, and inspired by the life and work of William Blake whose birth was contemporaneous with the Octagon Chapel.

The choir will be joined by soloists Lisa Cassidy, Jeremy Avis, and Sharon Durant (alongside Voice Project Co-directors Jon Baker and Sian Croose), and instrumentalists Adrian Lever and Rowland Sutherland.

Tickets available here: https://www.voiceproject.co.uk/upcoming-events

Octagon Concert Series

Wednesday 28 January at 1.00pm
Jane Austen school lunchtime concert

Octagon Concert Series / Music Sans Frontières

Sunday 15 February, 2026 at 3.00pm

MUSIC FOR WIND OCTET
Mozart, La Clemenza di Tito Overture
Johnathan Dove, Figures in the Garden
Malcolm Arnold Hobson’s Choice
Fantasie of a theme by Erik Zyman

MUSIC FOR WIND QUINTET
Carl Neilson

Tickets available on the door : £8.00 full price / £7 concession

Steve Knightley – Sanctuary: Songs From Sacred Places

Tuesday 17 March 2026, at 7.30pm

Known for his songs of history and location , Steve will create an evening of material beautifully matched to these resonant venues — churches, chapels and ancient buildings chosen for their atmosphere and acoustic warmth. The concerts will also feature Dan Salvatore, who’s haunting handpan soundscapes add a meditative, ambient dimension to the evening. Expect stripped-back arrangements, strong storytelling, and a focus on the relationship between song, space, and listener.

Drawing on influences from Bob Dylan to William Blake, from the English folk tradition to his own finely crafted compositions, Steve explores songs of history, landscape and human experience — material that resonates naturally in rooms shaped by centuries of song and prayer.

Tickets available here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/acoustic-promotions/t-aavakvy