St James' Baroque

St. James' Baroque was started by Ivor Bolton in 1984. It's one of the leading period instrument ensembles, appeared at every year of the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music and has also appeared at many other festivals - including four visits to the Proms.

Ivor Bolton made several recordings with St. James's Baroque. James O'Donnell took over from Ivor as Music Director in 2005.

St. James' Baroque pays close attention to recent historical research, particularly stringing and the

set up of period instruments (or modern copies of old instruments).

For many years, we have had a wonderful association

with Britain's most celebrated choir, the Choir of Westminster Abbey.

St James' Baroque PHOTO: Peer Lindgreen

These concerts are such a joy, during 2019 SJB invited a young professional we hadn't worked with before to join us for each concert. We figured it would be nice thing to share the experience!

If you are looking for a first rate period instrument ensemble, free thinking, and at the cutting edge of baroque performance practise, you can contact the new administrator of SJB, Louise Jameson, through the group website: www.stjamesbaroque.co.uk

For 2019, St. James' Baroque asked 4 young colleagues to join us for Westminster Abbey concerts: cellist Jacob Garside, violinist Sarah Walsh, oboists Andrés Villabos-Lépiz & Hannah Blumsohn.

December 1st 2020 Cantatas from Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" directed by James O'Donnell with the choir of Westminster Abbey.

December 5th Handel's Messiah at St. John's, Smith Square with Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School choir, conducted by Scott Price

March 3rd Bach's B Minor mass at St. John's, Smith Square with Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School choir, conducted by Scott Price

March 30th 2021 Bach's St. John Passion at Westminster Abbey, with the Abbey Choir, directed by James O'Donnell

May 18th 2021 Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 at Westminster Abbey, directed by James O'Donnell and with the Abbey Choir