OSJ Ensemble Launch Concert: Bach and Arvo Part

Jan Schmolck and Howard Moody are playing at the Holywell Music Room on Thursday 29 October, a night of chamber music for violin and keyboard by Bach and Arvo Pärt. It's the launch of the OSJ Ensemble, a new project from the Orchestra of St John's, and the two of them are leading it: Schmolck is the orchestra's leader and Moody is its keyboard player, both soloists in their own right. The programme brings together the two composers, so you'll hear Bach alongside Pärt.

The ensemble is a new initiative of the Orchestra of St John's, made possible by the generosity of Ian and Caroline Laing. The idea is to let the musicians work and perform in smaller groups, and to connect with students and young musicians through workshops and masterclasses. It's also a partnership with the University of Oxford Music Department, so it's as much about the work going on behind the scenes as it is about the concerts themselves. This is the first of those nights, and it's Schmolck and Moody who are stepping out to open it.

As for the music, it's a pairing that makes a lot of sense. Bach's violin and keyboard works are the bedrock of the repertoire, and Pärt's music, with its stillness and slow-moving lines, sits in a completely different world. Hearing them in the same evening lets you see how far apart they are, and how they both find their way to something quiet and focused. It's a small-scale setup — just the two of them — and that's exactly where this kind of music works best.

The concert runs from 19:30 to 21:30 at the Holywell Music Room on Holywell Street, OX1 3SB, with tickets priced between £5 and £10.