Events at Dorchester Abbey
For generations people have brought their gifts and skills to enhance the life of Dorchester Abbey and this tradition continues as a huge variety of groups and organisations hire and use the Abbey each year as the venue for a wide and vibrant programme of concerts, theatre, visual arts and other events.
If you would like to hire the Abbey for your event then take a look at our information for hirers.
An uplifting day of music-making for all singers
Join us for a wonderful Come & Sing featuring Gabriel Fauré’s much-loved Requiem – a beautiful, serene, and deeply moving work that has inspired choirs and audiences for generations. We are delighted to be joined by Alastair Mucklow, the 2025 BBC Young Chorister of the Year, and Belinda Gifford-Guy, the 2023 BBC Junior Young Chorister of the Year, as our soloists. The event will be accompanied by Jeremy Boughton, supported by a group of local young musicians, and led by RSCM’s Deputy Director, Dr Paul Hedley.
On this occasion we particularly welcome under-18s to join the massed choir, but they must be accompanied by an adult.
Whether you’re a seasoned chorister or simply enjoy singing for pleasure, this is a perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the choral world’s great masterpieces in the splendid surroundings of the historic medieval abbey at Dorchester on Thames.
Price includes;
• Participation in the Come & Sing
• A copy of the RSCM edition of the score. Music can be collected on the day or posted to you in advance (postage and packing charge applies).
Refreshments will be available to purchase during the break.
Audience members are welcome to join for the performance at 5.00pm (BST). Donations welcome.
Moving Music concerts are presented by the charity Sound Resource, which promotes music for health and wellbeing.
Hannah Davey and Victoria Newman perform songs from stage and screen. The concert includes sing-along songs for the audience to join as they wish.
All are welcome, particularly people living with dementia, their family, friends and carers. Reserve places in advance for your preferred concert time: movingmusicconcerts@gmail.com
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.
A spirited homage to Zoltán Kodály’s childhood memories, Dances of Galánta (1933) is a vibrant orchestral showpiece based on 18th-century Hungarian folk music.
The Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor of 1887, was an olive branch offered to his estranged friend, the great violinist Joseph Joachim, with the cello part written for Joachim’s quartet cellist, Robert Hausmann.
Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, whom Beethoven admired as a champion of freedom, the “Heroic” Symphony was renamed in fury when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor in 1804.
An evening exploring imagination with William Blake and Rowan Williams
– is reason the only arbiter we have?
– what does it mean to be human?
– does imagination have power?
– is love the answer?
with illustrations by Adrian Brooks and music by Tim Cook
Ginestera Dances from Estancia no 2 and 4
Darius Milhaud’s La création du monde (The Creation of the World) is a groundbreaking 1923 ballet blending African creation myths with the vibrant sounds of American jazz, featuring bitonal harmonies, syncopated rhythms and bluesy melodies.
George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is a landmark American work, blending jazz & classical music, famous for its iconic clarinet glissando, capturing the energy of the Roaring Twenties with its mix of syncopation, soulful melodies, & “blue notes”.
The Firebird was Stravinsky’s first major breakthrough, commissioned by Serge Diaghilev for his pioneering Ballets Russes in Paris. It immediately propelled the 28-year-old composer to international fame.
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One Date : Two Performance Times ~ Please Book Tickets For Your Preferred Performance on This Date ~
05:45pm – Performance One: Tribute to Hans Zimmer & Film Favourites Illuminated
08:15pm – Performance Two: Tribute to Hans Zimmer & Film Favourites Illuminated
A Tribute to Hans Zimmer & Film Favourites Illuminated An immersive tribute to Hans Zimmer and cinema’s most iconic music with a live chamber orchestra illuminated by light
Please Follow Yellow Event Signage to Dedicated Event Car Parking ~ Please respect the Village and Park in designated Car Parking Provided ~ DO NOT park on the high street blocking main through roads for emergency vehicles or blocking drive ways
The Brandenburg Concertos are unique Baroque masterpieces, each concerto a showcase of distinct instrumentation and inventive style.
Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C minor (BWV 1060R) stands as one of the great collaborations, not only between the two solo instruments but also between history and scholarship.
His “Double” Concerto is arguably his most popular and frequently performed orchestral work
More Details coming soon and ticket information for this wonderful fundraising evening in support of The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
Nadia Eide returns to Dorchester Abbey on Thursday 03 December 2026 with a fantastic live show!
Featuring songs from Phantom of the Opera, Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz and more in the ultimate celebration of songs from stage and screen.
Christmas at the Musicals at Dorchester Abbey
No 1 selling classical soprano and star of The Voice UK, Nadia Eide is touring her brand new Christmas concert tour Christmas At The Musicals in November and December 2026.
Featuring songs from Phantom of the Opera, Sound of Music, Matilda, Home Alone, Wizard of Oz and many more in the ultimate celebration of well-loved songs from stage and screen. Featuring special guests. Suitable for all ages.
“A spellbinding, festive treat!” -BBC Radio Oxford
“Five stars. Stunning voice with captivation stage presence.” – The York Press
“Nadia is a goddess. From where she starts to where she finishes is mind-blowing!” -will.i.am
“You hit notes that only we mortals can dream of! ” – Sir Tom Jones
“She’s a superstar! I love the operatic sound.” – Anne-Marie
“When you combine talent with emotion and passion like that, magic can happen. Nadia has a God-given gift.” – Danny O’ Donoghue, Lead Singer of The Script
Tickets must be purchased in advance.