Oxford and Leiden are to celebrate 80 years of friendship with a special gala concert in Oxford Town Hall on Saturday 21 February.
Musicians from the Orchestra of St John’s Voices, will be joined by representatives and musicians from Oxford’s twin city, Leiden in the Netherlands to present a gala concert, to mark 80 years of twinning between the two cities.
Directed by John Lubbock, the concert will feature talented musicians from both cities, including Orchestra of St Johns, with performances from two soloists: Dominic Bevan (Tenor) and Hannah Davey (Soprano).
The programme will include operatic highlights from La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, Carmen, La Bohème, Otello, and Nabucco, alongside orchestral works by Wagner, Tchaikovsky, and Elgar.
The gala will take place on Saturday 21 February at 7pm in Oxford Town Hall. Tickets will cost between £10, £15, or £20 and can be brought on the Orchestra of St John’s website.
Free tickets available for NHS workers and for those who are disabled by emailing admin@osj.org.uk
The celebratory concert will also be performed in Leiden on Saturday 6 March as part of the twinning anniversary events.
About Twin Cities
Oxford is twinned with seven cities: Bonn in Germany, Grenoble in France Leiden in The Netherlands, Padua in Italy, Wrocław in Poland, León in Nicaragua, and Ramallah in Palestine.
Leiden was Oxford's first twin link. Established in 1946 following the Second World War, Oxford’s twinning relationship with Leiden is one of the longest and oldest active town twin city relationships in the country.
Twin city links give Oxford residents the chance to engage with other cultures and ways of life, and make these experiences more accessible through established contacts and networks in the linked cities. They also bring benefits to cities through knowledge-sharing activities, where people can learn from how problems are tackled in other countries, exchange ideas and understand different viewpoints.
Since 1946, approximately 10,000 individuals from both Oxford and Leiden have taken part in joint cultural, sporting, and social activities, deepening understanding of each other’s cultures and traditions.
“Music brings us all together and we are delighted to welcome musicians from Leiden for a celebration of 80 years of twinning friendship. International partnerships bring real benefits to our residents, and we are proud of the links that we have with all of our twin cities. I am really grateful for all the hard work of volunteers here in Oxford and in Leiden for bringing this about. If you’d like to join the celebrations and enjoy some incredible musical performances, we invite you to come along.”
Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory), and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, Oxford City Council
"We are looking forward to welcoming musicians from Leiden in this exciting gala event. I have been conductor in musical exchanges for over twenty years, and they are one of the joys of my professional life. I look forward to showcasing their talents at the Oxford Town Hall."
John Lubbock OBE, Artistic Director, Orchestra of St John’s
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