Our second concert is bought to us by New Arts Opera, for an evening exploring the theme of love.

As one of the performers, we are very lucky to have the outstanding Anglo-Irish soprano Zita Syme, a Britten-Pears Young Artist whose career spans major opera festivals and houses across Europe. Her many concert appearances have included Haydn’s Nelson Mass and recitals at St James’s Piccadilly and the National Portrait Gallery.

This evening will be far more than a recital. Through tender duets and intimate arias, we will trace how composers across centuries have wrestled with love in all its forms: passion and longing, devotion and loss, hope and heartbreak.

Enjoy a picnic and some folk, rock and blues music at St Hubert Church, a beautiful Saxon church in the South Downs National Park.

The Friends of the Church of St Hubert and the Parochial Church Council welcome back Empty Frets to create a relaxed evening at the church.

Empty Frets are a 5-piece band from the New Forest that play based a range of music from the Buddy Holly of the '60's to Paloma Faith, Beth Hart, and Bryan Adams of the '00's. There's a bit of Country, some Folk Rock, and more than a touch of Blues too. Plus a few original numbers thrown into the mixture.

In September, we are thrilled to welcome Penelope Appleyard and Jonathan Delbridge to St Hubert’s.

Breaking our one-word rule just once this season, ‘Sense & Musicality’ tells the love story of Jane Austen and music, exploring the tension between head and heart in her life and writing. Alongside familiar favourites such as the theme from Pride & Prejudice, we will hear Handel, Gluck and traditional songs of the period, as well as Ode to Pity: a rare musical setting of Austen’s own poetry commissioned for her 250th anniversary and featured on BBC Radio 3.

The Little Song Party’s performances have been described as ‘seamlessly blending scholarship with entertainment’. Stunningly scripted concerts where the spoken word and music sit naturally side by side. We can’t wait.

For our October concert in our series, we are very lucky to have the wonderful pairing of Valeria Clarke and Daniel Ephgrave.

Their programme will be shaped around the word zephyr, a gentle breeze, exploring the music of Debussy, Tchaikovsky and Bach, amongst others. The combination of flute and harp is one of the most beautiful in chamber music and so, in the intimate acoustic of St Hubert’s, their sound will have a particular magic.

Valeria is a scholar at the Royal College of Music. She regularly performs at the Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall and her recordings for film and television include Bridgerton and Saltburn. Daniel combines West End and orchestral experience with performances alongside the CBSO and Philharmonia, in a career that spans concert hall, theatre and chamber music.

In November, we are honoured to welcome members of the Portsmouth Cathedral Choir for a special concert of music of remembrance.

Recognised as one of the South of England’s most respected Cathedral choirs, Portsmouth Cathedral Choir is known for the clarity, depth and expressive power of its singing.

This programme will reflect the spirit of remembrance: music of reflection, hope and quiet strength. In the stillness of St Hubert’s, this will be a perfect space for memory, gratitude and contemplation. An evening of choral music that honours the past while offering a reflection of the present.

As Christmas approaches, there is a particular kind of anticipation in the air and our final concert in the series is all about this word.

To bring this to life, we are so pleased to welcome Esprimo Consort. A group of stunning professional voices, drawn from the wider Esprimo Choral Foundation. Their performances are well-known for being attentive, expressive and beautifully balanced, so we can think of no finer group to close our 2026 series.

On this night, and in the wonderful surroundings of St Hubert’s, the true spirit of Christmas can quietly begin.