The fabulous Her Ensemble rehearse here

St Matthias is thrilled to be a regular rehearsal space of Her Ensemble, the UK’s first women and non-binary string orchestra, who formed during the pandemic. Her Ensemble are determined to make positive impact on the gender gap in the classical music industry, whilst creating space for musicians of marginalised genders.

Merging aspects from popular music and classical music scenes, the free form group shine a light on music written by women overlooked for centuries.  They do away with rigid rules and traditions and so make it accessible to everyone. They’re passionate about creating meaningful change within the music industry, highlighting how outdated expectations, traditions and a lack of awareness restrict visibility and creative development.

Says violinist Ellie Consta: “I’d always loved classical music, but hadn’t always loved all aspects of the scene. I started to question why we do things differently in the classical and pop worlds.”

• They are pictured at St Matthias after recording Jesus Christ the Apple Tree by Elizabeth Poston, and also recorded award-winning film composer and electronic artist Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres’ film score for feature film Long Live My Happy Head in the church.

Click for more details about Her Ensemble