Abbey Gateway Orchestra welcomes all ages and a wide range of abilities, which leads to a mix of adult and young musicians which often produces fresh and stimulating results.

We encourage young soloists and singers to perform with us as well as seasoned professionals from major London orchestras.

The orchestra regularly programmes unusual and neglected musical literature alongside some standard repertoire. It has given first performances of works by mainly amateur local composers.

Although of modest chamber orchestra size, it rehearses weekly with a full range of instruments and has a small regular pool of unpaid guest musicians and friends who share in our varied events.

The orchestra started as an evening class of the then St Albans College in the 1960s. It acquired its present name when it became associated with St Albans School in 1980, having become independent. It has been at its current rehearsal venue St Michael's Primary School (close to Verulamium Museum) for a few years.