ENGAGING, expansive and emotive, The Irrepressibles craft beautiful music to move the soul and fire the imagination.

The orchestral-pop collective blend strings, keys, woodwind and percussion to conjure up deeply thoughtful and often ecstatic tunes to take listeners on a sublime voyage.

Tonight (Thursday, October 12), the outfit helmed by Yorkshire composer and singer-songwriter Jamie Irrepressible bring their expansive sound to a suitably beautiful Oxford venue – St Barnabas Church in Jericho.

The show is being brought to town by lover of all things thought-provoking, fun and eclectic – Vez Hoper of Irregular Folks.

The gig marks 10 years of the launch of her ever-entertaining sessions which previously welcomed The Irrepressibles in 2016.

“It feels very fitting that after all this time we return to the utterly beautiful St Barnabas Church to celebrate with a super special band too,” she says.

“Composer Jamie Irrepressible always works with equally awe-inspiring artists as his role call of musicians for this night will attest.”

Jamie formed his band in 2002. Over the past two decades he has earned international acclaim for his cathartic multi-instrumental-pop compositions, collaborations with other artists, and sensory-heightening live shows.

With three critically acclaimed studio albums – Superheroes, Nude and Mirror Mirror – to his name, he has also scored international indie-hits in Most Beautiful Boy, Two Men In Love and In This Shirt, which have over three billion streams combined.

Vez adds: “We were so honoured to be asked to promote this gig. It means so much that musicians remember their time with Irregular Folks and search us out to return. We’ve always wanted to host the full Irrepressibles set up so it really does feel like a very special birthday present indeed.”

Oxford Mail: The Irrespressibles

Jamie will be joined by his full band of musicians: Elliot Lyte on violin; Charlotte Stock on viola; Rebecca Thomas on cello; Alice Phelps on double bass; Anja Kadir on accordion and clarinet; Sarah Kershaw on piano, clarinet and organ; Thomas Twemlow on percussion; and Jamie himself on vocals, piano, mandolin and acoustic guitar.

Vez says: “Jamie last played Irregular Folks at our Summer Sessions in 2016. There we were treated to a super stripped-down version. This time, it’s all bells and whistles and we simply cannot wait.

“It’s like a dream come true to have them back and be able to host them in such a special venue. For that we have to thank OCM Events. We couldn’t have been able to do this without their support.

“Again it feels very fitting to be collaborating with another local Oxford promoter and one we’ve always admired.”

Jamie and the band will revisit earlier material and introduce new EP, Self Love & Acceptance – a six-track collection which is described as a series of meditations surrounding the artist’s individual journey. It culminates in the epic, elating Inner Child.

Jamie says: “Inner Child takes us back to the essence of life – the scintilla... the spark. Our inner child always has this and by remembering them and setting them free we become our innate nature.

“The piece becomes a meditation on this and the emotional journey of life – which goes all the way into the inner child and then comes out dancing as the other musicians sing with rhythms, ostinatos and melodies building to become an organic blossoming of musical shapes and a complexity of difference that hopefully inspires the listener to move in their own way.”

  • The Irresprissibles play St Barnabas Church, Jericho Oxford tonight (Thursday). Tickets from wegottickets.com/event/582869#