A CONCERT series based in the former Cowley Fathers’ Church, St John the Evangelist, adjoining St Stephen’s House, Oxford, has found a new home, after the theological college gave it notice to quit.
A spokesperson for St Stephen’s House said: “SJE Arts has been a great and well-loved success over the last thirteen years since the College founded it. It became apparent, however, that the amount of subsidy required from St Stephen’s House to continue with SJE Arts into the future is beyond our means and our charitable objects.
“We regret this very much, but running a concert venue is an expensive and very involved enterprise. The College had also been actively finding homes for some of the displaced regular concert programmes and groups that have been part of SJE Arts.”
The concert series has found a home, from October, at St John’s College, Oxford, under the new name “St John’s International Piano Series”.
The director of SJE Arts, Michèle Smith, said in a statement: “We are really looking forward to moving to the delightful auditorium at St John’s, with its lovely Steinway D piano, and are already making plans about whom to invite for the first St John’s series. I can confirm that Angela Hewitt has already given a date and will be performing a programme of music by J. S. Bach.”
The latest trustees’ report for the Society of St Stephen’s House outlines the charitable objectives as being to “train clergy for the Anglican Communion and to enable students to pursue graduate professional training and academic research in Education, Theological Studies and such related educational activities in the University of Oxford”.
The accounts also set out the current number of students at the college: 13 ordinands, nine post-ordination students enrolled in further courses, and a further 22 students who are studying elsewhere but using St Stephen’s House as their hall of residence. Canon Robin Ward, its Principal for 19 years, left in April (News, 17 January).
St Stephen’s House ceased in 2023 to be a permanent private hall, as it had been for several years, of the University of Oxford, but it has the right to matriculate theological students at the University, according to the trustees’ report.
The trustees outline the financial situation of St Stephen’s House, acknowledging that, owing to there being less than £100,000 in free reserves, and the college being expected to continue to run at a deficit, a decision would be needed between selling property or taking out new loans.
The overall net assets amount to more than £14.5 million, according to the accounts, but much of this is the college’s property.