“They came to listen because they love Joni Mitchell, but they went away loving Hejira.” – Jazzwise
“Whitehead is one of the greatest singers I have ever heard” ~ Jazzwise
“Honestly, one of the most perfect voices I’ve heard in ages…this lady’s voice is stunning” ~ Adam Dowling, BBC Radio Kent,
“The UK’s best and most convincing take on Joni Mitchell” ~ The Guardian
Hejira is a formidable, highly successful 7-piece touring band, set up in 2023 to celebrate the ‘greatest songs’ of Joni Mitchell. Since late 2025, they have been drawing from a pool of 3 outstanding singers/guitarists: Hattie Whitehead; Jana Varga; and Immy Churchill.
In particular, the band performs the masterpiece works that Mitchell recorded from ‘Court & Spark’ to ‘Wild Things Run Fast’; expect to hear such classics as ‘Amelia’, ‘Help Me’, ‘Hejira’, ‘Song For Sharon’, ‘A Case Of You, ‘Free Man In Paris’, ‘Coyote’ ‘Hissing of Summer Lawns’ etc..
The band has produced 12 high-quality videos for Youtube, amassing more than 1,000,000 views and garnering thousands of glowing comments.
They have, in their short history, played more than 120 shows in the UK and Ireland, including headline features at The EFG London Jazz Festival; Musicport World-Music Festival; Brecon Jazz Festival; Mosely Folk Festival; Lincoln Jazz Festival; Scarborough Jazz Festival; Oxford Festival of the Arts; Salisbury International Arts Festival; Buxton International Festival.
They produced a live album in 2024 which has received much critical acclaim; for example:
“Hattie Whitehead’s voice is spine-shiveringly like Mitchell’s, and just as full of delicacy, emotion and intelligence…. They are a formidably tight unit, imparting a practised smoothness to the performances. The recording is of optimal quality for a live album too” ~ Jazzwise, August 2024
World-renowned musicologist and critic, Ted Gioia recently included Hejira in his list, ‘My Favourite Videos on YouTube’
Musician and drummer extraordinaire (of Yes, King Crimson, Genesis etc.) Bill Bruford, wrote of the band:
“If you’re looking for a great evening with the music of Joni Mitchell, Hejira is a top-drawer band… Run, don’t walk, for tickets.”
UK’s No. 1 guitar supremo, John Etheridge (of Soft Machine, Stephane Grappelli, Andy Summers etc.) wrote:
“I was mesmerized by this interpretation of the great music of the legendary Joni Mitchell with the sensational vocals of Hattie Whitehead and illustrious band led by Pete Oxley”
Book a table for pre-concert dining
Acapela Studio provides pre-concert dining between 6.00pm and 7.30pm from our pizza oven. To view the current menu visit here.
BOOKING A TABLE FOR AN EVENT IN 2026
Please purchase your concert tickets first before booking a table. We will not accept any table bookings that do not have a corresponding ticket purchase.
Then return to the event page to book your table, by selecting the date of your event, number of diners and time you require table. The times shown are the only vacancies left. Please complete your email and phone number as this is required to ensure your table is allocated. You will receive confirmation of your booking by email and text.
If on the date you have chosen no tables are available - no times will be shown and the booking system will revert you back to todays date - PLEASE ENSURE YOU BOOK THE CORRECT DATE!
PLEASE NOTE THE VENUE RELIES ON THE INCOME FROM DINING TO ENSURE WE CAN BOOK ALL THE GREAT ACTS PERFORMING.
Income from the provision of pizzas is very important to the venue and if you have booked a table it is a requirement that all people sat at tables order food - a salad alternative is available to pizzas. Please do ensure that all individuals will be ordering on your table - if this is not the case please cancel your table so others who are looking to dine can do so. Our apologies to raise this but recently we have had many tables (some very large) where less than 50% of those sat at tables have ordered food. Financially this is a real problem to the sustainability of the venue.
- All seating at tables must purchase a pizza - so please do not book a table if everyone is not eating.
- Please ensure that you arrive 10 minutes before the time slot allocated to order your pizzas prior to your booking time.
- Tables not seated within 15 minutes of the allocated time may be lost and allocated to other audience members wishing to order pizzas.
- If you wish to book a table for 6 or more please email info@acapela.co.uk
BOOKING A TABLE FOR EVENTS IN 2027
From the 1st January 2027, all tickets for table dining will include the price of the pizza included within the ticket price. When purchasing table tickets you will have a choice of purchasing tickets to dine at certain times.
If you wish to join your booking with another table so you are sat at the same table then please email info@acapela.co.uk requesting the tables to be joined.
If you arrive 15 minutes after the time booked your table may be given away to other ticketholders who have purchased pizzas on the evening.
As with all out tickets – the venue has a no refund ticket policy
Please note that all of our pizzas are made fresh to order and cooked in an authentic wood-fired oven. It may take up to 45 minutes to be served during busy periods.
PLEASE NOTE:
Please note that no alcohol or other drinks not purchased on the premises are allowed to be brought into the venue. Thank You.
Please note that all of our pizzas are made fresh to order. It may take up to 45 minutes to be served during busy periods.
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO BOOK A TABLE YOU CAN STILL ORDER PIZZAS ON THE NIGHT (USUALLY ON BUSY NIGHTS NO LATER THAN 7.15PM) AND WE WILL SERVE THEM TO YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE SAT IN THE VENUE - IN A PIZZA BOX.