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AJSW Concerts

We organise many concerts per year including London venues as well as Bristol Cathedral and St Georges Int. Concert Venue (Bristol).

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All concert and booking of artist enquiries to our society address.

St Sepulchre: The Musicians Church

Although we are no longer holding lunch concerts at St Sepulchre, the Musicians Church, it's history and it's place within the Church of England should not be overlooked or neglected. The Bishop of London signed a document soon after he took up his position granting its special status. Within the church was the 'Musicians Chapel'. The Bishop of London is a traditionalist and has a preference for classical music.

The departed musicians recorded in the Musicians Chapel's Remembrance Book deserve respect. They represent music that has lasted for centuries of the highest order. The musicians we brought there reflected their predecessors' art and musical skills. Sir Henry Wood (buried there) and Dame Nellie Melba (a window dedicated to her) symbolize that the music there should reach for the heights. It became difficult to maintain such standards especially the necessary organizational consistency required for such musicians to give of their best and attract a regular audience at levels conducive to a welcoming and warm environment. From our first concert there on October 31st, 2012 to our last on July 23rd, 2014 enabled some memorable musical moments by a number of remarkable musicians ready to give of their best.

So in memoriam to all those wonderful musicians past and present we mark our place in its history in trying to keep its status and place as intended.

The Musicians' Chapel was dedicated Jan 2nd 1955. A rare recording of a BBC News Item of the historic ceremony was discovered in the church in 2012. The Albert Hall Proms founder Sir Henry Wood is buried in the chapel. He was organist at St Sepulchre when he was 14 before he founded the world famous proms which he conducted for 50 years. Dignitaries, including his successor and friend Sir Malcolm Sargent, attended the dedication leading to St Sepulchre's status as The National Musicians Church.

Musicians' Chapel Dedication
(click on image to play video)

The clip below comes from a 1936 British feature film entitled "Calling the Tune", a story about the development of the gramophone industry, and Sir Henry Wood and his Queen's Hall Light Orchestra, seen here, were among the guest stars.

Sir Henry Wood conducts Shepherds Hey (Grainger)
(click on image to play video)

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We thank the National Churches Trust for an article in the week starting 12th July '14 in praise of our efforts at St Sepulchre printed the week prior to our departure!

Please visit their web site at www.nationalchurchestrust.org