Music at St Mary’s
‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord’
At St Mary’s we take great joy in giving God glory through the gift of music. Whether that be in our sung worship led by our choir and band, in our monthly Free Friday Recitals, or in our special services and concerts, which see musicians from the local area gather together to share their gifts.
Are you a keen singer or instrumentalist interested in joining our music ministry? Please contact Tom, our Music Director on 020 7226 3400, or at tom.jesty@stmaryislington.org
Free Friday Recitals at St Mary’s
Following the success of the Free Friday Lunchtime Recitals held throughout 2024, St Mary’s Church is delighted to announce the continuation of the programme in 2025. Over 1,000 people attended the 12 free recitals in 2024 and were treated to high quality classical performances by early career professionals. The series showcased a diverse repertoire, from the early classicism of Quantz, to contemporary music by Caroline Lizotte, including performances by pianists, guitarists, saxophonists, and harpists.
The concerts will take place on the third Friday of every month at St Mary’s Church, Upper Street at 1.15pm. The concerts are free and you do not need a ticket. Free hot drinks and cake served from 12.45pm.
The Free Friday lunchtime Recitals at St Mary's have been made possible by the legacy gift of Denise Antenen and generous donations from members of St Mary's congregation.
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Our seventh Free Friday Lunchtime Recital of 2025 will take place on Friday 18 July.
In this concert Francis Bushell and Thomas Siemens will explore the theme of remembrance by placing Songs by Franz Schubert next to British folk songs. Francis will play the bassoon and will be accompanied by Thomas on the guitar.
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The concert will embark on a romantic musical journey, delving into the works of Schumann, Chopin, and Granados. The programme that we will hear will explore the big influence that Frederick Chopin and Robert Schumann had on the Spanish composer Enrique Granados. The pieces will present a constant alteration of emotions, brought to life through richly coloured harmonies, technical complexity, emotional depth, and poetic phrasing characteristic of the romantic period.
Cellist George Cooke at September 2024’s recital
