The gate of heaven (1162)
Re-presenting the Holy Sepulchre (1162)
Built for a king’s burial (1240)
Singing to God’s glory
The Temple in our time
Welcome to the prayerful and beautiful Temple Church, steeped in the history of Christendom, this country and the whole Common Law World. 1162: the Round Church was built to be London’s Jerusalem. 1214–19: Magna Carta was negotiated in the Temple, and its greatest hero was buried in the Church. 1584, 1776, 1787: from Raleigh’s expeditions through the colonial constitutions to the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the Temple was the birthplace of American Law. And to this day the Church serves the legal colleges Inner and Middle Temple, London’s residents, visiting jurists and travellers from all over the world with some of the most uplifting services, music and discussions in London.
How can so ancient a building be equipped to serve the modern age? Through Restoration & Renewal: Equipping the Temple Church for the next 100 Years, a major programme of refurbishment and repair, energised and supported by The Friends of the Temple Church. This will fortify our prayer and praise, our wonderful music and our engagement with the socio-legal challenges facing Britain and the wider world.
Robin Griffith-Jones Master of the Temple
Mark Hatcher Reader of the Temple
Thursday 28 March
The Church is Closed for Sightseeing until 2 April.
For up-to-date sightseeing hours, see what's on in summary below or click here.
Admission for Sightseeing
£5.00 | £3.00 | Free to children, the Inns’ members, Inns and Chambers staff, and their guests.
For more information click here
All Forthcoming Choral Services
Next Choral Service: Choral Evensong for Holy Week. Wednesday 27 March, 6.00pm
ThuMar28 |
Temple Music Holy Week Festival: The Well-tempered Clavier
Libby Burgess pianoPerformance 4 of 6The Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the glories of Western art, only rarely performed in its entirety. In 1722 JS Bach published a prelude and a fugue in each of the twelve major and twelve minor keys (Book 1), and twenty years later he repeated the process (Book 2). Each of ‘The 48’ lasts only a few minutes, but between them they explore a wealth of characters, styles, and moods, representing not only the diversity of musical language available to the composer at the time, but also exploring the whole gamut of human emotional experience. Acclaimed pianist Libby Burgess is performing Bach's masterpiece 48 times; once in each of England's 48 counties. She is half way through her epic journey around the country, and we are thrilled to be hosting the City of London performances as part of our Holy Week Festival. During the festival, Libby will perform the entire collection across six concerts. Each concert will include a carefully crafted selection of preludes & fugues from Book 1 and Book 2 (the set lists will be published shortly). Bach wrote his massive and magnificent collection "for the benefit and use of the musical youth eager to learn, as well as for the special pastime of those already skilful in this study". The project is fundraising for musical charities who provide much-needed help to those same categories of people today – musicians young and old. The nominated charities are: Help Musicians, Youth Music, Live Music Now and Future Talent. Between them they help hundreds of thousands of musicians every year, offering financial support, creating opportunities, addressing inequalities, and altogether safeguarding the future of the music world. So far the project has raised over £29,000. The concerts are free, with a retiring collection in aid of the charities. For more information and booking click here. Choral Communion for Maundy Thursday
Sung by the Temple Singers
Organ prelude: Chant donné (Duruflé)
Temple Music Holy Week Festival: The Well-tempered Clavier
Libby Burgess pianoPerformance 5 of 6The Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the glories of Western art, only rarely performed in its entirety. In 1722 JS Bach published a prelude and a fugue in each of the twelve major and twelve minor keys (Book 1), and twenty years later he repeated the process (Book 2). Each of ‘The 48’ lasts only a few minutes, but between them they explore a wealth of characters, styles, and moods, representing not only the diversity of musical language available to the composer at the time, but also exploring the whole gamut of human emotional experience. Acclaimed pianist Libby Burgess is performing Bach's masterpiece 48 times; once in each of England's 48 counties. She is half way through her epic journey around the country, and we are thrilled to be hosting the City of London performances as part of our Holy Week Festival. During the festival, Libby will perform the entire collection across six concerts. Each concert will include a carefully crafted selection of preludes & fugues from Book 1 and Book 2 (the set lists will be published shortly). Bach wrote his massive and magnificent collection "for the benefit and use of the musical youth eager to learn, as well as for the special pastime of those already skilful in this study". The project is fundraising for musical charities who provide much-needed help to those same categories of people today – musicians young and old. The nominated charities are: Help Musicians, Youth Music, Live Music Now and Future Talent. Between them they help hundreds of thousands of musicians every year, offering financial support, creating opportunities, addressing inequalities, and altogether safeguarding the future of the music world. So far the project has raised over £30,000. The concerts are free, with a retiring collection in aid of the charities. For more information and booking click here. Temple Music Holy Week Festival: War and Peace
TEMPLE SOLOISTSJonathan Stone violinMartyn Jackson violinMeghan Cassidy violaTim Lowe celloJulian Bliss clarinetA programme of musical outpourings in response to war, from Suk's elegiac Meditation on an Old Czech Hymn 'St Wenceslas', through Shostakovich's powerful 8th String Quartet, to one of the loveliest moments in music - the closing of Herbert Howells' Rhapsodic Quintet. To perform this landmark in English chamber music, clarinettist Julian Bliss joins forces with the exceptional string players of Temple Soloists. Completing their programme is Puccini's gem of a quartet, Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums), written in one night in response to the death of a friend. Suk: Meditation on an Old Czech Hymn 'St Wenceslas' For more information and booking please click here. Temple Music Holy Week Festival: The Well-tempered Clavier
Libby Burgess pianoPerformance 6 of 6The Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the glories of Western art, only rarely performed in its entirety. In 1722 JS Bach published a prelude and a fugue in each of the twelve major and twelve minor keys (Book 1), and twenty years later he repeated the process (Book 2). Each of ‘The 48’ lasts only a few minutes, but between them they explore a wealth of characters, styles, and moods, representing not only the diversity of musical language available to the composer at the time, but also exploring the whole gamut of human emotional experience. Acclaimed pianist Libby Burgess is performing Bach's masterpiece 48 times; once in each of England's 48 counties. She is half way through her epic journey around the country, and we are thrilled to be hosting the City of London performances as part of our Holy Week Festival. During the festival, Libby will perform the entire collection across six concerts. Each concert will include a carefully crafted selection of preludes & fugues from Book 1 and Book 2 (the set lists will be published shortly). Bach wrote his massive and magnificent collection "for the benefit and use of the musical youth eager to learn, as well as for the special pastime of those already skilful in this study". The project is fundraising for musical charities who provide much-needed help to those same categories of people today – musicians young and old. The nominated charities are: Help Musicians, Youth Music, Live Music Now and Future Talent. Between them they help hundreds of thousands of musicians every year, offering financial support, creating opportunities, addressing inequalities, and altogether safeguarding the future of the music world. So far the project has raised over £30,000. The concerts are free, with a retiring collection in aid of the charities. For more information and booking click here. |
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FriMar29 |
Choral Mattins for Good Friday
Sung by the Temple Church Choir
Organ prelude: Miserere (Byrd) Temple Music Holy Week Festival: The End of Time
TEMPLE SOLOISTSJonathan Stone violinJulian Bliss clarinetTim Lowe celloJames Cheung pianoOur Holy Week Festival ends with Olivier Messiaen’s profoundly spiritual Quartet for the End of Time. Written while he was a prisoner of war in German captivity, the piece was premiered outdoors by Messiaen and his fellow prisoners using the instruments they could lay their hands on, in freezing temperatures, to a rapt audience of hundreds of inmates. "Never was I listened to with such rapt attention and comprehension" the composer later wrote. The music seems to touch the far edges of human experience. It combines the exotic dance rhythms and birdsong which permeate so much of Messiaen's music, with astonishing depictions of radiant eternity, inspired by the Book of Revelation. For more information and booking click here. |
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SatMar30 |
Easter Vigil and First Communion of Easter
Sung by the Temple Singers
Introit: Quem quaeritis |
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SunMar31 |
Holy Communion
1662 Book of Common Prayer (Said) Please access the Church via Tudor Street Entrance
Choral Communion for Easter Day
Sung by the Temple Church Choir
Organ prelude: Prelude in G BWV541 (Bach) |
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TueApr02 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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WedApr03 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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ThuApr04 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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FriApr05 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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SatApr06 | ||
SunApr07 | ||
MonApr08 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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TueApr09 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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WedApr10 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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ThuApr11 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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FriApr12 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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SatApr13 | ||
SunApr14 |
Easter Carol Service
Sung by Temple Singers To include music by Byrd, Scheidt and Tomkins |
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MonApr15 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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TueApr16 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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WedApr17 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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ThuApr18 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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FriApr19 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
12:00 pm
Funeral Service
12:00 pm–
4:00 pm
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SatApr20 | ||
SunApr21 |
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MonApr22 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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TueApr23 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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WedApr24 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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ThuApr25 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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FriApr26 |
Church open for sightseeing
10:00 am–
4:00 pm
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SatApr27 | ||
SunApr28 |