The Temple Church Choir - Temple Church

The Temple Church Choir consists of sixteen boy choristers and twelve professional choirmen and was founded after the Victorian restoration of the church in 1841 by Dr Edward John Hopkins. It is still considered to be one of the finest choirs in London, a reputation it quickly gained after its founding. Though its main duty is to enhance the worship in the services in the ancient Temple Church, the choir has also been involved with many exciting projects outside its liturgical commitments. The established musical tradition of the Temple Church has encompassed many distinguished and formidable musicians in church music, and some of the great figures in Anglican Church music have composed and played within its walls. Handel was a visitor to the church to hear the virtuoso blind organist and composer, John Stanley, who was appointed Organist to the Society of the Inner Temple in 1734.

In the nineteenth century, Hopkin’s successor, Sir Henry Walford Davies, further developed the reputation of the church’s music and its choir before becoming organist at St George’s Chapel, Windsor and ultimately Master of the King’s Musick. Sir George Thalben-Ball followed and under his direction the choir attracted such a following that queues for services often spilled out of the Temple into Fleet Street. Of the many recordings that the choir made during Thalben-Ball’s tenure, the most famous featured the Temple chorister Master Ernest Lough. In 1927, HMV recorded Master Lough singing Mendelssohn’s Hear my Prayer which includes O for the Wings of a Dove. Within six months, the original master had worn out and a replacement – the one still available today – was recorded a year later. Its popularity earned the recording a gold disc for selling over a million copies and made Ernest Lough and the Temple Church a household name. Ernest continued to sing as a choirman once his voice had broken, and two of his three sons, followed in their father’s footsteps and became Temple choristers. Ernest’s Lough’s sons still attend occasional services and events at the church.

In the last twenty-five years, the music of the church has been under the direction of Dr John Birch, Stephen Layton, James Vivian and Roger Sayer. Thomas Allery became Director of Music in September 2023.

What’s On In Summary

MonMay12	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
TueMay13	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
WedMay14	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Lunchtime Organ Recital: Charles Andrews More information on the Lunchtime Organ Recital Series Concert 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm Choral Evensong sung by the Bar Choral Society Organ prelude: Sonata no 5, movement 1 (Mendelssohn) Psalm: The Lord’s my shepherd (tune, Crimond) Canticles: (Wood in D) Anthem: Geistliches Lied (Brahms) Organ voluntary: Sonata no 5, movement 2 (Mendelssohn) This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 6:00 pm– 7:00 pm
ThuMay15	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Holy Communion This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm
FriMay16	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Talk: The story of the Temple Church from the Knights Templar to the present day Free as part of the entrance fee. Talk 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
SatMay17	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day
SunMay18	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day Holy Communion Please enter the Temple via Tudor Street This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 8:30 am– 9:00 am Choral Mattins Sung by the Temple Singers Responses: Radcliffe Psalm 16 Te Deum: (Stanford in B flat) Benedictus: chant by Havergal Anthem: Christus resurgens (Richauffort) This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
MonMay19	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
TueMay20	Church closed for sightseeing all –day SIMULCAST ECUMENICAL SERVICE OF PRAYERS FOR PEACE AND FOR UNITY AT THE 1,700th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA (20 May 325) Also available live and thereafter on: www.templechurch.com His late Holiness Pope Francis sent a written message of support and welcome just a few days before his death. The message will be read out at the start of the service. *Presiding in London:* His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster The Rt Rev. Archbishop Hosam Naoum, Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem *Presiding in Jerusalem:* His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Theophilus III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Please turn over for further details Alongside leaders of Anglican, Armenian, Coptic, Greek, Methodist and Free Church, Pentecostal and Syriac Churches. The service will be in English, Greek, Latin, Aramaic and Church Slavonic. This ecumenical service marks the 1700^th anniversary of the opening day of the Council of Nicaea (20 May 325). At the Council 318 bishops agreed on the Nicene Creed, the foundational and irreplaceable statement of Christian faith which still unites Christians all over the world. The Son was declared to be homoousious – of the same substance – with the Father: the Son is not a creature, a lieutenant or in any way subordinate to His Father, but is God Himself. The service will bring together Christian leaders and communities for a profound moment of unity and prayer for peace, during this time of brokenness and conflict. We shall pray in particular for peace and safety for the Christian communities in Christ’s own native land. The Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land. The Round Church (1163, perhaps the first Gothic building built in England) was modelled on the circular church of the Holy Sepulchre / Anastasis (Resurrection) in Jerusalem, the site of Christ’s death, burial and rising. The Holy Sepulchre was commissioned by Emperor Constantine shortly after the Council of Nicaea. We are very grateful to the Temple Church Trust for making us so welcome, and to The Honourable Society of Inner Temple for kindly making its Bench Apartments available. The service is organised by Friends of the Holy Land and the Temple Church in London. You will be most welcome to join us for this most special event at the anniversary of an event that has ever since defined and united us all. Service 12:00 pm– 1:00 pm
WedMay21	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Lunchtime Organ Recital: Yarno Missiaen More information on the Lunchtime Organ Recital Series Concert 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm Choral Evensong Sung by the Temple Church Choir Organ prelude: Prelude in E flat (Harris) Introit: The Call (Richard Lloyd) Canticles: Stanford in C Anthem: A new song (Macmillan) Organ voluntary: Flourish for an occasion (Harris) This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 6:00 pm– 7:00 pm
ThuMay22	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Holy Communion This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm
FriMay23	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Talk: The story of the Temple Church from the Knights Templar to the present day Free as part of the entrance fee. Talk 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
SatMay24	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day
SunMay25	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day Holy Communion Please enter the Temple via Tudor Street This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 8:30 am– 9:00 am Choral Communion Sung by the Temple Singers Introit: Be ye followers of God (Thalben-Ball) Setting: Messa in Alamire (Lotti) Psalm 15 Anthem: Dextera Domini (Rheinberger) Organ voluntary: Dankpsalm (Reger) This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
MonMay26	Church closed for sightseeing all –day
TueMay27	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
WedMay28	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Lunchtime Organ Recital: Simon Bell More information on the Lunchtime Organ Recital Series Concert 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm Choral Evensong Sung by the Temple Singers Organ: Prelude in C BWV547 (Bach) Introit: Coelos ascendit hodie (Stanford) Respones: (Ayleward) Psalm 47 Canticles: Fifth service (Tomkins) Anthem: Ascendo ad Patrem (Scheidt) Organ voluntary: Fugue in C BWV547 (Bach) This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 6:00 pm– 7:00 pm
ThuMay29	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Holy Communion This service will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. Service 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm
FriMay30	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Talk: The story of the Temple Church from the Knights Templar to the present day Free as part of the entrance fee. Talk 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
SatMay31	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day
SunJun01	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day Holy Communion Service 8:30 am– 9:00 am Choral Mattins Service 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
MonJun02	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
TueJun03	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
WedJun04	Church closed for sightseeing all –day Choral Evensong Service 6:00 pm– 7:00 pm
ThuJun05	Church closed for sightseeing all –day Holy Communion Service 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm Choral Evensong Service 6:00 pm– 7:00 pm Compline by Candlelight Service 9:00 pm– 10:00 pm
FriJun06	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Talk: The story of the Temple Church from the Knights Templar to the present day Free as part of the entrance fee. Talk 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
SatJun07	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day
SunJun08	Church Closed for sightseeing all –day Holy Communion Service 8:30 am– 9:00 am Choral Communion Service 11:15 am– 12:15 pm
MonJun09	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
TueJun10	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm
WedJun11	Church open for sightseeing 10:00 am– 4:00 pm Lunchtime Organ Recital: Paolo Oreni This recital will be live-streamed on the Church's YouTube Channel. More information on the Lunchtime Organ Recital Series Concert 1:15 pm– 1:45 pm Choral Evensong Service 6:00 pm– 7:00 pm