London Festival of Contemporary Church Music

London Festival of Contemporary Church Music The London Festival of Contemporary Church Music is a week-long festival held annually around St Panc

We showcase high-level performances of contemporary liturgical choral and organ music. For around a week each May, new and recently composed works are premiered and performed by London's finest musicians. These performances take place in liturgical services and concerts across a range of London's churches and concert venues.

Ooh. Organ at London Bridge station! Idea for possible inclusion of open ad hoc contemporary compositions in next year’s...
19/05/2026

Ooh. Organ at London Bridge station! Idea for possible inclusion of open ad hoc contemporary compositions in next year’s festival?! Or perhaps an improvisation-off?!!

Wow! What a Festival! Over 150 new and recent sacred works performed in concerts and services in churches and cathedrals...
19/05/2026

Wow! What a Festival! Over 150 new and recent sacred works performed in concerts and services in churches and cathedrals across London and beyond. Interesting new discoveries, insightful talks from composers both emerging and very much established, a new collaboration with the Cathedral Music Trust and a wonderful sense of communities coming together for 10 days celebrating new music and the living church music-making tradition.

Photos: Suzy Red Photography / LFCCM

15TH MAY • 7PM • ST PAUL’S KNIGHTSBRIDGEThe Choir of Royal Holloway joins members of Southern Sinfonia for an evening of...
13/05/2026

15TH MAY • 7PM • ST PAUL’S KNIGHTSBRIDGE

The Choir of Royal Holloway joins members of Southern Sinfonia for an evening of music by one of today’s leading choral composers, Matthew Coleridge. Featuring performances of his acclaimed Requiem alongside The Breath of Life.

📍 St Paul’s Knightsbridge, London SW1X
🗓 Friday 15 May 2026
🕖 7pm

Performed by:
• Choir of Royal Holloway
• Members of Southern Sinfonia
• Rebecca Hepplewhite, cello
• Daniel Ayers, organ
• Matthew Coleridge, conductor

The Requiem “reaches into the soul and lifts it skyward” (BBC Music Magazine) and provides both a celebration of life and a deeply spiritual reflection across a tapestry of texts from psalms and hymns to the writings of mystics and scientists.

Also featuring an interval conversation between Matthew Coleridge and LFCCM CEO Leonora Dawson-Bowling.

TOMORROW: “A New Song?” 🎶A landmark day of new music, discussion, reflection, and performance bringing together some of ...
12/05/2026

TOMORROW: “A New Song?” 🎶
A landmark day of new music, discussion, reflection, and performance bringing together some of the UK’s most celebrated musical voices to explore the future of church music.

Join the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music and the Cathedral Music Trust for a rare public conversation on composition, creativity, heritage, and the future of sacred music.

Featuring:
• Sir John Rutter
• Dame Judith Weir
• Gabriel Jackson
• Andrew Carwood MBE

The day includes:
✨ Lunchtime recital from the LFCCM Festival Singers
✨ Round-table discussions with world-leading composers
✨ Open rehearsal and Choral Evensong
✨ Premiere performances of new sacred music
✨ A tour of the beautiful Wren church Holy Sepulchre
✨ Drinks reception following Evensong
📍 Holy Sepulchre, EC1A 2DQ
📅 Tomorrow | Wednesday 13 May
🕛 12pm–7pm

Tickets available via the LFCCM website (lfccm.com).

Founded by Christopher Batchelor, the Festival’s own professional vocal ensemble, The LFCCM Festival Singers, brings tog...
11/05/2026

Founded by Christopher Batchelor, the Festival’s own professional vocal ensemble, The LFCCM Festival Singers, brings together singers from across London’s world-class choral church and cathedral institutions. The group performs in two concerts over the next two days as part of London Festival of Contemporary Church Music.

📅 Tuesday 12 May
🕒 3.15pm
📍 Southwark Cathedral
Afternoon Choral Recital

📅 Wednesday 13 May
🕧 12.30pm
📍 St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
Lunchtime Recital

Wednesday's lunchtime recital forms part of a larger event – a major LFCCM collaboration with the Cathedral Music Trust and includes an roundtable discussion with John Rutter, Judith Weir, Gabriel Jackson and Andrew Carwood discussing everything how to start composing from a blank page to the importance (or not) of building collaborative relationships to ways to face the challenges of diminishing church music-making – the starting point of many musicians – and school music in more rural communities, and its impact on our living music tradition, as well as the creative opportunities to counter this and positively build on our musical foundations (in both senses!). Plus an evensong and drinks reception!

🎟️ Tickets and further information via our website, lfccm.com

Yesterday – 17 LFCCM-participating services across London performed new and recent works as part of their Sunday liturgy...
11/05/2026

Yesterday – 17 LFCCM-participating services across London performed new and recent works as part of their Sunday liturgy. Some 40 services in total form part of the LFCCM over the 10-day festival! We're delighted to connect with so many church communities and support the tradition of living music. Check out lfccm.com to find evensongs this week including Ascension Day and a roster of services on Sunday 17 May!

Wonderful new music from Ian Shaw, Lionel Bourne, Nicholas Ansdell-Evans and Patrick Gowers sung and played at St John’s...
10/05/2026

Wonderful new music from Ian Shaw, Lionel Bourne, Nicholas Ansdell-Evans and Patrick Gowers sung and played at St John’s Upper Norwood this morning as part of their Eucharist service. Living music in a thriving local parish community. One of 17 LFCCM participating services today (and over 40 across the Festival).

Still to come today:3:00pm Choral Evensong
Southwark Cathedral
(Bernard Rose, Grayston Ives, and Philip Moore)

3:30pm, Choral Evensong
The Chapel Royal, HM Hampton Court Palace
(Matthew Martin, Philip Moore, and Grayston Ives)

5:15pm,St George’s Chapel, Windsor
(Eleanor Daley, George Dyson, George Benjamin, and Hubert Parry)

🎹 ORGAN RECITAL | RICHARD MOOREJoin us at the Southwark Cathedral for a lunchtime organ recital from Richard Moore, Sub-...
10/05/2026

🎹 ORGAN RECITAL | RICHARD MOORE

Join us at the Southwark Cathedral for a lunchtime organ recital from Richard Moore, Sub-Organist of Christ Church Cathedral, as part of LFCCM

Featuring music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Derri Joseph Lewis:

• Prelude and Fugue in E-flat, BWV 552 – Bach
• Arches from Sonata for Organ – Derri Joseph Lewis
• Crypt from Sonata for Organ – Derri Joseph Lewis
• Windows from Sonata for Organ – Derri Joseph Lewis

📍 Southwark Cathedral
🗓 Monday 11 May
🕐 1:15pm

A programme moving from Bach’s monumental architecture to the vivid contemporary soundworld of Derri Joseph Lewis ( ) in the stunning acoustic of Southwark Cathedral.

Photograph: Ian Wallman

A wonderful opening night last night for the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music 2026 with Pegasus Choir at St ...
09/05/2026

A wonderful opening night last night for the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music 2026 with Pegasus Choir at St Paul’s Knightsbridge.

Music by Francis Grier, Roxanna Panufnik, Judith Weir, Cassie White, Gabriel Jackson and others, sung with immense commitment and warmth to a hugely appreciative audience. It was especially special to hear composers introducing their own works throughout the evening, giving real insight into the music and making the programme feel deeply personal.

Some audience reflections from the night:

“Beautifully rehearsed. Sung with great commitment. Amazing result!”
“Wonderful harmonies and beautiful solos rising above.”
“Having the composers there and introducing their pieces was amazing.”
“Fantastic performance – great atmosphere!”
“Sheer beauty.”

A brilliant start to the festival, followed by a lively drinks reception and many glowing feedback forms from audience members. Thank you to everyone who joined us.

📸 Photos: Suzy Wheatley /
Facebook: Suzy Red Photography

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NW12BA

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