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| The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great |  |
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| West Smithfield, London EC1A 9DS | ||
| On any page, click the tile in top left corner for the Home Page | The Hospital Church of St Bartholomew the Less |  |
| Links in dark blue open pages on this site. | West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE | |
| Links in light blue open external links in a new window | Email: administrator@greatstbarts.com |  |
| Tel: +44 (0)20 7600 0440 |
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| The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great | The Hospital Church of St Bartholomew the Less |
The Priory Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great is London's oldest surviving church. Founded in 1123 as an Augustinian Priory, it has been in continuous use since 1143. It is an active Anglican/Episcopal Church located in the part of London known as The City. Originally known as the Chapel of the Holy Cross, and founded nearby in 1123, the Hospital Church of St Bartholomew the Less, just inside the hospital gates, moved to its present site in 1184. It was called the Less just to distinguish it from its larger neighbour. On 1st June 2015, the two parishes formed the new united benefice of Great St Bartholomew, which now contains both churches. The Parish Church is St Bartholomew the Great, while St Bartholomew the Less is what is known as a Chapel of Ease – this means it is a church provided primarily for the convenience of those close to it, in this case especially those working or present as patients in the hospital. The Smithfield area, which includes St Bartholomew's Hospital and Smithfield Market, has a large number of restaurants, bars and pubs both north and south of the Market. At the heart of it all is the Priory Church (that is, the Great), which was built when Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, was King of England. It survived the Great Fire of 1666, and the bombs dropped in Zeppelin raids in World War I and during the Blitz in World War II. In the late 19th century, it was renovated and restored to its medieval plan as far as possible by Sir Aston Webb, his first major restoration project. Drawing on their nearly 900-year history, our Churches today are noted today for their remarkable architecture, traditional formal worship, marvellous music and intelligent preaching. The area around the churches is now in the process of changing significantly, and this is expected to make the area even more active than it has been until now. To the north of the church, the new Crossrail Farringdon Station is being built. Crossrail expects that 140 trains per hour will travel through the new interchange, which will link Thameslink, Crossrail and the Underground networks. It will also be possible to reach three of London's airports from there. Farringdon will be one of London's busiest stations, and is likely to increase visitors to the area very considerably. To the south of the church, Helical Bar and The Baupost Group of Boston will be re-developing former hospital buildings on Bartholomew Close and Little Britain. When finished, these are expected to comprise 236 new apartments, 21,400m2 of office space, and 2,200m2 of retail space. The church has appeared in many films, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love, Amazing Grace, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl, Muppets: Most Wanted, Snow White and the Huntsman, Sherlock Holmes, Jude, The End of the Affair, and Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, many TV shows, including Richard II from the BBC's The Hollow Crown, the BBC's Edwin Drood, and the T-Mobile Royal Wedding Advertisement, with more shows and films now in post-production. The Revd Martin Dudley BD MSc MTh PhD DArts FSA FRHistS AKC was the 25th Rector of St Bartholomew the Great since the Reformation |
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Artwork at Great St Bartholomew
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Priory Church Christmas Card
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This year, we are offering Christmas Cards for sale that shows this picture of the Priory Church in the snow. They will soon be available from the bookstall in the church, but you can also order them by telephoning the parish office on (020) 7600 0440 or by emailing sales@greatstbarts.com to arrange for cards to be sent to you or left for you to collect. The cards are available either as individual cards or in cost-effective packs of 10. They are packed together with appropriately-sized envelopes. The cards are £1.25 individually, or £7.50 for a pack of 10. Credit card orders are welcome, but in that case, please call the office to leave your card details, rather than emailing them insecurely. |
Rahere Singers: Mid-Advent Carol Service, Sunday, 13th December 2015
The last event in 2015 for the Rahere Singers is our Mid-Advent Carol Service, which bears the title Tomorrow I will come, and was introduced for the first time last year. As before, this service will bring together our professional choir with the Rahere Singers. Rupert Gough has planned a few modifications to the music, but it will be a familiar event for everyone who took part in 2014. The service will be at 18:30 on Advent III, which is Sunday, 13th December 2015. The rehearsal on the day will be at 17:00, and the prior rehearsals are planned for the preceding two Fridays: 4th and 11th December.
As usual, the administration of this service is in the hands of Zoë McMillan.
If you would like to take part, please contact her either by writing an email to
zoe.mcmillan51@gmail.com (please note: this is a new email address – please do not use the old one!)
or by calling her on (020) 3419 0692 (this is also a new phone number – please do not use the old one!)
Advent, Christmas & Epiphany at Great St Bartholomew
We now have an excellent sound system, including a loop,
that makes readings properly audible everywhere in the building
Below is a brief list of our special services during this season. Further details, including the music lists for each service, can be found in the detailed diary section further down this home page
Advent III, 13th December 2015, at 18:30: Mid-Advent Carol Service
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
This service based on the so-called "O Antiphons" that have been a part of the church's Advent preparation for Christmas for centuries. The singing at this service is shared between both the professional Priory Church Choir and the voluntary choir, the Rahere Singers. If you would like to participate in the Rahere Singers at this service, please contact Zoë McMillan by emailing zoe.mcmillan51@gmail.com or by calling her on (020) 3419 0692
Tuesday, 15th December 2015 at 18:00 (NB, note time): First Service of Nine Lessons & Carols
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
Our first set of traditional Nine Lessons & Carols. The central area of the church is reserved for the livery companies associated with the church to say thank you for their support throughout the year. The rest of the seating is available on a first-come, first-seated basis, but this will be in the transepts or the ambulatory
Advent IV, Sunday, 20th December 2015 at 18:30: Sunday Service of Nine Lessons & Carols
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
Most of the seating is unreserved, although there will be some for one livery company that is especially supportive to the church. This is an especially popular service, so please do arrive as early as you can to be sure of a good seat
Monday, 21st December 2015 at 18:00 (NB, note time): Ceremony of Carols Carol Service
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
This service includes the whole of the Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten, accompanied by harp, and sung by the upper voices of the Priory Church Choir. The movements of the Britten are interspersed with readings and Christmas hymns for everyone to sing together. There is always a very special atmosphere at this service
Tuesday, 22nd December 2015 at 13:00: Lunchtime Carol Service
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
This carol service is designed to fit into the lunchtime of a busy person working in London. The Christmas story is told in a few short readings, and there are Christmas hymns for us all to sing, as well as carols from the choir. You can, of course, also pick up some lunch in the Cloister Café to make it a really convenient experience
Tuesday, 22nd December 2015 at 18:00 (NB, note time): A Star-Spangled Christmas
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
Christmas in the tradition of the United States. This is a new service this year. Many of our favourite Christmas Carols, such as O little town of Bethlehem, It came upon the midnight clear, Away in a Manger and others actually came to the UK from the USA. If a few of the tunes surprise you, it will be because they are the originals, still used today as they have been since they were first written in America
Wednesday, 23rd December 2015 at 18:00 (NB, note time): Stille Nacht
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
Christmas in the German tradition. This was well-received on its first outing last year. We look forward to presenting it again, giving everyone a chance to sing wonderful carols from the German tradition in English or German as you wish
Thursday, 24th December, Christmas Eve, at 23:45: Midnight Mass
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
The service begins a little ahead of midnight at 23:45 with the Blessing of the Crib and Procession,
after which the Mass itself begins exactly at Midnight
Friday, 25th December, Christmas Day
Click here to see details about this service in the diary section
Our first service is a said Eucharist at 9:00 in the Lady Chapel
Then at 11:00, we have our Christmas Day Solemn Eucharist, a service that is especially suitable for families with children, but is also eminently suitable for everyone else as well
Wednesday, 6th January 2016 at 19:00 (NB, note time): Solemn Eucharist
This is the Feast of the Epiphany, and we will be marking it this year with an evening Solemn Eucharist
Sunday, 10th January 2016, at 18:30: Epiphany Carol Service
Our traditional service of words and music to mark the season of the Epiphany
Details of all these services, as well as details of all the other organizations that are holding Christmas services and concerts in the Priory Church during this period can be found by clicking this link.
Dreams, Wisdom, Innocence: Concert with Emma Kirkby & Chau-Yee Lo
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On Thursday, 21st January 2016, the great Soprano, Emma Kirkby, a long-standing friend of St Bartholomew the Great, will be performing with the harpsichordist, Chau-Yee Lo, at the Priory Church. Their performance is in support of the charity Maytree, which provides a sanctuary for the suicidal. Click this link for more details about Maytree and its work. The programme is an intriguing mix of old and new: music by Couperin (pieces from 6ième Ordre including Les baricades mistérieuses) and songs and keyboard music by Henry Purcell are partnered with The Elephant from Karuṇā by Andrew Wilson-Dickson and Tierkreis (Nr. 414⁄5) by Karlheinz Stockhausen. The concert bears the overall title Dreams, Wisdom, Innocence, and promises to be an extremely interesting evening, with Emma Kirkby presenting very different aspects of her repertoire, both from an area with which she is particularly closely identified in the public mind, as well as works from more recent time. To see the flyer, click the image on the left For more information and to buy tickets, please click this link to visit the dedicated website for the concert |
Music Notes
Music Notes for the Second Sunday of Advent
Click here for the Music Notes Archive 2014/2015 & 2015/2016
Monthly Church Diary
NB These diary files are correct as at the time the printed version (available at the entrance desk) goes to print.
Please check the live diary below for any new bookings or changes to the church's schedule.
Click the link below to view:
Church Diary for December 2015
Church Diary for November 2015
For the diaries for earlier months, please click here to go to our archive page
DAY BY DAY IN THE PARISH OF GREAT ST BARTHOLOMEW
Except where indicated, all events take place in the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great
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Sunday, 6th 2015, Advent II The church is open 08:30–20:00 |
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| 09:00 | Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector |
| 09:30–18:30 | Cloister Café open |
| 10:00 | Family Eucharist with hymns at S. Bartholomew the Less Celebrant: The Revd Mark Young, The Sacrist |
| 11:00 | Solemn Eucharist Setting: Missa Prudentes virgines – Lobo Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector At the Offertory: Jerusalem surge – Isaac Postlude: Prélude (Symphonie I) – Vierne Music Notes for the Second Sunday of Advent |
| 16:00 | Holy Baptism of Claudia McLoughlin |
| 18:30 | Choral Evensong, Sermon & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament Responses: Reading Canticles: First Service – Tomkins Anthem: Prepare ye the way – Wise Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector At Benediction: O Salutaris & Tantum ergo – Fletcher Postlude: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland – Sweelinck Music Notes for the Second Sunday of Advent |
| Church Diary 7th to 12th | ||
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| Mon 7th | S. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397 | |
| 18:30 | Action on Hearing Loss Carol Concert Click here for more information about Action on Hearing Loss Please contact Action on Hearing Loss for details about attending this event |
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| Tue 8th | The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
| 11:00 | Vestey Foods Carol Service at St Bartholomew the Less Click here for more information about Vestey Foods Please contact Vestey Foods for details about attending this event |
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| 18:30 | Mencap Carol Service Click here for more information about Mencap Please contact Mencap for details about attending this event |
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| Wed 9th | ||
| 18:30 | Carol Service of the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers Click here for more information about the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers Please contact the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers for details about attending this event |
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| Thu 10th | ||
| 08:30 | Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel | |
| 18:00 | Travers Smith Carol Service Click here for more information about Travers Smith Please contact Travers Smith for details about attending this event |
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| Fri 11th | ||
| 18:00 | Rahere Singers rehearsal for the Mid-Advent Carol Service in the Quire of 'The Great' | |
| Sat 12th | ||
| 13:00 | Wedding of Matthew Spencer & Charlotte Hutchinson | |
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Sunday, 13th 2015, Advent III The church is open 08:30–20:00 |
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| 09:00 | Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector |
| 09:30–18:30 | Cloister Café open |
| 10:00 | Family Eucharist with hymns at S. Bartholomew the Less Celebrant: The Revd Bill Wilson, The Sub-Prior Emeritus |
| 11:00 | Solemn Eucharist Setting: Missa Brevis in E – Vann Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector At the Offertory: There is a flow'r sprung of a tree – Vann Postlude: Fantasy on Veni, veni Emmanuel – Leighton |
| 18:30 | Mid-Advent Carol Service: Tomorrow I will come Music: Magnificat – Chant; The truth from above – Vaughan Williams; Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen – Sandström/Prætorius; Remember, O thou man – Ravenscroft; Lux aurumque – Whitacre; Lift up your heads – Händel Tomorrow shall be my dancing day – Gardner Postlude: Prélude, from Suite Op. 5 – Duruflé |
| Church Diary 14th to 19th | ||
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| Mon 14th | ||
| 18:00 | Addleshaw Godard Carol Concert Click here for more information about Addleshaw Goddard Please contact Addleshaw Goddard for details about attending this event |
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| Wed 16th | ||
| 17:45 | Barts Health NHS Trust Carol Service This is an unticketed and free event. Most seats are on a first-come, first-seated basis. Click here for more information about Barts Health NHS Trust |
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| Thu 17th | ||
| 08:30 | Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel | |
| 18:00 | Carol Service of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists Click here for more information about the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists Please contact the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists for details about attending this event |
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| Fri 18th | ||
| 18:30 | Saving Faces Christmas Concert Click here for more information about Saving Faces Please contact Saving Faces for details about attending this event |
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| Sat 19th | ||
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Sunday, 20th 2015, Advent IV The church is open 08:30–20:00 |
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| 09:00 | Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector |
| 09:30–18:30 | Cloister Café open |
| 10:00 | Family Christmas Carols at S. Bartholomew the Less |
| 11:00 | Solemn Eucharist Setting: Mass in the Dorian mode – Howells Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector At the Offertory: A spotless rose – Howells Postlude: Fuga sopra il Magnificat BWV 733 – Johann Sebastian Bach |
| 12:30 | Holy Baptism of Gwendoline Steven |
| 18:30 | A Service of Nine Lessons & Carols Music: Adam lay ybounden – Hewitt Jones; Tomorrow shall be my dancing day – Sanders; Of a rose – McDowell; Today maiden Mary – Nicholas; Gabriel's message – Clements; Sleep, Holy Babe – Campkin; The shepherd's carol – Chilcott; Videntes stellam – Poulenc; Alleluya, a new work is come – Wishart Postlude: In dulci jubilo BWV 729 – Johann Sebastian Bach |
| Sat 26th | S. Stephen, Protomartyr | |
| All Day | The church and the Cloister Café will both be closed all day today. We apologize for any inconvenience if you were hoping to visit us then and hope to be able to welcome you on another occasion | |
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Sunday, 27th 2015, S. John the Divine The church is open 08:30–20:00 |
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| 09:00 | Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel of 'The Great' Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector |
| 11:00 | Solemn Eucharist NB at St Bartholomew the Less Setting: Missa de Angelis – Chant Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector At the Offertory: Bethlehem Down – Warlock Postlude: Toccata in Seven – Rutter |
| 18:30 | Choral Evensong & Sermon in the Quire of 'The Great' Responses: Reading Canticles: Evening Service in G – Blow Anthem: O magnum mysterium – Victoria Preacher: The Revd Dr Martin Dudley, The Rector |
| Church Diary 28th to 31st | ||
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| Mon 28th | The Holy Innocents | |
| All Day | The church and the Cloister Café will both be closed all day today. We apologize for any inconvenience if you were hoping to visit us then and hope to be able to welcome you on another occasion | |
| Tue 29th | S. Thomas of Canterbury, Martyr, 1170 | |
| Wed 30th | ||
| Thu 31st | S. Silvester, Pope, 335 New Year's Eve We wish everyone celebrating this evening a very happy time |
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