Venues
Westminster Abbey
21 May
An architectural masterpiece of the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries, Westminster Abbey also presents a unique pageant of British history – the Confessor’s Shrine, the tombs of Kings and Queens, and countless memorials to the famous and the great. It has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066 and for numerous other Royal occasions. Today it is still a church dedicated to regular worship and to the celebration of great events in the life of the nation. Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey is a "royal peculiar" under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter, subject only to the Sovereign.
Westminster Abbey, a work of architectural genius, a place of daily worship, deploying the resources of high musical expertise, a burial place of kings, statesmen, warriors, scientists, musicians and poets is the result of a process of development across the centuries, which represents the response of a monastery and later a post-Reformation church to the stimulus and challenge of its environment.
St. John's, Smith Square
15 - 17 May, 19 + 20 May
St. John’s, Smith Square, is situated not far from Westminster
Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, off Millbank, and only a
short walk from Westminster tube station and Parliament Square.
Built in 1728, and restored after damage in the Second World War, St. John's is one of the finest examples of English Baroque architecture and is considered a masterpiece of this style. St. John's has been dubbed 'Queen Anne's Footstool' due to a legend that the architect, Thomas Archer, consulted Queen Anne on the design of the new church. In reply the monarch petulantly kicked over her footstool and snapped 'like that!' Thus the four towers are said to give the building the semblance of an upturned footstool.
As St. John's is an historic building, access for wheelchair users is difficult. Please advise the Box Office when booking tickets.
The Manoukian Music Centre, Westminster School
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18 May
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The Manoukian Music Centre, Westminster School, is at No.9 Tufton Street, SW1, opposite Little Smith Street, and a short walk from Parliament Square or Millbank.
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St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey
18 May
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St. Margaret’s Church is in Parliament Square,
next to Westminster Abbey. |
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Transport
| Tube: |
Westminster (District, Circle and Jubilee lines) or St. James’s Park (District and Circle lines)
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| Buses: |
3 & 87 to Millbank and 88 to Marsham Street for St. John’s and the Manoukian
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| National Rail: |
Victoria, Waterloo and Charing Cross
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St. John’s and the other concert venues are all within the congestion charging zone. In the streets around St. John’s parking meters and Residents parking are in operation during the day (Monday–Saturday) until 6.30pm. In the evenings and on Sundays there is usually space to park locally. There is NCP parking in Greencoat Place. In the area around Westminster Abbey there is nowhere easy to park. |
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The Footstool Restaurant in the crypt at St. John’s
| Evening: |
The restaurant is open from 5.30pm on concert evenings (one and half hours before the concert on Saturdays and Sundays) for buffet and à la carte dining, a light supper menu and licensed refreshments.
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| Interval drinks |
Interval drinks may be ordered at the bar before the start of the concert
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Lunchtime:
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open on weekdays 11.30am – 2.45pm
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| Address: |
digby trout Restaurants, St John's, Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HA |
| Underground: |
St. James Park, Westminster |
| Tel. |
020 7222 2779 |
| Website: |
www.digbytrout.co.uk |
St. John’s and Westminster Abbey are both equipped with an induction loop system.
(Switch hearing aids to T.)
Please advise Box Office when booking tickets.
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