Lunchtime Organ Recital: Charles Andrews

for 30 mins
The Temple Church, London
The Temple Church, Temple, London EC4Y 7BB, EC4Y 1BB, United Kingdom

C Hubert H Parry (1848 – 1918)
- Fantasia & fugue in G

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
- Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, BWV654

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
- Sonata no 4
i. Allegro con brio
ii. Andante religioso
iii. Allegretto
iv. Allegro maestoso e vivace

Charles Andrews is Organist of the Temple Church and professor of organ and Organ co-ordinator at the Royal College of Music, continuing a long-standing connection between the two institutions. Charles studied at the RCM with David Graham, Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, John Barstow and John Blakely with the aid of a Douglas & Kyra Downie Award, achieving the Harold Darke Memorial Prize for organ.

Before joining the Temple Church, Charles was Associate Director of Music at All Saints, Margaret Street, one of London’s most prestigious music departments, from 2011-16. Recently, four live performances with Temple Church Choir have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, including the first performance of Carmina tempore viri by Kenneth Hesketh (nominated for an Ivor Novello Award) in 2021. A solo recital of British music, recorded at the Temple Church, was released in October 2025.

Charles’s playing can be heard at weekly services and concerts at the Temple Church, continuing the virtuoso tradition of such predecessors as George Thalben-Ball and John Birch.

The Temple Church organ
The organ in the Temple church was built in 1924 for the Castle of Glen Tanar, Aberdeenshire, and installed in 1954 in the rebuilt church (following war damage), the gift of Lord Glentanar. The organ case was designed by W. E. Godfrey and installed in 1966 and is modelled on drawings of the Temple’s Father Smith organ of 1688, showing the crests of Inner and Middle Temple. The organ was rebuilt in 2013 by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and has 66 stops over four manuals.

Future recitals – Wednesdays at 1.15 pm
29 October Michael Philips
5 November James Welch
12 November Conor McGlone
19 November Thomas Allery
26 November Hannah Parry

On 5 December at the earlier time of 1pm, Temple Music Foundation presents a recital by Matilda Lloyd (trumpet) and Richard Gowers (organ).For further information and to book tickets, please visit www.templemusic.org

More info Join online

The Temple Church, London

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 in prayer and praise and engagement with the socio-legal challenges facing Britain and the wider world? 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.

Robin Griffith-Jones Master of the Temple
Mark Hatcher Reader of the Temple

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What's on

Lunchtime Organ Recital: Charles Andrews

for 30 mins
The Temple Church, London
The Temple Church, Temple, London EC4Y 7BB, EC4Y 1BB, United Kingdom

C Hubert H Parry (1848 – 1918)
- Fantasia & fugue in G

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
- Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, BWV654

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)
- Sonata no 4
i. Allegro con brio
ii. Andante religioso
iii. Allegretto
iv. Allegro maestoso e vivace

Charles Andrews is Organist of the Temple Church and professor of organ and Organ co-ordinator at the Royal College of Music, continuing a long-standing connection between the two institutions. Charles studied at the RCM with David Graham, Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, John Barstow and John Blakely with the aid of a Douglas & Kyra Downie Award, achieving the Harold Darke Memorial Prize for organ.

Before joining the Temple Church, Charles was Associate Director of Music at All Saints, Margaret Street, one of London’s most prestigious music departments, from 2011-16. Recently, four live performances with Temple Church Choir have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, including the first performance of Carmina tempore viri by Kenneth Hesketh (nominated for an Ivor Novello Award) in 2021. A solo recital of British music, recorded at the Temple Church, was released in October 2025.

Charles’s playing can be heard at weekly services and concerts at the Temple Church, continuing the virtuoso tradition of such predecessors as George Thalben-Ball and John Birch.

The Temple Church organ
The organ in the Temple church was built in 1924 for the Castle of Glen Tanar, Aberdeenshire, and installed in 1954 in the rebuilt church (following war damage), the gift of Lord Glentanar. The organ case was designed by W. E. Godfrey and installed in 1966 and is modelled on drawings of the Temple’s Father Smith organ of 1688, showing the crests of Inner and Middle Temple. The organ was rebuilt in 2013 by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and has 66 stops over four manuals.

Future recitals – Wednesdays at 1.15 pm
29 October Michael Philips
5 November James Welch
12 November Conor McGlone
19 November Thomas Allery
26 November Hannah Parry

On 5 December at the earlier time of 1pm, Temple Music Foundation presents a recital by Matilda Lloyd (trumpet) and Richard Gowers (organ).For further information and to book tickets, please visit www.templemusic.org

More info Join online

Safeguarding

The care and protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults who are involved in Church activities is the responsibility of the whole Church. Everyone who participates in the life of the Church has a role to play in promoting a Safer Church for all.This Safeguarding Policy is based on the Safeguarding Policy Statement of the Church of England that was agreed and published by the House of Bishops in 2017. It sets out the Safeguarding Policy of the Diocese of London and in particular a summary of the roles and responsibilities of all church bodies and office holders as we work together to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults who are involved in church activities.

This policy makes six overarching policy commitments:

To promote a safer environment and culture
To enable and ensure safe recruitment practice and to support all those within the Church with any responsibility related to children, young people, and vulnerable adults
To respond promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation
To offer pastoral care to victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons
To offer pastoral care to those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons
To respond to those who may pose a present risk to others.

https://www.templechurch.com/application/files/7216/2074/0149/Temple_Church_Safeguarding_Policy_revi

The Temple Church, London Charity No. 1205712