Grade I and II * listed Victorian Gothic chapel Union Chapel in Islington, London will open its doors on September 14, 2024, as part of Heritage Open Days and Open House Festival.
Discover its 200-year heritage, soak up the unique atmosphere of this beautiful building and learn about the exciting plans Union Chapel has for the future as it begins work on the Sunday School Project. You can also experience Union Chapel’s rare Henry Willis organ, one of only a handful left in the world.
Union Chapel is home to an inclusive church and an award-winning live music venue that has played host to some of the world’s biggest stars including Amy Winehouse, Nick Cave, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Adele and Olivia Coleman. Its charity, The Margins Project, supports those facing crisis in London.
The day will feature:
· An organ recital from students of Union Chapel’s innovative organ education programme with tutor & acclaimed concert organist Jeremiah Stephenson.
· Guided tours led by experts of Union Chapel.
· Organ Workshops for Families (for ages 7 and over): Wooden one-octave organ for Young Technologists – explore the connections between music, science, engineering and technology. The WOOFYT makes these connections visible and audible, linking music simply and directly with the physics of fluids and the technology of pumps and valves. The Institute of Physics generously supports this workshop
An architectural gem in Islington, built in 1875-77 and designed by James Cubitt, a leading Victorian nonconformist architect, Union Chapel is one of the best examples of a Neo-Gothic Victorian congregational church in England, often compared to a small cathedral in its scale.
Union Chapel’s organ was designed and built specially for the size and acoustics of UC in 1877 by master organ builder Henry “Father” Willis. Known to be one of the finest examples of his work and registered as an instrument of importance by the British Institute of Organ Studies, it is often referred to as the “Rolls Royce” of organs and not only boasts his finest craftsmanship but is also one of the very few organs left in the UK with an original hydraulic (water powered) blowing system.
