St Sepulchre-without-Newgate
I went to an amazing lunchtime jazz concert in St Sepulchre-without-Newgate today. It was part of the City of London Festival free winter concert series.
St Sepulchre is the largest parish church in London. Named after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, it was first mentioned in 1137. After the Great Fire of London, the burnt out shell was rebuilt by Wren's masons in 1670-71.
It's opposite Old Bailey which is where Newgate prison used to stand. In the words of the children's nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons", "'When will you pay me'" say the Bells of Old Bailey" refers to the debtors in Newgate. The bells of Old Bailey were those of St Sepulchre, which used to toll for the executions outside the prison gate.
More cheerfully, it's also the National Musicians Church. Henry Wood, who started the London Proms, learned to play the organ there and is buried in the church. There are lots of concerts in the church. Today's concert was by the Guildhall Jazz Singers and Band, students from the Guildhall School of Drama and Music in the Barbican - such talent!
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