Lunchtime Organ Recital: Thomas Allery

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

Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

- Prelude in E flat BWV 552 (i)

- Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV 639

- Fantasia in C minor BWV 562

- O Lamm Gottes unschuldig BWV 618

- Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist BWV 671

Thomas Allery is Director of Music at Temple Church. He enjoys a varied career as a director, organist and early keyboard player.

After an MA (Oxon) at the University of Oxford, Thomas subsequently studied organ and harpsichord at the Royal College of Music at masters level, before pursuing an Artist Diploma in harpsichord at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His teachers have included Margaret Phillips, Terence Charlston, Carole Cerasi and James Johnstone. A sponsorship from the Eric Thompson Trust enabled him to study early organ techniques with Erwin Wiersinga at the Martinikerk in Groningen.

Thomas works regularly as a continuo player with a range of leading ensembles in the field of historical performance and opera, including The Sixteen, and is a founding member of the award-winning period group Ensemble Hesperi, with whom he has toured, recorded and broadcast widely. In 2024 Thomas was appointed as professor of basso continuo at the Royal College of Music.

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
2nd April – no recital
9th April – Charles Andrews (last recital of the term)

Recitals then resume on 30th April with a performance by Piotr Maziarz (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) in collaboration with The Keyboard Trust.

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

Get in touch

What's on

Lunchtime Organ Recital: Thomas Allery

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

Programme

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

- Prelude in E flat BWV 552 (i)

- Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV 639

- Fantasia in C minor BWV 562

- O Lamm Gottes unschuldig BWV 618

- Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist BWV 671

Thomas Allery is Director of Music at Temple Church. He enjoys a varied career as a director, organist and early keyboard player.

After an MA (Oxon) at the University of Oxford, Thomas subsequently studied organ and harpsichord at the Royal College of Music at masters level, before pursuing an Artist Diploma in harpsichord at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His teachers have included Margaret Phillips, Terence Charlston, Carole Cerasi and James Johnstone. A sponsorship from the Eric Thompson Trust enabled him to study early organ techniques with Erwin Wiersinga at the Martinikerk in Groningen.

Thomas works regularly as a continuo player with a range of leading ensembles in the field of historical performance and opera, including The Sixteen, and is a founding member of the award-winning period group Ensemble Hesperi, with whom he has toured, recorded and broadcast widely. In 2024 Thomas was appointed as professor of basso continuo at the Royal College of Music.

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
2nd April – no recital
9th April – Charles Andrews (last recital of the term)

Recitals then resume on 30th April with a performance by Piotr Maziarz (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) in collaboration with The Keyboard Trust.

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