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We offer daily services and a creative programme of talks, events and concerts. We seek to be a welcoming space for people to reflect, create and debate.
Thur 24 Oct 6.30pm
Fact, fiction, faith: AI in an uncertain world – a conversation with Jocelyn Burnham, and Dr Shauna Concannon.
St James’s hosts inclusive services and a cultural programme. We seek to be a welcoming space for people to reflect, create and debate.
St James’s is a place to explore, reflect, pray, and support all who are in need. We are a Church of England parish in the Anglican Communion. This is a place for everyone who’s wondering about life’s big questions and striving for a better world.
We host a year-round cultural programme encompassing music, visual art and spoken word, drawing on St James’s rich cultural history including artists, writers and musicians Mary Beale, Mary Delany, William Blake, Ottobah Cugoano and Leopold Stokowski.
We try to put our faith into action by educating ourselves and speaking out on issues of injustice, especially concerning refugees, asylum, earth and racial justice, and LGBTQ+ issues.
We aspire to be a home where everyone can belong. We’re known locally and globally for our unique history and beauty, as well as faith in action, creativity and the arts, and a commitment to social and environmental justice.
We strive to be a Eucharist-centred, diverse and inclusive Christian community promoting life in abundance, wellbeing and dignity for all.
St James’s Piccadilly has been at the heart of its community since 1684. We invite you to play your part in securing this historic place for generations to come.
It costs us £3,500 per day to enable us to keep our doors open to all who need us
Your donation will help us restore our garden in Piccadilly as part of The Wren Project, making it possible for us to welcome over 300,000 people from all faiths and walks of life seeking tranquillity and inspiration each year.
St James's Church 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL
Directions on Google Maps
See in the weekend with music, DJs and a glass of fizz in St James’s Courtyard!
Friday 5 August – George Crowley Quartet
“…a fine young composer/player who knows where the music has been and where he’s headed with it.” John Fordham, The Guardian
George Crowley is a saxophonist, clarinettist, composer and promoter based in London. Since 2007, Crowley has made a name as a key player within the city’s creative jazz and improv scene and he now performs across the UK and Europe.
He is active across a range of styles, from experimental to traditional jazz; his energy and expressive, warm saxophone sound have helped him stand out among other musicians.
Tonight, for our first Fizzy Friday, Crowley leads a top-flight London quartet through an upbeat and summery programme, ranging from classic Blue Note material to gems from the Great American Songbook.
A treat not to be missed!
“Rarely does a player so young debut with such a fully rounded tone and range of writing skills, so keep a keen ear out for Crowley: the future could yet be his.” Jazzwise Magazine
DJ Sapphire
DJ Sapphire specialises in smooth jazz on her weekly radio show on The Soul of London. She is also the founder and host of the Smooth Jazz Lounge which she launched in 2015 at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham as a place for likeminded music lovers to attend.
DJ Sapphire covers a wide range of genres at venues across the UK and France, including reggae, soul, afrobeats, salsa and pop. She recently played at the Afrikan Festival in Münster, Germany.
Listen to mixes and find out more on her website: www.thesmoothjazzlounge.com
Friday 12 August – The Mañana Collective
Led by Cuban flautist Jose Zalba-Smith, The Mañana Collective is a powerhouse of latin rhythm, playing Cuban and Brazilian music together explosively. A volatile, love-loaded party bag around every corner, full of beans. An unstoppable expression of joy!
The band came about when Jose met some really talented musicians at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. They bonded over their shared love of latin rhythm and the rest, as they say, is history!
Recent performances include CafeJazz Cardiff, Taliesen Arts Centre at Swansea University, Walthamstow Street Festival and St James’s Church Piccadilly, featuring former member of the Buena Vista Social Club Orchestra and Afro Cuban All Stars, Javier Zalba.
The Mañana Collective brings multi-continental musical mayhem to St James’s Courtyard this summer!
DJ Local Foreigner
A sonic journey to move your feet to. DJ and sound artist Local Foreigner fuses global beats, traditional music and electronica, selecting sounds from around the world and from around the corner. Expect latin beats, cumbia, samba, afro-funk, tropical bass and vibrations that will make you want to dance!
Friday 19 August – The Almanaque Quartet
Almanaque is a powerful musical journey into the depths of Brasilian and African grooves mixed with jazz and improvisation. The band formed in 2016 and it has already played several major festivals and clubs around Europe. They are regulars at the famous Ronnie Scott’s club in London where they have opened for Ivan Lins, Eumir Deodato and Pee Wee Ellis among others.
The quartet is led by the guitarist Luca Boscagin who combines the acoustic tone of his nylon strings guitar (typical of the Brazilian tradition) with soundscapes, gritty sounds, delays and harmonisers.
Quentin Collins is one of the UK’s leading trumpet players, having played at festivals worldwide with his own groups and with renowned bass player/composer Kyle Eastwood.
Matheus Nova (bass), Raphael Delfino (drums) and Jansen Santana (percussion) provide a complete tight, groovy and dynamic rhythm section.
The band will play some original music as well as tunes by the most influential Brazilian artists such as Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque and the great Tom Jobim.
DJ Tina Edwards
“Essential jazz into dance selections every time” Gilles Peterson
One of the most curious and respected selectors in the UK, Tina Edwards joins the dots between jazz and club culture. Whether it’s modern jazz dance floor burners, unearthed and obscure 90s acid jazz or afro-driven rhythms from across the world, Tina’s sets are as much an introduction to incredible lesser-heard music as much as they are a celebration of the current UK Jazz explosion. Much like pioneers of the 90s jazz resurgence, Tina is a tastemaker who is breaking artists and bringing jazz to a whole new club-orientated audience. We are delighted to welcome her to St James’s for the first time.
Friday 26 August -Tradicional Cubano
Tradicional Cubano is deeply rooted in Cuban Traditional music from the 1920’s and 40’s. It’s founder, Jose Zalba-Smith, son of Javier Zalba (former member of Irakere, Cubanismo and the Buena Vista Social Club Orchestra), is strongly committed to continue his father’s legacy. Javier Zalba has strong links to the band and performs with them in both Cuba and the UK. The group takes inspiration from composers such as Miguel Matamoros, Eduardo Sanchez de Fuentes, Sindo Garay, Benny More and many more.
Tradicional Cubano digs deep down to the vibrant roots of Cuban music, and the results are sensational… Latin American music simply doesn’t get any more authentic than this!
A sonic journey to move your feet to for our closing party. DJ and sound artist Local Foreigner fuses global beats, traditional music and electronica, selecting sounds from around the world and from around the corner. Expect latin beats, cumbia, samba, afro-funk, tropical bass and vibrations that will make you want to dance!