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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.
Book tickets for Black History Month, Tue 8 Oct, 7.30pm, conversation with Revd Dr Ayla Lepine about history, racial justice today and the complexity and challenge of St James’s parish history.
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
Sunday 7 July 7.30pm
Join us for a free evening of gospel, reggae & soul with Sans, Stratford East Singers, Kings of Life.
Access
St James’s aspires to be a place where all can belong, and where every person’s gifts and identities are welcome and celebrated. We are working to improve the experience at St James’s in the church building and the online community. We have step-free access from the courtyard to the church, and a toilet for disabled people. The courtyard and Redemption Roasters coffee shop are wheelchair accessible. If you have special access requirements (e.g. wheelchair users) please contact concerts@sjp.org.uk
This event will feature talented singers who will fill the air with beautiful melodies and positive energy.
Get ready to be moved and inspired by the power of music.
Bring your friends and family for a memorable evening of music. See you there!
Sharing A New Song SANS celebrates the human spirit through choral music. Reaching across social and political boundaries to other countries and within the United States, Sharing A New Song promotes intercultural understanding and lasting relationships.
Sharing A New Song is thrilled to welcome back Donnell Patterson as Music Director for the 2023-24 season. Donnell is a dynamic choral director, musician, and educator with more than 30 years’ experience leading a wide range of choral groups. An enthusiastic traveler with a warm and energetic spirit, Donnell led the SANS music team last year on our Civil Rights Tour through Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee in March 2023. We are thrilled to welcome him back for a second year!
With a broad musical background from classical to pop to gospel and spirituals, Donnell brings a wide variety of music to the SANS repertoire, as we prepare for two exciting concerts and the trip.
Donnell holds a BA in Music from the New England Conservatory, and two Masters degrees, from the University of South Florida and Harvard University, with additional post-graduate work in choral and computer music from Florida State University and Doctoral studies in Education at Lesley University. Performing and conducting music has allowed Donnell to travel extensively all over the world, including Armenia, France, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, Uruguay and Argentina.
KILIAN MOONEY
ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR
Kilian Mooney has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Rhode Island and a Master’s in Vocal Performance from the Longy School of Music. While attending Longy, Kilian served as an intern for SANS during the 2013–14 season, and traveled with the group to Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, and Turkey. Locally, he performs with the 9-voice, all male vocal ensemble Renaissance Men, Cappella Clausura, Labyrinth Choir, and the Providence-based early music ensemble Ecclesia Consort. He has sung with Boston Midsummer Opera, Opera Providence, the Nahant Music Festival, the Newport Music Festival, the Lucerne Festival Academy, and the Academy of French Song and Opera. He is excited to have rejoined the SANS community as assistant director.
LOUISE GRASMERE
VOCAL COACH
Louise is a vocalist and voice teacher with twenty-five years of experience and a passion for bringing out the best in choral groups and individual singers. Her warmth, humor and insight make SANS warm-ups a favorite part of rehearsal! In her own performing life, Louise is an accomplished jazz/blues/soul/gospel singer with two solo albums to her credit (Blue Ain’t Only Blue, No Detour Ahead) plus another album with the roots/gospel group Meeting Across the Water. During the pandemic, Louise wrote a new collection of songs which she is currently recording and will release in the year ahead.
LINDA SHOEMAKER
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR AND SONGLEADER
Linda is a dynamic arts advocate who joined SANS as Administrative Director in 2019, after the passing of SANS’ long-time beloved leader Joanne Lowry.
Prior to her work with SANS, Linda served as Executive Director of the Arlington Center for the Arts. She holds a PhD from Binghamton University and a BA and MA from Simmons University. In addition to her administrative role, Linda is a gifted, joyful songleader and percussionist.
Linda has studied West African drumming for over 20 years. Influential teachers have included Famoudou Konate, Mamady Keita, Mamady “Wadaba” Kourouma and many others, including one short but very special workshop with Babatunde Olatunji towards the end of his life.
Linda will usually lead SANS in one song each season.motes intercultural understanding and lasting relationships.
KINGS OF LIFE
Kings of Life is a vibrant London based reggae band who specialise in heavy roots. Consisting of 5 members from varying musical backgrounds . Lead by vocalist and bass player Shawn Thomas , a native of Barbados ,where he started his music career. Kings of Life has performed at several London venues .
STRATFORD EAST SINGERS
Led by Creative Director and Recording Artist Byron Gold, Stratford East Singers are a fun-loving community choir based at Stratford East.
In an incredible eight years Byron Gold and the Stratford East Singers have been featured in some of London’s high profile cultural events, including the concert version of The Harder They Come, BT River of Music Festival, Google HQ, and the opening of The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Known for their big harmonies and joyous sound the choir have also appeared on the X-Factor (ITV), The One Show (BBC 1) and were crowned third place in the original BBC2 series of The Naked Choir hosted by Gareth Malone.
Our diverse musical repertoire reflects the diversity of our members and we love singing anything from musical theatre and pop to reggae, soul and rock. So if you love Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan as well as Kander and Ebb or Lin-Manuel Miranda then SES is for you!
