Church Services

Easter isn't just about gorging on chocolate - for those of the Christian faith, there's a strong religious aspect too. A time of celebration, Easter is when Christians believe that Jesus died and rose again. To celebrate, a church service followed by a slap-up lunch surrounded by friends and family is traditional. You can drop into almost any London church on Easter Sunday and the whole of Holy Week for quiet contemplation and raise-the-roof hymn singing... we've highlighted just a few below.

All Souls Langham Place

2 All Souls Place, W1B 3DA
Anyone who's stood at Oxford Circus wondering which way to turn or trying to meet somebody outside Topshop cannot have failed to notice this striking in-the-round church standing at the northern end of Regent Street. All Souls is the last surviving church built by 19th century architect John Nash and received some pretty harsh criticism when it opened in 1824. Today, the church fills to the rafters for Sunday services as people escape the hustle and bustle of the West End and come into this place of worship. It also has an active outward focus, ministering to workers, students and young people through a variety of groups and events. Services are a rich mix of praise, music (All Souls' famous orchestra accompanies the congregation about once a month) and biblical teaching. Being a part of this vibrant community at Easter time is sure to be an uplifting experience as Rector Hugh Palmer and Rico Tice, All Souls' resident evangelist, talk about hope in the Christian faith.

Services as follows:

Friday 22nd April (Good Friday)
10am - All Age Service
12pm - Service of Meditation

Sunday 24th April (Easter Sunday)
8am-8.30am - Communion Service
9.30am-10.45am - Morning Service
11.30am-12.45am - Morning Service
6.30pm-7.45pm - Evening Service

All Souls Langham Place - Information

Southwark Cathedral

Montague Close, London, SE1 9DA
While you might be hard pressed to get into the Easter Sunday services at the oldest Gothic building in London, Southwark Cathedral is running many additional services over the Easter period. A hidden gem of a cathedral on the south bank of the Thames by London Bridge, its position just across the river from the city means its mission is to the thriving business community outside its walls but at this time of year worshippers come from all corners to engage with Jesus' death and resurrection. Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday and on Good Friday there's the Procession of Witness which begins at the cathedral at 11am and stops at a number of places along the way for readings before concluding at noon.

Services as follows:

Sunday 17th April (Palm Sunday)
11am - Palm Procession, for Choral Eucharist and the Passion: Gather in Borough Market for music and singing led by The Dixie Ticklers before the procession begins.
3pm - Choral Evensong and Holy Week Address

Thursday 21st April (Maundy Thursday)
8.15am - Eucharist
11am - Chrism Mass
5.30pm - Evening Prayer
6.30pm - The Lord's Supper

Friday 22nd April (Good Friday)
11am - Procession of Witness
12pm - Liturgy of the Three Hours
4pm - Evening Prayer
6.30pm - Good Friday Concert

Saturday 23rd April (Holy Saturday)
9am - Morning Prayer and Litany
4pm - Evening Prayer
8pm - Easter Vigil with the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation

Sunday 24th April (Easter Sunday)
8.45am - Morning Prayer
9am - Eucharist and hymns
11am - Choral Eucharist and the distribution of Easter Eggs
3pm - Choral Evensong
6.30pm - Traditional Rite Choral Eucharist

Southwark Cathedral - Information

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Churchyard, EC4M 8AD
The great dome of St Paul's is one of the most striking features of the City's skyline, standing proud as a beacon of our Christian heritage. Walk over the Millennium Bridge on Easter Sunday with the majestic cathedral façade before you and you'll be in for something of a spiritual experience before you even step inside. The building is a wonderfully historic site. Built by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed Old St Paul's, the new cathedral miraculously went on to escape major damage during the Blitz in World War Two. Images of the famous dome framed by smoke became a powerful symbol of hope in a dark time. This poignant story of survival and a lesson in leaving the past behind while looking to new life is what Jesus' resurrection at Easter is all about. The Holy Week services at St Paul's provide a traditional and thoughtful way to meditate on these significant themes.

Services as follows:

Sunday 17th April (Palm Sunday)
11am - The Liturgy of Palm Sunday: A dramatic re-enactment of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, beginning in Paternoster Square. With donkey procession, and music by the Cathedral Choir.

Thursday 21st April (Maundy Thursday)
8am - Holy Communion
10.30am - Chrism Mass
5pm - The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday: Sung Eucharist, the Washing of Feet and the Watch of the Passion. With foot washing followed by vigil until midnight recalling the Last Supper and the events leading up to the betrayal and arrest of Jesus.

Friday 22nd April (Good Friday)
10am - Mattins and Litany in Procession
12pm - The Three Hour Devotion: Readings, silence and prayers marking and reflecting on the time Jesus hung and died on the cross. There are various points throughout the three hours when the congregation may arrive and leave.
5pm - The Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday

Saturday 23rd April (Holy Saturday)
7pm - The Easter Liturgy with Baptism and Confirmation and the renewal of baptism vows: One of the most dramatic services of the year, recalling the history of salvation with fire, water, bread and wine, and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Sunday 24th April (Easter Sunday)
5.45am - Dawn Liturgy
8am - Holy Communion
10.15am - Choral Mattins
11.30am - Sung Eucharist
3.15pm - Festal Evensong
4.45pm - Organ Recital
6pm - The Eucharist with Hymns

St Paul's Cathedral - Information

St Clement Danes

Central Church of the RAF, Strand, WC2R 1DH
For a child-friendly atmosphere in the heart of London, head along to St Clement Danes where the famous Oranges and Lemons service takes place before Easter on 18th March. The classic English nursery rhyme - "'Oranges and lemons', say the bells of St Clement's" - could be said to be based on this church on the Strand and its bells indeed ring out the tune daily at 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 6pm. St Clement Eastcheap also lays claim to being the church featured in the rhyme but don't let a mere technicality get in the way of enjoying the tradition. The rhyme rings out on the church bells, the oldest of which is the Sanctus Bell which was cast in 1588 by Robert Mot, founder of the Whitechapel Foundry. A church has stood on this prominent spot beside the Royal Courts of Justice, on an island in the middle of the Strand, for over 1,000 years. The 'Danes' in the title may well refer to its 9th century construction by the many Danish who lived in England at the time and who dedicated the church to St Clement, patron saint of mariners. Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the church escaped damage in the Great Fire of 1666 but was rebuilt by Christopher Wren in 1681. Not so lucky during the Blitz, it was all but destroyed in 1941 and restored in 1958 as the central church of the Royal Air Force. The Easter services, led by the resident chaplin Adrian Gatrill with uplifting accompaniment from the excellent church choir, take place at 11am on both Good Friday and Easter Day.

Services as follows:

Thursday 18th March
1.30pm - Oranges and Lemons Service

Friday 2nd April (Good Friday)
11am - Good Friday Liturgy

Sunday 4th April (Easter Sunday)
11am - Choral Eucharist

St Clement Danes - Information

Westminster Abbey

20 Dean's Yard, SW1P 3PA
People have been worshipping on this site for over 1,000 years, dating back to when Benedictine monks arrived circa 960. From these humble beginnings Westminster Abbey has become one of the most famous churches in history, not least because of its awesome architecture, with kings and queens having started and ended their reigns within its majestic walls for centuries. But, even though the Abbey has witnessed its fair share of pomp and ceremony - early examples are King Edward's burial and William the Conqueror's coronation - it still retains a tradition of daily worship, counting itself not just as an historic building but as a living church within the Church of England. Stepping inside its grand, cavernous interior may make you feel like you're entering a place of reverence and the traditional liturgy and sweet singing from the Abbey Choir will wash over you, giving you some peaceful time to reflect this Easter. Enjoy a special recital on Tuesday in Holy Week (30th March) when the choir of Westminster Abbey is accompanied by organist Robert Quinney for a meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ.

Services as follows:

Sunday 17th April (Palm Sunday)
11.15am - Blessing of Palms, Procession and Sung Eucharist
3pm - Evensong
6.30pm - Evening Service

Tuesday 19th April
7pm - Holy Week Concert 2011: J S Bach St John Passion (Tickets: £10-£30)

Thursday 21st April (Maundy Thursday)
5pm - Sung Eucharist with the Washing of the Feet

Friday 22nd April (Good Friday)
10.30am - Matins and Litany
12.30pm - The Way of the Cross
3pm - Solemn Liturgy of the Passion and Death of Our Lord

Saturday 23rd April (Holy Saturday)
8pm - Vigil, Baptism and First Eucharist of Easter

Sunday 24th April (Easter Sunday)
8am - Holy Communion
9.30am - Matins
10.30am - Sung Eucharist
3pm - Evensong and Procession
6.30pm - Evening Service with Hymns

Current events at Westminster Abbey

History And Eternity: Signs Of Transcendence: The Beyond In The Ordinary: Talk event Thursday 23rd February
TIMES Thursday 23rd February 2012 - 6.15pm-7.30pm PRICING Free
Vernon White discusses the meaning of eternity and the hope of heaven.... More about this event

History And Eternity: Images Of Resurrection: Time, Space And Bodies In Eternity: Talk event Thursday 1st March
TIMES Thursday 1st March 2012 - 6.15pm-7.30pm PRICING Free
Vernon White discusses the belief of life beyond death.... More about this event

History And Eternity: Transforming The Present: Future Hope In The Here And Now event Thursday 8th March
TIMES Thursday 8th March 2012 - 6.15pm-7.30pm PRICING Free
Vernon White discusses how we can affect the future.... More about this event

All events at Westminster Abbey

St Martin-in-the-Fields

Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ
Set in the heart of the West End, St Martin-in-the-Fields is a popular place of worship and is frequently full to the rafters for its services and excellent concert programme. Every Easter it has a comprehensive programme of religious services and prayers, including services in Mandarin and Cantonese (for the nearby Oriental population of Chinatown). The annual Palm Sunday Procession is always one for the diary and includes a procession from Admiralty Arch led by a donkey. The historic church, which overlooks Trafalgar Square, was designed by James Gibbs and built in 1726. It houses a glorious eaterie - the Cafe in the Crypt - a gift shop, brass rubbing centre, art gallery and a market in the courtyard. Candle-lit concerts are held from Thursday to Saturday, there are free lunchtime recitals on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and jazz on Wednesdays. All profits go to support the work of the church, with its particular ministry to the homeless.

Services as follows:

Sunday 17th April (Palm Sunday)
9.45am - Palm Sunday Procession: Meet at the corner of St James's Park near Admiralty Arch. Join the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Salvation Army Band for a procession with palms, led by a donkey, to the church.
10am - Eucharist, with the reading of the Passion Gospel
1pm - Service in Mandarin
2.15pm - Service in Cantonese
5pm - Choral Evensong
6.30pm - Out of the Depths

Monday 18th April - Wednesday 20th April
8am - Morning Prayer
1.15pm - Holy Communion (Choral Eucharist on Wednesday)
6pm - Holy Communion

Thursday 21st April (Maundy Thursday)
8am - Morning Prayer
6.30pm Maundy Thursday Liturgy: The first of the 'Three Great Days' is marked with the Eucharist of the Last Supper, including foot washing, the Stripping of the Sanctuary and the Watch with Christ in his Passion (Preacher: Revd Katherine Hedderly)

Friday 22nd April (Good Friday)
8am - Morning Prayer
10am - Good Friday Service for all ages
12pm - The Three Hours: Service of reflections
3pm - Rt Revd Bill Ind is the preacher in this series of reflections on the Passion of Christ

Sunday 24th April (Easter Sunday)
5am - The Easter Vigil and the First Eucharist of Easter
10am - Easter Eucharist
1pm - Service in Mandarin
2.15pm - Service in Cantonese
5pm - Choral Evensong with the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields

Current events at St Martin-in-the-Fields

Choir Of St Martin-In-The-Fields event Monday 13th February
TIMES Monday 13th February 2012 - 6.30pm PRICING £10
Andrew Earis directs Frank Martin's Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus And Benedictus and Agnus Dei from Mass For Double Choir, Deodat De Severac's Tantu... More about this event

Youth Music Centre event Monday 13th February
TIMES Monday 13th February 2012 - 1pm PRICING Free, £3.50 suggested donations
The ensemble performs Vivaldi's Concerto Alla Rustica, Mozart's Symphony G Minor and Divertimento In F, Tchaikovsky's Waltz from The Nutcracker and... More about this event

Isabel Villanueva And Sophie Rahman event Tuesday 14th February
TIMES Tuesday 14th February 2012 - 1pm PRICING Free, £3.50 suggested donations
The viola player and pianist perform Enescu's Concert Piece For Viola And Piano, Hindemith's Sonata For Viola And Piano, Prokofiev's Farewell and D... More about this event

Feinstein Ensemble event Thursday 16th February
TIMES Thursday 16th February 2012 - 7.30pm PRICING £8-£22
A performance by the group of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos No 4 and No 5, Vivaldi's Concerto For Flute, Il Gardellino and his Concerto In D Minor Fo... More about this event

Festive Orchestra Of London event Saturday 18th February
TIMES Saturday 18th February 2012 - 7.30pm PRICING £8-£26
A performance by the orchestra of Bach's Concerto For Two Violins In D Minor, Mozart's Divertimento No 1 In D, Pachelbel's Canon and Gigue, plus Vi... More about this event

All events at St Martin-in-the-Fields