The Friends of St Giles’

Registered Charity no: 247575

PLACE AND BELONGING

Historic tradition and modern identities blend and co-exist in St Giles’, a place which recognises many people have strong connections with this church drawn from a wide range of sources.

There has been a church on this site for a thousand years and the links between those who live here, those with community and civic ties to St Giles’ and the creative people who enjoy its space are what it offers

to everyone.

Joining the Friends of St Giles’ will help maintain the building and its organs and preserve its historic fabric and nationally significant musical tradition. We value your support and involvement irrespective of which membership group you wish to subscribe to.

A CENTRE OF MUSICAL EXCELLENCE

St Giles’ is renowned for its exceptional acoustics and the high standard of secular and liturgical music it hosts. There is a professional choir on Sundays and regular musical events during the week, These include performances by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers and their programme partners. St Giles is also used for professional recordings.

Royal College of Organists Academy Organ School (RCOAOS)

St. Giles’ Cripplegate has been internationally renowned as a centre for organ study since 1992, when an organ school was founded here.

The organ school was subsumed into the Royal College of Organists in 2012 and now has over a thousand graduates.

Thanks to a sustained fundraising campaign led by the Friends, St. Giles’ has three first-class pipe organs, in constant use by students and their teachers. RCOAOS runs throughout the year and holds a summer course attracting students from across the world. 

A HISTORY OF CONTINUITY & RENEWAL

Having survived the Great Fire of London in 1666, St Giles’ is one of the few remaining medieval churches in the City.

The Perpendicular building we see today is built on 1394 foundations on the site of Norman and Saxon churches before it and has been extensively restored over the centuries. It was damaged by bombing in 1941 and rebuilt using 1545 plans held at Lambeth Palace.

Externally the most distinctive feature is the 1682 upper brickwork level of the tower.

Many luminaries are commemorated in the church, including John Milton, who is buried here. The silver cabinet displays Communion plate from St Luke’s Old St, where John and Charles Wesley, the founders of Methodism, were curates.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

As a Friend we will keep you posted by quarterly emails with details of the many interesting musical and community events taking place in St Gilesʼ.

We will send you copies of St Giles' Easter and Christmas Newsletters by email so you can stay in touch with the community here wherever you are in the world.

Events promoted by the Friends include:

• Concerts and musical recitals

• Seasonal book fairs

• Art exhibitions

• Lectures

• Community, family and children’s events

• Give and Take Freecycling days

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

There are three groups of individual members, whose names recall the professional, craft and artistic history of the parish echoed in its street names. The only difference is the level of the annual subscription for

each group.

£100.00 – Silk

£50.00 – Fann

£20.00 – Fortune

We value your support and involvement irrespective of which membership group you wish to subscribe to. If you are able to commit to giving more, it would be very gratefully received.

YOUR PRIVACY

Please open the pdf document below to see our how we respect your privacy.

HOW TO JOIN ONLINE

By Standing Order

Please open the pdf below with instructions on how to join the Friends of St Giles' using Standing Orders made online.

HOW TO JOIN BY POST

using Cheque or Standing Order

Please print off the form below and complete the Standing Order instructions or enclose a cheque as preferred.

Please send by post to: The Executive Secretary, Friends of St Giles', St Giles Church, Fore Street, London EC2Y 8DA, UK.

With many thanks to Linklaters LLP, 1 Silk St, London EC2Y 8HQ for their generous support printing Friends of St Giles' membership leaflets.