Music Hall

St Mary’s Music Hall is an exciting world, jazz and folk music series in our ancient building – a co-production between St Mary’s Walthamstow and our Music Halls partners who are professional music programmers with a heart for seeing great live music performed in beautiful spaces.

Maya Youssef, a Syrian virtuoso, played St Mary’s Music Hall in early 2018.

St Mary’s pioneered this project (which has now grown to include our partner church St John’s Leytonstone as a second Music Hall church) as a way of building community, meeting our neighbours and making our building a place where more people feel inspired and at home. We also see music and art as a way of breaking down cultural barriers and bringing our diverse community together.

Instigated by Sam Jones, a producer/ sound engineer and friend of St Mary’s, St Mary’s Music Hall has welcomed musicians who have been featured on BBC Front Row, played Carnegie Hall and headlined the WOMAD Festival. Our musicians come from countries as diverse as Syria, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Ireland and Indonesia; we have also been part of the London Jazz Festival as well as the Lake of Stars festival.

Producer Sam Jones has been one of the driving forces behind the Music Hall and has been integral in helping us upgrade our church sound system and lighting. He is also a member of our Creative Church project team.
Senegalese musician Seckou Keita was one of the first artists to play the Music Hall in 2017.
We hosted Deva Mahal as part of the London Jazz Festival in November 2018.

Thousands of people have discovered St Mary’s Walthamstow through the Music Hall, and many have become friends, Music Hall volunteers, and a part of our church community. Our congregation also help run the Music Hall, with Phil Brook serving as house manager, Ossie Lundie-Smith running our bar, Ros Sobotnicki helping with lighting and Revd Vanessa Conant getting stuck in wherever needed most gigs. By running a bar and selling food outside the church, we have also developed wonderful partnerships with local businesses, including Sham’s Kitchen, The Greek Cafe and Living Wage employers Wild Card Brewery and Froth & Rind (who sell Music Hall tickets in their coffee shop at a local discount).

If you would like to become part of our Music Hall community, helping us put on the gigs, email Cameron Conant at cameronconant@gmail.com. For ticket information and upcoming gigs, visit our Music Hall website or search for ‘Music Hall’ under our events listings on this website. 

Ossie Lundie-Smith, a member of our PCC, won an award in 2018 from the National Churches Trust for his work on the St Mary’s Music Hall. 
Revd Vanessa Conant with St Mary’s very own Jess Hall, a local folk singer, outside a Music Hall gig.
Greg Stawski (pictured) and George Bell are two of the music professionals who have helped us run the Music Hall, which operates as a separate charity but with church representation.