The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead

Friends of the Music

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The organisation of the Friends of the Music exists to support the music and especially the Choir of Hampstead Parish Church. They organise an annual programme of musical and social events in association with the Hampstead Church Music Trust to raise funds for the music at the church. Membership of the Friends is open to all who enjoy music including those who are not members of the congregation but simply wish to see a flourishing Anglican tradition preserved.

Musical events include the annual Sidwell Memorial Recital (see history). given in the church by a member of the choir, and a popular scratch performance of one of the choral Requiems on Remembrance weekend. There are also regular lunchtime recitals, supper recitals in private houses, occasional talks and organ recitals.

Social events include a Garden Party and a Christmas Carol Service Party, and a Desert Island Discs evening with supper.

The Friends of the Music are organising a concert to be held in Hampstead Parish Church on Saturday 21st February 2026, at 7.30 pm, to mark the 80th anniversary of the appointment of the colourful and brilliant Martindale Sidwell as Organist and Choir Master in Hampstead. Martindale was instrumental in reviving the standard of musical excellence at St. John-at-Hampstead and St Clement Danes that continues to this day.

Entrance is free, courtesy of the Hampstead Church Music Trust. 

We hope that the event will be both a beautiful concert to lighten up dark February days for everyone, and a kind of informal reunion for musicians and friends from Martindale’s time. The Friends of the Music will be hosting a reception afterwards, to which everyone is warmly invited. 

The concert will be briefly introduced by the Very Revd. Dr Philip Buckler, who was vicar in Hampstead at the time of Martindale’s tenure. The programme for the concert includes music that Martindale directed and recorded (and composed), and that his wife Prof. Barbara Hill played as an eminent professor of harpsichord music. 

Birthday Ode: Come, come, ye sons of art Henry Purcell
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D J. S. Bach
Dum complerentur G. P da Palestrina
Faire is the heaven William Harris
Festal Jubilate Martindale Sidwell
Rejoice in the Lamb Benjamin Britten
Ehre sei dir, Gott (BWV 248/V/i) J. S. Bach

We look forward to welcoming you!

For further information, see: 

For more information contact us
fom [AT] hampsteadparishchurch.org.uk

Friends of the Music Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Friends-of-the-Music/61583805857561/

The Martindale Sidwell Legacy https://martindalesidwell.org/index.html