About this Event
England at the Crossroads: Music from the Reign of Elizabeth I
When Elizabeth I became queen in 1553, nobody knew what shape the Church of England would take: would it be a Catholic Church in all but name, like that of her father Henry VIII, or would it be more closely tied to the austere Protestantism followed by her brother Edward VI? In this free public concert by the professional choir of St Bartholomew the Great, we showcase a range of music by Catholic and Protestant composers in which they proclaim their loyalty to the queen through their chosen forms of church music - with a few secular songs thrown in for good measure! In the mesmerising setting of St Bartholomew-the-Great, a building whose function changed along with the twists and turns of the Reformation, this hauntingly beautiful programme of music will be underpinned by a selection of readings from the period. A printed programme by researchers from the Warburg Institute and the Society for Neo-Latin studies will put the music into a broader context, reflecting the current state of research into Tudor church music.
This concert has been made possible with generous funding from the School of Advanced Study, the Society for Renaissance Studies, and the Warburg Institute.
This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 5-14 November 2026. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.
Accessibility:
St Bartholomew the Great is wheelchair accessible, including all seating.
Please note that there are no accessible toilets.
There is a T loop for the hard of hearing.
Please contact the organisers with any questions about the event, including accessibility.
Event venue & nearby stays
St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, London, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.