Home
Welcome to SM4!

Worship & Music
St Paul’s Cathedral has been here for over 1,400 years. It has been built and rebuilt five times, and always its main purpose has been as a place of worship and prayer.

Visit Us
St Paul's, with its world-famous dome, is an iconic feature of the London skyline. Step inside and you can enjoy the Cathedral's awe-inspiring interior, and uncover fascinating stories about its history.
Learning & Faith
Lifelong learning is a core part of the our work, delivered through a variety of events by St Paul's Institute, and the Cathedral's Adult Learning and Schools & Family Learning departments.

History & Collections
For more than 1,400 years, a Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood at the highest point in the City. The present Cathedral is the masterpiece of Britain's most famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.

Support Us
Behind the scenes, the cost of caring for St Paul's and continuing to deliver our central ministry and work is enormous and the generosity of our supporters is critical.

Venue Bookings
Widely considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful buildings and a powerful symbol of the splendour of London, St Paul’s Cathedral is a breathtaking events venue.Latest News
Cathedral closed until further notice |
Edward Nesbit wins New Music for St Paul’s 2015
New Music for St Paul’s 2015: Prize-winning ‘In To Plain Ways’
25 November 2015
The biennial Composition Competition at the Cathedral has been won by Londoner Edward Nesbit.
Now his work will premiere on Sunday December 6th at Evensong (3.15pm), sung by the Cathedral Choir. New Music for St Paul’s is supported by the Boltini Trust.
He said: ‘As well as being extremely beautiful, St Paul’s Cathedral – importantly for a composer – has wonderful acoustics and exceptional musicians, so it is a great pleasure and privilege to have the chance to hear one of my own compositions performed in St Paul’s.’
In To Plain Ways is a setting of a passage from Isaiah well known for its appearance in Handel’s Messiah.
Edward chose to de-familiarise the text by setting an unusual translation of it – the Wycliffe version of the late fourteenth century: the first complete translation of the Bible into English. The intention was to render the text simultaneously recognisable and surprising.
The musical setting is extremely simple and repetitive, and in its rolling, hypnotic harmonies attempts to capture the wonder of the prophecy of Jesus’s coming.
The St Paul’s Cathedral Consort performed three shortlisted works in a closed session with invited guests, including the composers. The panel of judges included the Reverend Canon Michael Hampel, Andrew Carwood, Anthony Bolton, and the Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir CBE.
-
Share this content
- StumbleUpon

New Music for St Paul's competition
Enlarge this image