Heritage and Organ Celebrated at Open Day 2025

29 September 2025

Thank you to all who attended our Open Day! Over 300 people shared the free day with us, enjoying guided tours spanning the chapel, organ, bar, and hidden "organ corridor" behind our stage, an exhibition of gems from our 200+ year archive and the community co-produced artworks they inspired, colouring in and explorer packs for young inquisitive minds, films all about Union Chapel's building and community support, and a mighty recital from young students of our free organ education programme with their tutor and concert organist Jeremiah Stephenson - the first time since the Swell section repair that our precious organ was used in full performance!

Photos by @kaviz_photographic

What did visitors enjoy most?

"The young music students having the opportunity to play to a live audience."

"Learning about the history of the chapel and going 'behind the scenes'."

"I knew of the venue but never made it inside. Was so glad I'd come. It is a unique place and fascinating that it is a functioning place of worship and arts venue. Really enjoyed the organ recital. Having the open house event is brilliant as it enables you to see places you may otherwise miss out on."

"The organist was interesting, engaging and enthusiastic. It was great to have a video screen to see the organists playing. It was so nice to have the 3 students playing as well. It felt very inclusive and nurturing."

"I found everything interesting."

Photos by @kaviz_photographic

Our sold out guided tours, led by experts of Friends of Union Chapel, were a hit - this year also branching out backstage of our Grade I & II* listed buildings including the corridor behind our stage where the body of the organ can be accessed and the Comittee Room with the pinned plan of the pews. Another new addition saw an introduction of the organ for attendees to get up-close and personal with this rare and unique instrument, built in 1877 by Henry 'Father' Willis specifically for the size and acoustics of Union Chapel.

Friends of Union Chapel formed in 1981 in response to the attempt to demolish Union Chapel, and have been working ever since to help preserve it - and welcome new members to join their activities and socials. Learn more here.

Photos by @kaviz_photographic

As ever, the organ recital was a huge highlight, showcasing the beautiful playing and dedication of young students that attend free weekly lessons with our historic organ. Due to recent successful repair of the Swell section (read all about it here), this was a true celebratory homecoming for the organ to be played in full force once again, in front of a 200+ strong audience. Click here for the recital programme.

"Performing the organ recital as part of Union Chapel’s Open Day has been the highlight of my autumn for a few years now, but this year’s event was the biggest and best yet with a highly enthusiastic audience of over 200 people.

It is always special to share the organ’s history and repertoire with people who may well have never heard it before and see their response to the musical and mechanical complexity, especially when channeled to effectively by the local school children who have been receiving subsidised lessons every week. They all played pieces with independent lines to be played with the feet, a particular skill which sets the organ apart from all other instruments. Building the necessary skill takes plenty of practice, now made possible by the new digital practice instrument housed in the chapel bar. This year we also trialled including the organ in the chapel tours, with a highly enthusiastic audience level of engagement from all the visitors.

Union Chapel is particularly well placed to be a site of such encounters with the arts for the local community, and I look forward to continuing to play a role in promoting the historic Father Willis organ as part of a cultural heritage in which everyone can share." - Jeremiah Stephenson, organ tutor and performer

A behind-the-scenes film about the organ repair will be coming soon so subscribe or follow on socials so you don't miss it!

Are you music student or recent graduate with specialist organ training? You have just a few more days left to apply for our organ scholarship by 6 October - full details here

If you enjoyed the recital, or are passionate about the King of Instruments like us, you can support our organ programme and ongoing maintenance here.

We were thrilled and proud to display artwork from our recent Hidden Treasures workshops of mosaic, collage, singing, zines, and more. These were free activities were part of our ongoing Sunday School Stories Project and saw adults from different walks of life together to create and learn new skills from professional artists, inspired by the Social Justice, Education and Music heritage from our 200+ year archive gems including a copy of The Primary Department book by E. J. Archibald, performers such as Amy Winehouse, The Jubilee Singers, Union Chapel organists, and more.

See the presentation accompanying the exhibition here featuring photos of the archive items, workshops, and the artworks themselves. The inspiration continued as we made templates of these artworks available for children at our Open Day to colour in!

Click here to see what else Sunday School Stories has in store, archive discovery highlights, renovation progress, recent heritage-led, cross-arts, community co-produced activities we've already enjoyed, and how you can get involved.

Thanks again to all who those who attended our Open Day. A special thanks goes out to our volunteers for their invaluable support and enthusiasm, which made our Open House London and Heritage Open Day event such a success. We hope to host you all again in the near future. In fact, check here for upcoming live events, subscribe here or become a Member of Union Chapel here and we'll see you again soon!

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