Walthamstow

Music arrives at St Mary’s

A new concert venue has been launched in Walthamstow, writes George Bell St Mary’s Music Hall is a new concert venue for Waltham Forest. It aims to […]By Waltham Forest Echo

A new concert venue has been launched in Walthamstow, writes George Bell

Seckou Keita, who performed at the first St Mary’s Music Hall concert in June (credit Daniel Whiston)

St Mary’s Music Hall is a new concert venue for Waltham Forest. It aims to add to the live music scene in the area by providing regular high quality concerts in the ancient and inspiring setting of St Mary’s Church, in Walthamstow Village.

The idea for creating a music hall venue within the 12th Century building arose from a collaboration between Sam Jones of culture non-profit SoundThread, and myself George Bell and Greg Staw of On:Song Music, working closely with the church and the wider community to create a musical space that is truly inviting and inclusive.

Our team have been promoting and producing across the London music scene for years and recently received funding to install a new sound system, enhancing the church’s already impressive acoustics and bringing beautiful clarity of sound to their upcoming shows.

St Mary’s Music Hall has released its summer programme for 2017, showcasing a mix of some of the biggest names in jazz, contemporary, folk and world music, appealing to a wide audience.


This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.


The forthcoming programme will feature a performance on 27th July from 15-piece African ensemble The Nile Project, an exceptional group made up of musicians from the 11 countries the river flows through. They will be supported by Tanzanian artist Msafiri Zawose, son of Hukwe, a founding figure in the nation’s musical independence.

Later in the summer, St Mary’s Music Hall will play host to many more exciting artists, including Msafiri Zawosi, Get the Blessing, Yusufla, She’Koyokh, Vula Viel, Martha Tilston, Mesadorm, and Sailing Stones.

There will be food provided by Sham’s Kitchen, served in the leafy car park outside the church, and a partnership developed with Wild Card Brewery will ensure that the drinks on offer are locally produced and delicious!

The team has also set up a discount code for local people. Enter ‘WalthamLive’ to get £2 off your ticket price.

St Mary’s Church is a historic and beautiful setting and the place has a fantastic atmosphere. As the head of programming and events here it’s an honour to be working with the very active church community to bring so much great music to Walthamstow, and we are very proud of the line-up we’ve pulled together.

To find out more about the summer programme at St Mary’s Music Hall and to book tickets:

Visit stmarysmusichall.co.uk


No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month.  £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.

Donate now with Pay Pal

More information on supporting us monthly or annually 

More Information about donations