A Triumphant Return: The Restored Organ of St Peter and St Paul
On 1 March 2025, the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, marked a major milestone—the first performance on its 235-year-old organ since its comprehensive restoration. Silent since 2020, this remarkable instrument—famously played by Sir Elton John in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)—has now been fully revived, bringing its powerful voice back to the chapel’s historic setting.
The Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Choir, led by Dr Ralph Allwood MBE, delivered a superb performance alongside organists Jonathan Eyre and Alexander Knight. Introducing the show, Allwood reflected on choral music as a powerful act of collaboration, essential to human success—a fitting message for an evening that honoured both history and renewal.
The programme balanced organ solos and choral works, making full use of the chapel’s acoustics. Parry’s 'I Was Glad' and Widor’s 'Messe à deux choeurs et deux orgues' were highlights, while the organ’s placement at the rear allowed for moments of reflection as the audience faced Benjamin West’s towering 25-foot tall 'Preservation of St Paul after a Shipwreck at Malta'.
The evening also marked a transition, bidding farewell to Jonathan Eyre and welcoming Alexander Knight as the new organist. With its historic organ restored to full splendour, the chapel remains an outstanding venue for worship and music—well worth a visit.
