Union Chapel hosts live music, film, spoken word and comedy events. There are around 250 events per year. It was voted London's Best Live Music Venue by readers of Time Out magazine in 2002, 2012 and again in 2014. It has a reputation for great acoustics, thanks to its design.
Margins Homelessness Project
The Margins Project, based in the Union Chapel, provides a range of support services to people facing homelessness, crisis and isolation. It operates Monday & Wednesday drop-in that provides advice around accessing benefits, support showers and laundry facilities. There is also a Supported Employment Programme which provides opportunity for people who have experienced homelessness and crisis to get back into work. Plus a Winter Night Shelter and support services such as access to therapy.
Church in the Chapel
Union Chapel is a Congregational church, which describes itself as "An open community exploring and revitalising the faith in challenging times" and meets every Sunday for worship. The church meets every Sunday at 11am and is committed building community and encouraging social justice. It also runs Culture Cafe 11am - 2pm each Wednesday to help tackle social isolation and provide a space for conversation and creativity.
History
The congregation first met in 1799 in a house in Highbury Grove as a union of evangelical Anglicans and non-conformists, and moved to a previous building on the present site in Compton Terrace, just off Upper Street, in 1806. The current building is in the Victorian gothic style of architecture. It was designed by James Cubitt of Loughton, and built between 1874 and 1877, with further additions from 1877 to 1890, while Henry Allon was pastor. The chapel was used for a major scene in the 1982 film, Who Dares Wins. Since 1982 and facing demolition the charity Friends of Union Chapel has helped conserve the buildings. The charity Union Chapel Project established in 1991 organise activities including gigs and events to help raise money for the building and open it up. Behind the church is the large Sunday School, built on the Akron Plan.
The Organ at Union Chapel was designed and built specially for the size and acoustics of the new Chapel building in 1877 by master organ builderHenry "Father" Willis. It is undoubtedly one of the finest in the world. Neither James Cubitt, the architect of the Chapel, nor Rev Henry Allon, the minister at the time, wanted the congregation to be distracted by the sight of an organ or organist: they wanted the music itself to be the focus during worship. So the organ is deliberately hidden away behind ornate screens under the rose window, which itself actually hints at the organ's importance, with its depiction of eight angels all playing different musical instruments. It is one of just two organs left in the United Kingdom, and the only one in England, with a fully working original hydraulic blowing system, which can be used as an alternative to the electric blowers. The organ was restored in 1946 by Monk & Gunther; and by Harrison & Harrison in 2013.
