PROGRAMME

The Chapel is a meeting place for independent minds, home to a diverse programme of social, creative, educational and religious events that enable people of all ages to come together to experience this unique setting.

There is a lively seasonal programme of musical and literary performance, from early music to youth group choirs, from spoken word to operatic arias, with local and internationally-acclaimed artists.

Recent events have featured musicians Laura Cannell, Polly Wright, early music specialists Loki Music, The Waveney Valley Brass Ensemble, Lowestoft-based youth choir Group A, opera singer Rob Gildon, and international jazz and blues singer Melissa James. The spoken word also continues to resonate in the Chapel today, from poetry to author-readings of contemporary classics. Performers have included Helen Macdonald, Julia Blackburn and Lucy Hughes-Hallett, alongside successful annual collaborations with local organisations such as the Suffolk Poetry Society.

Workshops and artist residencies are enabling new site-specific works to be created in response to this evocative setting. In 2018, London-based ensemble Chroma produced Awakening in collaboration with Snape Maltings, after a successful week-long residency at the Chapel. Despite Covid restrictions we were able to introduce the new residency projects including the Witchfinder Project.

SERVICES

The Chapel holds two ecumenical services annually and remains a place of worship and religious ceremony. It is available for celebrations, commemorations, memorial events and dedications. The Chapel can be hired for weddings and blessings and is licensed for same sex marriages.

2023 EVENTS

We are thrilled to announce our 2023 Summer Programme. We are sure you will find an event that appeals to you, whether you like classical music, folk, poetry, period instruments or talks. You may pre-book your tickets on Ticket Source on the Walpole Old Chapel section from the end of March (£10 concerts; £7 talks) or buy them on the door (Concerts £12; talks £8).

Sunday 14th May 3pm – The Company of Horham Old School – 15 folk musicians
Sunday 21st May 3pm – Spanish and Italian music performed on the Vihuela
Sunday 28th May 3pm - Baroque solos and sonatas by Follia Duo - flute, recorder & harpsichord
Sunday 4th June 3pm – Harpsichord recital
Sunday 11th June 3pm - Gainsborough Quartet with Rob Gildon
Wednesday 14th June - King's Singers – Part of the Aldeburgh Festival
Sunday 18th June 3pm – Hexachordia
Sunday 25th June 3pm - Suffolk Poetry Society – Members readings
Sunday 9th July 3pm – Walpole Old Chapel: A turning point in English history – a talk by Rev'd Bill Mahood
Saturday 15th July 7pm - Syzewell Gap – folk music and dancing
Saturday 29th July 7pm - Blake Morison and the Hosepipe band – poetry set to music
Sunday 6th August 3pm – Crumhorn quartet
Saturday 12th August 7pm - Julian Godlee – bass, Brenda Blewett – piano
Sunday 20th August 3pm - The A-Z of Curious Suffolk – A talk by Sarah Doig
Sunday 3rd September 3pm - The Soane Duo – Romantic music with period instruments Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September – Heritage Open Days – 'Inspired by Walpole Old Chapel' Saturday 16th December 3pm – Carol Service

We will be open to the public on Saturday afternoons from Good Friday this year Fri 7 April until the end of September; 2pm - 4.30pm, Anyone wishing to arrange a private or group visit outside these times should contact us.