Pay it forward: free concert tickets for NHS staff

‘Pay it forward’ and say thank you to our carers in the NHS with the gift of music

What's the project?  In a nutshell...

The Coronavirus pandemic presents us all with unprecedented challenges. The current situation has left many of us feeling quite helpless yet wanting to do something positive to let NHS staff know how much we appreciate all that they are doing for us. As an organisation that lives and breathes music, at St John’s Smith Square we wanted to give people a way of saying thank you through music.

Whilst St John’s may be closed to the public at the moment, we are still working away behind the scenes. Inspired by the ‘clap for our carers’ initiative and with a desire to look ahead to life after lockdown, this is a ‘pay it forward’ campaign with a difference. Your donations will be used to create an NHS free tickets fund. When St John’s is able to reopen to the public, NHS workers will be invited to register for the free tickets scheme and redeem their tickets for a concert of their choice at St John’s. As well as saying thank you to our carers at the NHS, by donating now you are also helping us to get through this difficult time whilst our doors have to remain closed.

Read on for more details....

Who are we?

We are St John's Smith Square, a home for music rebuilt by our community.  Fifty years ago, an incredibly dedicated group of people from our local community came together to save this once war-ravaged and derelict Baroque church, setting up a registered charity and transforming the building into one of London’s finest concert halls.  

Since then, St John’s Smith Square has continued as a home for live music: many of you have visited us to experience performances by world class artists or have yourselves performed here as part of a community or school group or as participants on our Young Artists’ Scheme. 

What is happening now?

Like many other cultural venues across the world, the Coronavirus pandemic has forced us to close our doors temporarily.  As an organisation with a core purpose of bringing people together to enjoy live music, it is a particularly strange and challenging time, especially as closed doors means a drastic reduction in income.  

But like many of the communities currently under lockdown, we want to do something positive - to look ahead to a future time when we can again welcome you through our doors and our building will resound with music and the sound of applause.

What is the project?

Whilst our concert hall is unavoidably silent, thousands of NHS staff are working hard to care for us, our families and our community.  Many of us came together recently to show our appreciation by clapping for our carers.  

We want to take this further by setting up a free tickets scheme for NHS staff. When we are able to reopen our doors to the public, NHS staff will be able to enjoy an evening of live classical music, gifted by you.

What's on offer?

In the exceptional setting of St John’s, acoustics, atmosphere, fine dining and architecture come together to create a rich and welcoming experience.

We offer a range of performances and events throughout the year, including lunchtime recitals, organ recitals, chamber music, opera, talks and study days, as well as performances by chamber orchestras, choirs and vocal ensembles.  In addition to the regular programme we also host three main festivals each year: a Christmas festival (including the ever-popular Messiah), a Holy Week Festival (in partnership with the award-winning choir Tenebrae) and the London Festival of Baroque Music, which attracts the highest quality performers of Baroque music on the international stage.  

Housed beneath the Hall under the vaulted ceiling of the crypt is the elegant and cosy Footstool Restaurant, where guests can enjoy light meals, formal lunches and dinners, coffee and cake, and an interval drink or two.

How does it work?

We are asking you to ‘pay it forward’ by giving now to fund 500 free tickets for NHS staff to use in the future.  Your gifts will be used to create an NHS free tickets fund. When we are able to reopen, we will invite NHS workers to register for the free tickets scheme and redeem their free tickets for a concert of their choice at St John's Smith Square. As well as saying thank you, by giving now you are also helping us to get through this difficult time whilst our doors have to remain closed.

Concert tickets vary in price from approximately £10 to £50.  As an example of what your gift could buy:

£10 - ticket for a lunchtime concert in our Young Artists’ Series

£25 - standard ticket for an evening concert

£50 - best seat in the house for an evening concert

£100 - a pair of tickets (best seats) for an evening concert

The target amount of £12,500 will fund approximately 500 tickets, at an average price of £25 each.  

 How can you help?

'Pay it forward' by selecting an example reward or by giving whatever amount you can towards the NHS free tickets fund.  Tell your friends and family about the campaign - the more we raise, the more free tickets we can offer to NHS workers.

'Pay it forward’ and say thank you to our carers in the NHS with the gift of music.