Chopin and Medieval Perivale

Hear Chopin played by Polish pianist Michał Szymanowski at medieval St Mary’s, then explore the church, churchyard and fascinating Perivale. Chopin in Medieval Perivale Join Talking and Exploring for a special afternoon combining beautiful music, local history and a guided walk in one of Ealing’s most intriguing places. You can start the afternoon with a free concert at St Mary’s Perivale, or join us afterwards for the exploration of the church and churchyard and the guided walk. The concert begins at 2pm and features Polish pianist Michał Szymanowski, performing works by Chopin alongside music by Różycki, Debussy and Bacewicz. St Mary’s has medieval origins and a fascinating story of survival. The building has been altered and repaired over the centuries, including major work in the 19th century and after the chancel wall collapsed in the 1960s. Once the church of a small rural village, it eventually found itself isolated as Perivale was transformed around it. After the concert, we’ll have time to explore the church and churchyard, looking at some of their history, people and details — and at how this remarkable place survived to become a much-loved concert venue. We’ll then take a short guided walk in the surrounding area. Perivale has a particularly unusual story: its centre of everyday life effectively moved. The old village grew up around St Mary’s, its farms and manor house. From the early 20th century, and particularly from the 1930s, the landscape north of the Western Avenue was transformed by new transport links, factories and housing. The old village became increasingly isolated, while a new Perivale developed on the other side of the A40. Our walk will explore some of the traces and stories of this changing landscape. The exact route will remain flexible, depending on how much time we spend at the church and churchyard, the weather and the pace of the group. The afternoon 2–3pm — Optional Chopin concert with Michał Szymanowski 3–4pm — Explore St Mary’s church and churchyard 4–5pm — Short Talking and Exploring guided walk The concert has free admission and no booking is required. St Mary’s relies on donations to support its musicians and maintain the church, so donations are warmly encouraged. The Talking and Exploring part of the afternoon costs £18. If the ticket price would be a barrier to you joining us, please email me in confidence. As this is a small, intimate event, I may be able to offer a place depending on availability. If you don't want to attend the concert, please meet us at 3pm outside St Mary’s for the church and churchyard exploration. The church exploration and guided walk are part of this Talking and Exploring event. Talking and Exploring has been bringing groups to St Mary’s and exploring the Polish and musical connections of Perivale for years, including Polish-themed walks in 2019: Listen to Chopin in Perivale; 2022: A Perivale Walk: Polish Cuisine; and 2023: Perivale: Szopen i rodacy w Perivale (Chopin and Compatriots in Perivale). We’ll finish near The Myllet Arms, Perivale’s only pub. The pub itself is currently facing an uncertain future, with the possibility of closure. Anyone who would like to continue the afternoon is welcome to join us there for an optional drink and further conversation. Cancellations and ticket transfers As this is a small event with limited places, we are unable to offer refunds for cancellations. If you find that you cannot attend, you are welcome to pass your ticket to someone else. Please let me know their full name and email address in advance, so that I know who to expect.