The German School

Petersham Road, Petersham TW10 7AH

In 1968, proposals to build a school where children of German nationals living in London could be educated had almost foundered; the then West German government could not afford to buy a suitable site in London. The matter, however, was taken up by Jürgen Sudhoff, a young diplomat in the London Embassy who was anxious to make his mark, and he eventually carried Bonn with him. A competition among German architects was staged, a winner chosen and plans drawn up. Thereafter, complications began. The German Embassy in London asked a German architect called Marmorek, who had worked for them, to take charge. Because his was a small partnership, he asked for the assistance of a local firm which could administer the site and steer the enterprise through the local planning process. The Culpin practice was chosen. The building was begun in 1978 and completed in 1980. There was much local opposition to the size of the building and to the placing of a school in this quiet neighbourhood.

All's well that ends well: the finished building has a spacious main hall which allows both the musical and social activities of the Concert Society to take place within one continuous space. The overall structure is notable for its steel spaceframe roof - about 4,500 square metres of it - a system which allows very large areas to be covered without support from the ground. The hall is particularly useful for piano recitals and performances by larger chamber groups.

St Margaret's Catholic Church

St Margaret's Road, East Twickenham TW1 1RL

This church is named for St Margaret, Queen of Scotland (1046-93), who was married to King Malcolm III. Among her many other virtues, she was a cultivated and educated woman (Malcolm himself could not read) who encouraged the arts and education.

The parish was initiated in 1930 as an offshoot of St Bridget's, Isleworth, and its first administrators were Mill Hill Missionaries. It was formally constituted as a parish in 1935 and, between then and the 1960s, when it became possible to finance the construction of a new church, Mass was said in a hut on the site. The church we know today was consecrated in 1969. English Heritage, impressed by its innovative design and use of materials, has designated it a Grade II Listed building. The design of the interior reflects the link between the liturgical services and the socially supportive side of church life, which means that the Richmond Concert Society can conduct the musical and social aspects of its concerts here within a single unified space.

St Mary's Church

Riverside, Twickenham TW1 3NJ

St Mary's has a medieval tower of Kentish ragstone and a Georgian brick nave, the latter built by John James of Greenwich in 1713, when the original, chronically neglected nave fell down. The rebuilding was initiated by one of the churchwardens, the court painter Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723).

Among local notables commemorated in the church is the poet Alexander Pope. A brass tablet in the floor near the front row of pews marks the approximate location of his interment. His parents are celebrated by an elaborate memorial in the north gallery, while a tablet on the east wall (outside) touchingly records his gratitude to "a faithful old servant", his nurse, Mary Beach. During the 1720s the tea and coffee merchant Thomas Twining built Dial House behind the church; in 1890 the Twining family gave the house to the parish and it became the vicarage.

The church has a ring of eight bells, the oldest dating from before the Reformation. These are regularly rung, although we perhaps cannot expect a repeat of the event in 1749 when the Society of Twickenham Scholars rang "a complete peal of 6,000 changes". Less clangorously, the Society uses St Mary's for its string quartet concerts whenever possible and the church's acoustic has been highly praised by the quartets who have played here.

All Hallows Church

Erncroft Way, Twickenham TW1 1EW

All Hallows has stood on the Chertsey Road in Twickenham since 1940, but its history stretches back to Saxon times. The original All Hallows was on Lombard Street in the City of London, on a site where Christian worship dates back to 1053. The church was rebuilt twice before being destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren was the architect of the new All Hallows which was completed in 1694. Just before the Second World War, structural defects were discovered and the authorities decided to rebuild the beautiful tower, stone by stone, on the current site and also build a new church, to house all of its wonderful carved wooden interior fittings. Robert Atkinson designed the church and also the beautiful cloister which links it to the bell tower. The tower houses a peal of ten bells cast by Richard Phelps, which came from the original church, as well as a rare carved oak Royal Arms dating back to Charles II. The Harris organ, built in 1708, has been renovated several times, but was finally electrified in 1984.

The Chapel Royal

Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey KT8 9AU

For several centuries, from the Baptism of Edward VI at Hampton Court in 1537, the historic royal palace and its chapel have been part of a proud musical heritage. The Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of the Sovereign. It has been called “the cradle of English church music”, since its great musicians of the past set an example in style of composition and performance that was copied by cathedrals, churches and chapels throughout the land. They include Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Thomas Morley, Henry Purcell, and also Pelham Humfrey and John Blow, both of whom lived in Hampton.

The Live Room

Whitton Road, Twickenham TW1 1DZ

The Live Room is situated in Twickenham Rugby Stadium’s new state-of-the-art South Stand development, Rugby House. The Rugby Football Union’s choice of the word “room” for its new multi-million pound performing arts and conference centre perhaps does the auditorium less than justice, since it contains 400 tiered seats and a stage which can be adapted to suit all manner of performing groups, and there is access to a large foyer with bar and restaurant facilities. The RFU’s promise that the Live Room would be made occasionally available to local outside organisations is being satisfyingly fulfilled. RCS members should note that the usual “in-house” provision of wine and juice at moderate prices will not be available at this venue.

450 Hall, Hampton School

Hanworth Road, Hampton TW12 3HD

Hampton School dates its foundation to 1557 when, thanks to a bequest by Robert Hammond, a prominent local businessman, provision was made for the instruction of local children by the Vicar of St Mary’s, Hampton-upon-Thames. Originally built close to St Mary’s Church it moved to its present site on the Hanworth Road in 1939. The School converted from voluntary aided status to become a fee-paying independent school in 1975. The building of the new “450 Hall” was completed in September 2009. The name “450” refers to the age of the school rather than the size of the hall. It actually seats 386 people on retractable and fixed, tiered seating on two levels and is fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and sound technology. This magnificent hall has been acoustically designed for Drama and Music performances. It is a versatile space, adaptable for traverse and in-the-round staging.

St Edmunds Roman Catholic Church

Nelson Road, Whitton TW2 7BB

St Edmund’s was founded in 1934 by Fr Cheray who had been sent from America. His carpentry skills were useful, as he had to convert a stable into the first church and, after the second, much enlarged church was destroyed in the war, he made most of the furniture himself. Whitton businessmen and schoolchildren had dug deep into their pockets to make the rebuilding possible. The 1941 church became today’s Parish Hall when the spacious new parish church was built in 1963.