“If you seek his monument, look around you”

- Epitaph on Sir Christopher Wren's tomb in St. Paul's Cathedral

‘St. Paul’s from Fleet Street’ was commissioned by The Flowers Band and their Musical Director Paul Holland
 in tribute to lifelong supporter of the band Sheila Parry. The work features the ensemble’s principal cornet player: Jamie Smith.

Sir Christopher Wren (1632 - 1723) was a designer, astronomer, geometrician but is best known as Britain’s greatest architect. He is credited with designing over 53 churches, as well as
 many other iconic secular buildings throughout the capital following the devastation of the Great Fire of London in 1666. The music, however, takes inspiration from Wren’s best known and arguably his greatest work: St. Paul’s Cathedral.


St. Paul’s sits at the highest point of the City of London on Ludgate Hill. Since its construction in the 18th century, the building has been an instantly recognisable part of London’s skyline and, until 1963, was the tallest building in London. The cathedral became a symbol of British unity and endurance after surviving the London blitz during the Second World War.


The iconic view of St. Paul’s from Fleet Street (one of the six protected views of the cathedral across the capital) has become a focal point for painters, photographers and other artists alike to capture the magnificence of the grade I listed building.


The music opens an organ swell that represents the initial view of the cathedral’s grandeur in the distance. Following the opening the work introduces the soloist with a reflective section in a choral style. A lyrical showcase follows this section, with the soloist high above a gentle undulating, echoing accompaniment, signifying the famous whispering gallery inside the cathedral with its unique acoustic properties. 


The grand organ swell returns as we find ourselves viewing the cathedral from within before the choral material returns in a lighter key. We end with a solemn, yet stoic finish at Sir Christopher Wren’s memorial within St. Paul’s Crypt: "Si monumentum requiris circumspice" - "If you seek his monument, look around you”.