By 1820 there were 19,020 members of the British community recorded in Paris but the Embassy Ballroom, used for services, could only hold 300. So in 1824 the Rev'd Lewis Way received permission from Louis XVIII to open a Chapel within the old Hotel Marbeuf in the west of Paris.

Throughout the upheavals of the past two centuries (revolutions in 1830, 1848, 1851 and 1870, two World Wars and the Occupation of 1940-44) the clergy and people have witnessed to the Love of God in Christ. The current church is the fifth St George's in Paris that today houses an international community of anglophone and francophone Christians. 

We're determined to celebrate our bi-centenary in style - watch this space for upcoming plans.

We want to sing a new hymn for our bi-centenary, can you or someone you know, compose words and/or the winning tune? Below are the rules of the Competition.

St George’s, Paris - Bicentenary Hymn Text and Tune Search/Competition                        

RULES (Adopted by the Chaplaincy Council 21.09.22)

1. The Panel of Judges includes distinguished members of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland, compilers of recent hymnals, and past and present members of the Chaplaincy Council of St George’s with a knowledge of hymnody.
   

2. The winning text will be chosen first; that text will then be circulated to composers who request to enter the Competition. The deadline for submissions in the text category is 30 April 2023 and in the tune category 30 November 2023.
   

3. An award of €150 is offered to the writer adjudged best in each category. The decision of the Judges is final.
   

4. Each single entry must be accompanied by a non-returable fee of €10. Entrants may provide more than one text or tune. All entries must appear anonymously, with entrants providing their name, address and email address on a separate, accompanying sheet. Entrants should send their work by post to: St George’s Anglican Church, 7 rue Auguste-Vacquerie, 75116 Paris, France, clearly marking the envelope: ‘Hymn Competititon Text’ or ‘Hymn Competition Tune’, as appropriate.
   

5. By their participation in the Search/Competition, entrants agree that the copyright of both text and tune will remain theirs, but with permission for use freely granted to St George’s Anglican Church, Paris, in perpetuity, as the Church sees fit. No entries, whether in the text or tune category, can be returned.
   

6. The metre chosen for the text is at the discretion of the entrant, bearing in mind that the work should be capable of being readily memorised and singable by a congregation. The text sought will be in English. Composers will provide a tune in the metre of the text which allows the text to express itself suitably for congregational use.
   

7. Entrants for the text should take into account the fact that the ‘mission’ of St George’s is: “Drawing on our Anglican heritage, we celebrate and proclaim the reconciling love of God in Christ”. The Chaplaincy is inclusive, modern, Catholic, welcoming English-, French-, and Malagasy-speaking communities. The successful text will reflect this statement and these characteristics.
   

8. Further information which may help text writers: George, our Patron, is believed to have been a soldier, exhibiting values of conscience, integrity and social justice; we have been active in Paris since 1824; we have a tradition of welcoming people from around the globe who have found new life in the ‘City of Light’.
   

9. The chosen hymn and its tune will be sung for the first time at the special Bicentenary Eucharist in St George’s during the celebration year 2024. The winning writer and composer will be invited to attend, but will understand that travel costs may be at their own expense.
   

10. Entry to the Search/Competition implies acceptance of the foregoing Rules.