Yeps, it has been a long time since I last blogged, but please bear with me! It’s been a very busy time!

So first up was a family visit to my brother and Michele (his girlfriend) in Switzerland. My sister and mum flew to London from Malta, and I met up with them at the airport where we took another flight to Friedrischafen in Germany. From the airport we went to Konstanz. With my brother living close by in St Gallen this was one of the places I really wanted to go back to after having done a six week internship there 4 summers ago. Luckily one of the guys from the lab was in town and we could meet up. Great to be back!

That was Saturday (two Saturdays ago). On Sunday we then went to Santis…SNOOOWWWWW! …we didn’t climb but took the gondola up to gorgeous views. After that we travelled on to Apenzell, followed by a visit to the Rheinfall in Schaffhausen. Last I was in the region I never got round to it, so this was high on my list of things I wanted to do. Monday then was a day in Zurich with my mum and sister as brother and his gf had to work/study. Unfortunately all the museums were closed, but we still got a bit of the atmosphere in. Tuesday then we travelled back, from Switzerland going to Austria and then on to Germany around lake Constance, followed by flying to London (yeps…there go your four countries ).

In London then it was my turn to host my sister and mum…AAA…hectic time! We got a number of shopping trips in (yippee!) and a good deal of sight seeing. Mostly I sent them on their own while I went to university to get some work done anyways (though I was on reduced time ). With them on Wednesday night we went to watch Blood Brothers, with Mel C – great show! Was not particularly impressed at first, but as time went I got more and more impressed! WOW!. On Thursday I had tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London, which is the ceremony where they shut down the tower each night. It is apparently the shortest such ceremony in the world, but hey! I enjoyed it, and you get to get into the Tower for free (though you cannot wander round). Friday night was an evening of rest in preparation for the weekend.

Saturday was a day of markets! When Michael’s parents were here we went to Camden Market and I definitely wanted to take them there. So we got the bus to St John’s Wood and walked from there along the canal to the market. I really like the market, and it was good to be there now – seeing as Christmas is near I could start getting ideas for gifts – yipeee! (never a very easy thing for me ). From there we then went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde park to show them the closest they could get to a German market (more ideas for gifts ) and then on to TK Maxx in Kensington (shopping ).

Sunday was our ‘day out of London’ – Oxford! I had visited Oxford some months ago for a workshop but only got around an hour to look around. Now we had a day! Unfortunately it wasn’t the best weather (though better than when we went to Canterbury). Fortunately the museums were open so we could duck in there and enjoy them. We got to go to the University Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers Museum, then to the Ashmolean Museum (it is newly reopened in November, so it is still not totally complete – but I really liked it, particularly the -1 level), and finally the Museum of the History of Science. In the evening we then went to Christ Church College Cathedral for Evensong (I didn’t find it as impressive as the ones we attended in Cambridge and Canterbury), and then on to home.

Monday was their last day here, so we went for a walk in Gladstone park, before making our way to Oxford street for some more shopping (hehe!) and then saw them off.

In the evening Michael and I had tickets for a Jack the Ripper Tour by Celebrity Planet. It was an OK tour. We got our tickets for free, but I am not sure I would have been happy if I had paid £10 for the tour! Also – the tour guide had such a smug look on his face! It just made me want to punch him! grrr!

Here’s a cute little idea that holds the Hershey’s Nuggets candy bars.  (Love those babies! Not too little, not too large.)  These are great to have on hand for friends and neighbors that stop by this holiday season.   It’s a great way to use scraps too.  Cut cardstock into 1.5″ x 6″ strip.  Score at 2 1/2 and 3 1/2.  Cut patterned paper into 1 3/8 x 2 3/8 pieces.   Adhere patterned paper on one side.  Stamp image and adhere to front.  Put a glue dot or other strong adhesive on the bottom and attach nugget bar.  Fold up.  Then punch two holes in top just 1/2″ apart.  Thread ribbon through. 

Recipe:
New England Ivy Cardstock & stamp pad, Evensong paper pack, Just for the Holidays stamp set, Cranberry stamp pad and Colonial White grosgrain ribbon.

Our third visit to St Aidan’s, Clarkston, was no less eventful than the previous two!

A Patronal Festival Evensong is pretty-well fixed in the church’s calendar, so if people are likely to be away elsewhere, then there is a problem. This happened this time with the organist, and several of the Church Choir members, and some of our members not being available on the due date.

The new Rector Rev Nicholas Taylor, had hardly  time to settle in before this festival, and Helen Raeside, the assistant organist had to get to grips with the music, some of which was new. Even problems with one of the radio mics seemed to conspire against us.

However, even with all that, it was a lovely service with  an excellent sermon from the Rector of a neighbouring Church. The usual eats and drinks before and after gave us a chance to socialise with many folk we had met before.

Music……..

• Introit:- ‘Except the Lord build the House’….(JHM)
• First Hymn:- ‘Saintly Aidan’
• Psalm:- 89, Chant E.J.Hopkins
• Magnificat:- Chant J.Turle
• Nunc Dimittis:- Chant H Baker
• Second Hymn:- Dear Lord and Father…to tune Repton
• Anthem:- ‘O, Lord, my heart is not proud’ …Music by Margaret Rizza
• Hymn:- Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour!
• Vesper:- ‘May the road rise to meet you’…music by J.Jerome Williams

Go and look in  your atlas, or investigate Google, or click  the link at the bottom if you want to find out about this wonderful haven of tranquility in Argyll. It is close to Port Appin (10 minute foot-ferry), or by large car-ferry from Oban.

It is a small island but boasts its own Cathedral dedicated to St Moluag. It was at one time the Cathedral of the Isles but the main part was burned-down at the Reformation, and whilst the outline can still be seen, only the Choir area is now used as Lismore Parish Church of Scotland.

By the nature of its history, Lismore Parish Church is a perfect setting for an ecumenical Service. At various times Roman Catholic, then Anglican, and now Church of Scotland.

It is here that we hope to have as the venue for an ecumenical service on 13th June 2010……so even if you are not coming over to join us, it is a wonderful area!

http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/lismore.htm

Arrived back from Wells today, what a great week it was. It’s good to see the Orrishmere choir again, who I’ve been with for years; we’re like a family now, and new people who come along feel the same very quickly, which is great. Our day off was Wednesday (which poured down with rain! Didn’t stop us going out and enjoying the area though), but we did the daily services every other day (Evensong each day, then 3 services on Sunday). Composers included Howells, Darke, Bairstow, Kelly, Sumsion, and many more. The cathedral is beautiful, the staff are friendly, the organ is great to play – interestingly, it lacks a 32ft pedal stop because there’s no room in the case! The choir had a party on the Saturday, at which members brought their own pieces, which was good fun.

All in all, a great week. My next engagement is a solo recital at Prestbury Parish Church, Cheshire, this coming Sunday, August 9th, at 2.45pm. Looking forward to that!

We went for a walk in York during the annual chaplaincy conference and I have posted two postings on Simran in York, two on going for a walk in York and one on a market in York and a market in Leeds.

This third posting is about the fabulous York Minster, which is a beautiful building and in which we listened to ‘Evensong’ which was even more beautiful !

Look at all the tourists who are not looking at the Minster 

Beautiful trees, beautiful Minster, too many vehicles with internal combustion engines

 
A better view of the Minster, with the entry that was not used for us ordinary mortals

Next to the huge Minster there is this ordinary sized church

We started this in January of this year and it’s getting more and more popular. Tonight we are having “Christmas in July” and I am teaching the make and take. This has been a lot of fun, because we have different sisters taking turns doing the make and take each month, and tonight for the first time, we’ve split into two swapping groups. The idea was to stop at 10 people, but we had 16 people sign up tonight so we have two swapping groups!

Tonight I’m teaching the make and take and I’ve made a Gift Card project…

Gift Card Holder

The finished project makes a 4″x4″ card. I’ve used the Emporium papers from CTMH, a CTMH snowman stamp, I’ve chalked around the background of the stamped image, and used some SU! punches and corner rounders. The inside of the card holder looks like this:

Inside of Gift Card Holder

I’ve done a similar project like this before back when I was a CTMH consultant, but not with this group — for the “holder part, you just pull a credit card out of your wallet, stick a couple of picture corners at the bottom corners as a guide, and place on your card where you want them to go. The card folds up, the little band slips over it to hold it in place and voila!

I’m also swapping tonight… this card is made with CTMH Evensong papers, and an Angel Company stamp. I’ve also used a couple of SU! punches, the lace punch and the ticket corner punch. Also Sparkles and Picture Hangers from CTMH and some stash ribbon.

Tonight's Swap Card

The nicest thing about our Card Club, is we have it at a local Panera Bread. It’s actually closer to most of us than our church building, many of the sisters meet an hour early to have dinner together and Panera is very friendly about letting us meet there. No dining room to tidy up!!

Left for evensong this evening in time for a six ‘o ‘clock kick off.  By then the Ashes seemed to be blowing away decisively in an Antipodean direction.  The Gatling was frankly jammed and the Colonel pretty much dead.  By the time I emerged (c. 6.50) and tuned in to TMS Anderson and Panesar had batted through the last half hour to secure a triumphant draw.  

So, Richard Dawkins – how much more evidence do you require exactly?

We’ve just lost a good friend to a brain tumour. He was only about 52, and we got to know him when he came to join my choir. He showed an immense talent for music composition, keyboard skills and a wonderful sense of humour through even the dark days. He also came over as very thoughtful, caring and non-complaining.

He had looked forward to going to Ballachulish, Argyll in March to join in Evensong. His health had badly deteriorated, and we were very unsure about whether it was wise for him to go. If anything had happened while up there, the distance to a suitable hospital would have proved catastrophic, and we might have carried this in our mind for many a long year.

My final opinion was sought, and I had to say YES, as I could never have forgiven myself if I has said NO. In the event, two members very kindly looked after him over the weekend and he thoroughly enjoyed it. It was his last major event outside his hospital and hospice.

So, ‘CARPE DIEM’…..never let an opportunity of any kind go by….you may never get the chance again!

We took three days of vacation, May 21-23, in and around Oxford.

The weather, unlike a previous forecast, did not include rain. Thursday and Friday had some sunshine;breezy and chilly. Saturday was full sun.

At the town of Beaconsfield we visited the Bekonscot Model Village and Railway, a replica of English buildings and scenery. The buildings are two or three feet tall, complete in many details. You walk among the scenes, feeling like a giant of some sort.

Next we went to Oxford and took an open-top bus tour around the city. I was especially impressed to see the
Martyrs’ Memorial.

This is a tribute to the three Protestants who were burned at the stake on Broad Street – Bishops Latimer and Ridley in 1555 and Archbishop Cranmer in 1556 – under the reign of Queen Mary, a Roman Catholic. To me the saddest contradiction of all is when Christians kill other Christians for their beliefs.

That evening we went to the home of our friends, Chris and Katharine Thompson, who live in a residential area of Oxford. We spent three evenings and overnight with them.

Next day, Friday, we went to nearby Blenheim Palace, famous for its connections with Winston Churchill, who was born here – quite by accident; his parents happened to be staying here at the time! Churchill visited here often, since the estate was owned by his uncle, and later by his cousin, the Dukes of Marlborough.

The Palace is immense.

We toured several parts of the palace, but not the wing where the current Duke of Marlborough lives.

The grounds look natural but, in fact, are carefully landscaped.

At the lake I saw a great-crested grebe, a new species for my life list.

This superb photo is from the Cambridsgeshire Bird Club website.

In the cafe of Blenheim Palace this quote of the day was posted on the wall:
All wisdom is not new wisdom. -Winston Churchill

On Saturday we toured the town of Oxford again, starting by walking along the Thames River, where we saw college rowing teams preparing for races the following weekend.

We visited Christ Church College, where John and Charles Wesley were students in the 1700s.

Everyone (which includes John but not JoLene) is interested in seeing the majestic dining hall, which was the inspiration for the dining hall of Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter movies.

Later in the day we returned to Christ Church Cathedral for Evensong, a service of Scriptures and hymns, some read, some sung by the men’s choir, and with two hymns sung by the congregation.

On another street we went to the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and climbed the 124 steps of the tower for a spectacular view of the city in all directions.

The tower also provides the best view of The Radcliffe Camera (what a name!), a domed Baroque rotunda, part of the Bodleian Library. The Library, not the rotunda, was founded in 1320.

We ate dinner at The Mitre, a large pub and classy restaurant on High Street.

And that ends our vacation.

On Sunday, May 24, we returned home, well rested, full of memories and stories, and grateful to God for the varied experiences of life.

‘It doesn’t matter that there’s no one here. It doesn’t matter that they do not come. The villagers know the parson is praying for them in their church.’ -  John Betjeman, from A passion for churches.

Except that if no one comes the parson may well be praying for the villagers – but it won’t be in their church.  And so I come.

No good Christian would be impressed by this line of thinking.  Neither, even more certainly, would Richard Dawkins.

Author: M.L. St. Sure

Genre: Historical Romance

ISBN: 978-1-4196-6824-1

Pages: 214

Reviewed By: Brian Knight

Official Premium Promotional Services Rating: **** (4 stars)

The young life of Christina Cross is turned upside down by the unexpected death of her father.  Now, with the responsibility to provide for the family resting squarely on her petite shoulders; she begins working at the El Dorado Inn.  Christina’s job is to sing just the way her father taught her.  Overhearing her vibrant voice, the owner of the inn, Senator Caradine, wishes to help the young girl achieve her life dreams.  Quickly, the two grow closer together and Christina’s gracious appreciation turns to desire.  Suddenly, she wants the Senator to love her as the daughter he lost long ago.

Christina has an opportunity to perform and both travel to New York. Here their conflicting relationship is put to the test.  During their stay, her agenda is to co-hurt the Senator so he will finally see her as a woman.  But this plan backfires as she feels strange sensations by the presence of the womanizing Frenchman Laurent De Gauvion Saint Cyr; a passion she knows she will never feel with the Senator.  Once back at the Inn, having to provide for her younger sister, Nicolette, Christina now sees that the little town she had left for a short time, and though was the answer to her prayers, cannot provide her with the life she always dreamed of.

Desperate to provide a better life for Nicolette and herself, they courageously move to France.  Unbeknownst to them, they are now in the middle of a war zone as the German army and the start of World War II quickly approaches Paris.  Living with their uncle, Philippe Petain, Christina soon discovers that he is sympathetic to the Germans and has arranged for her to sing for Hitler.  Defiant of his wishes, she joins the French Resistance lead by none other than…the Frenchman, Laurent De Gauvion Saint Cyr.

As members of the resistance, Christina and Nicolette take their virtuous mission of saving infants from concentration camps to heart.  Casting all thoughts of danger aside, they work diligently in their efforts. All is well, until Nicolette is captured.

Now, Christina must call upon all of her resolve to rescue the one person she swore to protect, but will her strength and undying love for her younger sister be strong enough to pull her from the torturous hands of the Nazis?

Author M.L. St. Sure’s, “Evensong”, will have you entranced with her talent of descriptive writing throughout this story. St. Sure truly captures the reality of war and paints vivid pictures of a young girl on the road to adulthood. Hooked from the first page, you will immediately connect with each character and ride together on an emotional roller coaster, laughing one moment and crying the next. A war torn romance, “Evensong”, will live forever in your mind – revealing a true testament to the power of love and the strength to survive.

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(Click Here) TO READ MORE ABOUT M.L.ST.SURE – INTERVIEW PART 1

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(Click Here) TO PURCHASE “EVENSONG”

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Are you interested in getting your BOOK REVIEWED or an AUTHOR INTERVIEW? Click HERE

Guest Preacher: The Right Reverend Jane Holmes Dixon

Please join us March 24th @ 7:30pm for a service of Choral Evensong.

We were very lucky to have Frank Conn with us when we went to join with some local choristers at St John’ for Evensong…as he is a very good photographer! The following two were taken on a miserable wet day, but still have a sparkle about them….. or maybe it is the rainbow colours of choir robes!!

On the Communion Table behind the choir were the Communion vessels allegedly used before the battle of Culloden.

I did something a little unusual last Sunday, for me at least, by going to the Choral Evensong service at St. Mary’s Church in Nottingham. It was by far the most traditional Christian service I’ve been to in some time, but I seem to have been tending that way recently. I arrived about two minutes before start time and was met by a greeter: a tall man, probably in his 60s, with thick grey hair and a friendly face. He looked a little puzzled to see me, and asked quizzically whether I was there for the service. I replied that I was. He looked even more puzzled and passed me a parish newsletter, asking whether I’d been before. I replied that I hadn’t and he directed me to the ‘choir’ (yes, where the choir usually sits, at the front of the church, near the altar) where the service was held, explaining where I should seat myself.

I wandered up the central aisle towards the ‘choir’, and was struck by how huge the church building was. I had been here two weeks before, out of curiosity, to watch the new minister-in-charge of the Nottingham diocese get set in by the local Bishop, in front of a packed house and some media. The scene was somewhat different this time, most of the church was dim lit, and completely empty. It was cavernous. There were around 15 people (at a generous estimate) sat up in the choir (seats) amidst the candle light, waiting for the minister and choir (singers) to arrive. 

No sooner had I sat down, than I had to stand up again for the choir (singers) to enter, all dressed in their funny cassocks and ruffs. The service, as you would expect, was heavily structured – stand up, sit down, face the altar, say this, sing that etc… I followed the older couple next to me for my cues, at least until I figured out there was a pamphlet telling me what to do on the ledge in front of me. It was a *Choral* Evensong, and so most of the service was sung, other than the creed, the Lord’s prayer, Bible readings and other things like that.

The choir was exceptional, and the rich, harmonious depth and complexity of the music really beautiful. The ‘anthem’ (a part towards the end of the service) was a brilliant piece by Bach. I couldn’t help but feel – amidst the traditional music, the candles, the ancient architecture, the old oak fittings – like I was back in the middle ages somewhere. Charles Taylor gives an interesting account of social and ecclesiastical life in the middle ages in his book ‘A Secular Age’. Evensong at St. Mary’s on a Sunday evening seems like it might fit well in that context. And probably for that reason, the whole experience was incredibly transcendentalizing (is that a word?). It facilitated a real sense of separation, rest and respite from the usual frenzy of human existence in the 21st Century. That St. Mary’s is in the heart of Nottingham City Centre only added to my awareness of this contrast between the shallow and lightweight consumer capitalism that saturates everyday modern life, and the thick, heavy sense of reverence and mystery at the Evensong service. In spite of my mild social discomfort at being in a situation I wasn’t familiar with, I still got a strong impression of the ‘otherness’ of the whole thing. It felt good for the soul, invoking peace and stillness, two commodities that cannot properly be bought.

The service was over in about 60 minutes, and the choir filed out. One thing I was struck by was the fact that St. Mary’s has this well-renowned choir which come out every Sunday evening for Evensong, and if that week was anything to go by, they’re met by only about 15 people. In one sense, it seems like a bit of a waste, with numbers dwindling so badly. But in another sense, that’s a stupid thing to say, because it’s obviously not about numbers. 

I wandered out and smiled at the old bloke who had welcomed me. He still looked puzzled that I was even there. He’ll have to get over that, as I’ll probably go back. Admittedly, not being familiar with that kind of thing, I did find it a bit weird at first, and I think a lot of people would find the service boring. But for anyone who is looking for a space for contemplation and quietness in the busyness of things, they could do worse than reaching into this kind of tradition. In our postmodern context, with its renewed search for meaning and depth, I’m not surprised that such tradition-soaked practices seem to br coming back into some sort of vogue.

 On Sunday our Choir ‘Angelus Singers’  went to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ballachulish, at Argyll near famous Glencoe, for the service of Sung Evensong. You can’t miss the Church, in its glorious setting halfway between Glencoe and the Ballachulish Bridge. It has an ancient history with the graveyard of especial historical interest, and they have the Communion Cup and Plate reputedly used by the Jacobites just before Culloden. The building is in some need of restoration, but the beauty is still evident. 

The fact that we were asked made us feel very proud, as the area of course is full of musical choirs, who participate in the Mod Festival, and Gaelic is still extensively spoken.We were supplemented by some local choir members, and a total of  18 singers filled the choir stalls. This allowed us to have a rousing service of well-known hymns, traditional sung responses, collects, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, and Psalm 119 (only a small part!). In addition we had an Introit and Anthem. The performance of the latter, ‘I saw a new heaven’…. was a first performance. Words of the Revelation of St John were the inspiration of this piece, and it is dedicated to the present congregation, and those who have gone before.

The weather was foul, during the two hour  journey both ways, but we all arrived safely. We couldn’t  process from the ‘old church’ (really an old storehouse), to the ‘new church’  (1830’s)  because of the rain and snow.  The  organ then threw a tantrum by ‘ciphering’, when certain stops and notes got stuck and kept on playing! The organist kept her cool and and played well under the circumstances!

An excellent congregation had braved the weather, many from a long distance, and obviously enjoyed the old well-kent words, spoken and sung.
So it was a great event, and shows that many people working together, despite the many problems can produce something bigger than any of us.

How fortunate can anyone get to be in the midst of some of the most wonderful countryside in the world, and sing our hearts out!

On Sunday we joined St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ballachulish, in Argyll, and all the Episcopal Churches in the West Highland Mission,to hold the service of Sung Evensong. You can’t miss the Church, in its glorious setting halfway between Glencoe and the Ballachulish Bridge.It has an ancient history and we were proud to be asked along. The graveyard is of great historical interest, and they have the Communion Cup and Plate reputedly used by the Jacobites just before Culloden. The building is in much need of restoration, but the beauty conceived by the architect still evident. You can find general information about them on the Diocesan website http://www.argyllandtheisles.org.uk/ballachulish.html .

They would welcome any contributions to their fabric fund, so if you would like to make a donation, you can contact them via  the Diocesan website as their current Restoration Appeal website is not operating just now.

Music Details:-

We were pleased to be supplemented by local choir members, and a total of 18 singers filled the choir stalls. This allowed us to have a rousing service of well-known hymns, the traditional sung responses, collects, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, and Psalm 119 (only a small part!). In addition we had an Introit and Anthem.

Introit:- ‘Collect 21′

Hymns:-

• Angel Voices, ever singing 
• Saviour Again to Thy Dear Name we Raise
• The Day Thou Gavest

Psalm: 119 vv 33-40 Double Chant ‘St John’s’

Anthem:- ‘I saw a new heaven’….a first performance. Some of the words of the Revelation of St John were the inspiration of this piece, and if you want some more information on it, you will find it under ‘To compose or not to compose’.

It was wonderful to see a goodly number in the pews who had come from as far as Fort William and Oban. It was evident that many knew the Office and the hymns off by heart and they had little need of the Order of Service.

We would like to thank all those involved in the arrangements, especially the Friends of St John’s, the Rev Donald Davidson, of Kinlochleven, who led the service, Elsa the Organist who had a lot of new, and difficult, music to practise and play on what proved a slightly-temperamental organ. Last but not least, the choristers who helped us raise the roof in this lovely old building!