Sunday 22 December 2013

In Dulci Jubilo

The candlelit church awaits.

Thank you to the singers and organisers of our Candlelit Carol Concert on Saturday evening.  A full church of people had a splendid experience to prepare us for the celebration of Christmas.  Not only that, but we raised £4,315 for SUROL - working to rehabilitate those suffering from leprosy in Sri Lanka.  This is the adopted charity for the Order of St Lazarus in Great Britain, so thank you for all your generous donations.  



The event was organised by one of our members, Mr Anthony Dickinson, by whose good graces it is that we have such excellent music here in the parish, including the ability to offer Missa Cantata so often and that the Common of the Mass can be sung each Sunday at the Ordinary Form.  The entrance chant sets the tone of Mass, which clearly says that we are here to pray!  


Anthony also sang baritone in the Schola for the Concert.  The two sopranos were Rachael Cotton and Angela Hicks. The counter-tenor, Simon Woof and the bass, Alex Kokotaylo.   Special thanks also to David Scott-Thomas who played the organ and directed the singers.  David is, among a number of hats he wears, the organist at St John's Church, Broughton, near Preston, well known for its excellent musical tradition.



There was a great atmosphere in the church and afterwards as we indulged in the traditional fare of mince pies and mulled wine.

Only Traditional fare - of course!

A clergyman's work is never done!

2 comments:

Chloe said...

Wish I'd been there! You're so blessed to have Anthony.

Chloe

Anonymous said...

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home.
The crazy stable close at hand,
With shaking timber and shifting sand,
Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand
Than the square stones of Rome.

For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay on their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done.
Here we have battle and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour and high surprise,
But our homes are under miraculous skies
Where the yule tale was begun.

A Child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost - how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky's dome.

This world is wild as an old wives' tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.