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Have a great summer break! The pace of work this last term has been relentless, and I'm hugely grateful to you all for the extra efforts so many of you have put in to easing things by practising at home, attending our practices and, especially, for those who came to the early parts' starts to Tuesday practices. Equally, I'm very grateful to those of you who attended the two 'Summer School' evenings to make a start on the new Christmas Mass, which I'm pleased you all liked - Great to see Eddie back! The wine and nibbles seem to make things very happily worthwhile! Now there's the break, and then ..... .....Choir starts back to practices on Tuesday 22nd September. On Tuesday 29th we will start the evening with our annual Mass of Thanksgiving with Father Deo. Then our usual 11:30 Mass on Sunday 4th October, and then Christmas comes into play all over again! Dates List..... Everyone should now have a paper copy. If you don't (lost it?!!!), then please do open and print out the most recent issue from HERE. Please ensure you have 11:30 Mass on Sunday 22nd November firmly in your diaries. It is particularly special this year, as not only is it the great feast of Christ The King, but it is also the feast of St. Cecilia. Accordingly the annual Foundation Mass for The Deceased Members of St. Bartholomew's Choirs will be the intention. It's been a long-standing tradition that the Polyphony Choir sings on Christ the King, and, after the Bishop's recent run of Confirmations on the feast, it's lovely to be singing on the day again. |
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British Choirs on the Net - Chorister Newsletter June 2015...... Click HERE to read. English Arts Chorale at Reigate September 2015...... Click HERE to see their Mozart C Minor Mass Singing Day flyer. The Really Big Chorus...... Thanks to John I am able to pass on news from The Really Big Chorus. The regulars for these events are enjoying a break from Messiah, but there are a couple of indicators for next year that might be tempting........? |
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June's Concert at St. Philip's What an absolutely lovely concert. Weren't the Orchestra just on absolutely top form? I haven't heard them play as well as that for a long time. Well done to Victor Jacob as he comes to the end of his tenure with them. There's a few pictures HERE - courtesy of John White. It is looking possible that we might have a brass quintet from the Orchestra joining us for our Christmas Concert this year - they certainly add a huge tingle factor, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. More when I know. August Holiday Word Search Quite a bit smaller than the Christmas one - have fun with it! Click HERE to download and print out. Answers (by hand, or scanned and by email) by 30th September please. Let me know if you want a paper copy and I'll post it to you. July's Quiz Answer Norbury Brook becomes the River Graveney at Hermitage Bridge, just up the road from the church, in the High Road, beside what used to be The Sussex public house. 'The Sussex' is a name that will bring back many memories for some of us!! A draw needed for the winner next term! Prayers, please..... Please continue to pray for Carole (who, you will all be extremely delighted to learn, wrote on 23rd July "Just back from Oncologist. Lump was low risk hurrah! No chem. No further radio, just Tamoxifen for ten years. Halleluia and Deo Gratias! Thanks for all the prayers"). Anne Mitra and Mary & Frank Elliott remain in need of ongoing prayers, and I continue to ask you also for prayers, please, for a Choir member's Private Intention. Also, please pray for the safe and happy repose of Maria's mother's soul; she sadly passed away on the 20th July. We pray for both Maria and her extended family. Since writing the words to the right, Anne Rowntree has written to say she is 'enjoying' a stay in hospital. She's awaiting a diagnosis, and it, hopefully, doesn't sound too traumatic. Prayers for her also, please. And finally, please remember George, who hopes to be back with us in September. His news continues to be full of his wonderful joie de vivre! |
Choir Party Another fantastic Choir Party - well done to you all! Thanks to Mary C. and Andrew & Richard for the hilarious entertainment, Jane who worked wonders with the organisation and Jeannette for buying-in the necessary liquid refreshments. Thanks to you all for my bottle - a very fine spirit indeed - and the absolutely wonderful, and amazing, spread of food.....
The call for puddings - don't hold back, ladies!
It was lovely to see Anne looking so well,
and we were delighted Freddie was able to attend with her. Well done to Brenda! She's been a faithful, and thoroughly supportive, member of the Choir for a huge number of years, and I'm very grateful to her for all she's quietly done, and continues to do, for the Choir. There's a picture HERE from 1994, 21 years ago! Thanks, Bren! Anne Rowntree Our huge congratulations to Anne Rowntree who celebrated a wonderfully sprightly 80th birthday at the end of June. It was Anne that Father Carolin asked to form a Polyphony Choir at St. Bart's in 1969, and we owe her a huge debt of gratitude for what she achieved over the first twenty plus years of the Choir's life. Without her I wouldn't be here, and, most likely, neither would you!! Jeannette Storace-Rutter I'm sure you'll all join with me in wishing Jeannette and Wilfred our very best wishes as they retire to Malta in early August. Jeannette has attended practices since the very earliest years of the Choir's life, and has sung at most of the major feasts and occasions in the Choir's calendar since. May God bless her. |
For your summer coffee breaks
I guess a number of
you are already members of
The Streatham
Society. Two things struck me when I last looked at their Web
site: An interesting piece in The Spectator of 11th July about sacred music and the liturgy - the complete text of the speech quoted from is available down the page HERE. The Big Freeze of 1963 - remember it? You really don't have to own up publically! The video lasts an hour, but if you just want the historical footage move on to 3:40..... The hottest temperature recorded in the UK for 12 years arguably occurred on the day I typed these words!! 98°F at Heathrow. Brighton 1950-1959 - five minutes of wonderful silent historical footage. English's Restaurant (at 4:30) still exists and is one of my favourite restaurants in Brighton - their Omelette Arnold Bennett is absolutely supreme as a starter... if you're lucky enough to find it on the menu! This man is the Marmite of the organ world! Father Tim Finnigan notes that a Marriage DVD has been sent to all priests in Britain. Kudos to St. Anthony Communications. England last great plague, when a quarter of London's population died. There was a classic period in the 1950s and early 60s when Children's Television (then known as Watch with Mother) was happily predictable, and much loved viewing, from one week to the next: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 21 Mesmerising Photo's of the World's Most Beautiful Churches - as you look at these, have an image in your mind of the often contrasting grey and gloomy exteriors of many of our most lovely churches........... and then click HERE. And finally, to gently start getting you in the mood for next term, a wonderful video of the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge Christmas Carol Service under the direction of Boris Ord from the year I was born! What an absolute delight to hear The Infant King in the programme. |
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One little word this time.... I have been trying to discover at what point during a Catholic Funeral Mass the Eulogy, if there is to be one, should be spoken? After the introductory Sign of the Cross at the beginning of Mass? After the Homily? After the Prayers of Intercession? After Holy Communion? Before the final rites? What's your understanding I wonder? Once again we look at the 2010 edition of the Roman Missal. Surprisingly, perhaps, there is absolutely no mention of a Eulogy.... anywhere. That, in itself, should say all you need to know. No? Okay; so where might we look for Catholic liturgical guidance? The answer is in The Order of Christian Funerals from The Liturgy Office of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, which is available to read HERE. It's a little lengthy, but totally comprehensive. Fortunately Bishop Philip Egan, Bishop of Portsmouth, has provided a very concise document for the priests in his Diocese to make available to the faithful. A couple of double sided A4 pages that don't take too long to read. |
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Previous issues of UPDATE (some images may have expired) -
Oct12
Nov12
Dec12 |
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