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WORCESTER CATHEDRAL NEWS Winter/Spring 2019 Inside this issue Chamber Francis Easter Choir 20th Brett Services Anniversary Young Page 9 Page 10 Page 13 Plus, full events calendar and details of regular Cathedral services From the Dean Winter/Spring 2019 This edition will appear in mid- January, which I hope is not too late to Contents wish you a very happy new year. Just what kind of year it will turn out to 3-4 Community News be is of course hard to say. I am writing 5-6 Fundraising these words ahead of the Parliamentary 7 Education vote on the Brexit deal, and by the time you read them, December may seem to 8-9 Music News belong to another era. Whatever the 10-11 Heritage outcome of the political turmoil before and after Christmas, we must continue 12-13 Events Guide to pray that our country may re- 14 Love Worcester discover a sense of common purpose, 15 Arts that those most disadvantaged in our society are not burdened further, and that we may continue to play some useful role in 16 Enterprises building a stable and peaceful Europe. 17 Time for reflection In the life of the Cathedral, 18 Cathedral information we look forward to the outcome “Cathedrals are 19 Donor Sheet of our application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Undercroft very good at 20 Love Worcester Project, and, all being well, we will see the work beginning. commemorating, Editorial Team We look forward to the arrival of but there’s much Susan Macleod, Rebecca Tovey Sam Hudson, our new Director of and Chris Guy Music, in September, and until then to be said for Photography will continue to be blessed by those Chris Guy, Susan Macleod who are maintaining the interim attending to the and others arrangements in our music department. We pray for a good present and the Cover photograph by Chris Guy outcome of the selection process for a new Residentiary Canon. future as well.” Worcester Cathedral News The City Council published a masterplan for the city centre in The Chapter Office, the autumn, with some interesting and imaginative proposals. 8 College Yard, We have been fully engaged in discussion with the Council, not Worcester, WR1 2LA only in respect of those proposals which would directly affect the Telephone: Cathedral, but also in the spirit of wanting the best for all who live 01905 732900 and work in Worcester, and those who visit it. We have applauded Email: parts of the masterplan, expressed reservations about other parts, [email protected] and have strongly encouraged the City to grasp the biggest nettle Website: of all, which is the congestion of traffic. worcestercathedral.co.uk After four years of commemorating the First World War, and the Magna Carta and King John anniversaries before that, we have a Twitter: year without a very significant centenary. Perhaps that’s no bad @WorcCathedral thing. Cathedrals are very good at commemorating, but there’s Facebook: search ‘Worcester Cathedral’ much to be said for attending to the present and the future as well. Instagram: worcestercathedral Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester 2 Worcester Cathedral News Community News New Lay Clerk Director of Music at Clive Letchford Worcester Cathedral has had a great deal of We are delighted to announce the experience as appointment of Samuel Hudson as the a singer, first new organist and Director of Music. Sam as a Lay Clerk has been the Director of Music at at Southwark Blackburn Cathedral since 2011, where Cathedral he is also the Artistic Director of the under Harry Friends of Blackburn Cathedral Music, Bramma, then at Christ Church and he regularly works for the BBC as and New College Oxford. Clive is Organist and Director of the Daily also a lecturer in Latin and Greek Service. The date of when Sam will start at Warwick University. his post is to be confirmed soon. Farewell to Chris New Organ After 27 years of excellent service Chris Filer, our gardener, is Scholar leaving the Cathedral for a new role – he will now be the Head Gardener for St Oswald’s Almshouses. During the restoration of the north east pinnacle on the north east transept Darren Steele, our Master Mason, kindly asked Chris if he would like to have his image carved in stone. He agreed and our stonemasons produced a wonderful image of Chris and fixed it in the area where they were working. So a little message from all your friends in the Service and Works Departments: we know it’s not a gargoyle – it’s you overlooking the Cathedral’s gardens for many years to come. Joshua Roebuck comes from Knaresborough, Hello from the new Gardener! North Yorkshire, where David Whelan’s last appointment was at the he went to school and Blue Coat School in Birmingham and its 16 received his first organ acre estate. There he had the pleasure of lessons in the Parish working on its grounds and gardens whilst Church. studying for the RHS Master of Horticulture Josh is now in his fourth qualification. He hopes to complete this within and final year of study at the next 6 months. David said ‘Worcester Birmingham Cathedral is a massively exciting step for me – the Conservatoire and is idea of being able to contribute to a cathedral so the Organ Scholar of rich in history is truly inspiring, and I look Birmingham Town Hall forward to settling in’. and Symphony Hall. Worcester Cathedral News 3 Community News In Memoriam Ringing bells around Brian Edwards our world Brian was an unassuming man, had a great love of music Mark Regan, Ringing Master amongst other interests, which included photography and There are ringing bells in the British tradition in architecture. He was for twenty Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, years a loyal member of the Kenya, Canada and the United States of America. Cathedral Voluntary Choir, The next Teaching Centre for bellringing, after ours, signing in the bass section. In was built at Adelaide Cathedral. We helped the recent years he also represented Adelaide ringers with their ideas and we did a live the Choir as a member of the Skype link from the ringing room of our own Cathedral Community Council. Cathedral when it was opened. His love of the Cathedral was A few months ago I was asked to judge the annual manifest to those who knew him bellringing contest in the USA, held at the National and his presence amongst the Cathedral in Washington on Saturday 13 October. Choir will be sadly missed. I arrived in Washington in glorious autumn sunshine. On Friday a day’s sightseeing was followed by ringing Kate Platt at the Old Post Office - now a Trump Hotel. Eight Kate, a kind and generous lady, teams from six centres took part in the contest. Despite died on 9th December 2018. all the political intrigue in the Capitol, five news She will be missed by Cathedral channels covered the story and interviewed some of staff and her fellow welcomers the contestants and me. The Washington Post also who she had volunteered published a long article about the contest. alongside since December 2010. The contest was won by the home team and the Kate, an Associate of the Royal results were given in a nearby restaurant. Photographic Society, lead the Bellringers are always convivial and our judging of the Cathedral’s international friendships are important. annual Photographic The American bellringers hold Competition. Worcester Cathedral in high regard. 2020 sees the 400th anniversary of Colin Richardson the sailing of the Mayflower. The Colin sadly passed away on Cathedral bellringers are planning a 30th December 2018, began ‘pilgrimage’ to Boston, New York volunteering at the Cathedral and Washington and we have in April 2009 as a Welcomer and invited the North American Guide. Later he became a bellringers to visit Worcester. Voluntary Verger. As a Verger Washington Cathedral he took particular responsibilities was damaged by an for the Wednesday lunchtime earthquake in 2011. Eucharist and encouraging Their restoration visitors to join. Colin’s presence, appeal needs to his methodical way he went raise $34,000,000. about his duties and his quick sense of humour will be greatly missed. National Cathedral Washington 4 Worcester Cathedral News Fundraising Creative Garden Community craft project The Creative Garden community craft project Throughout the year 2200 hand crafted has been an incredible experience for all who flowers and small knitted figures plus over 300 took part. Led by Ann Blackwell, Education poppies were exhibited on a beautiful pergola Department volunteer, and Julie Smith of the constructed by the Cathedral service team and Cathedral shop, the project not only created a by the WWI memorial windows. Items were beautiful splash of colour in the Cloister, but also knitted, felted and crocheted by crafters in raised £1,552 for the Undercroft Learning Centre. Worcestershire and beyond, and a number of organisations took part, including the NHS and St. Richard’s Hospice. The project team were interviewed by BBC Hereford & Worcester, and the project culminated in the sale of the products at the Christmas Fayre in the Cloister. Our thanks go to all who contributed in any way to the project, whether by knitting, volunteering or buying flowers. It is wonderful to know that the project will leave a lasting legacy in the form of a Cathedral Knit and Natter social group. Education department volunteers Ann and Sue manning the Creative Garden Stall Flowers in the Cathedral Mel Weston, Cathedral Flower Guild At times it does feel as though we are constantly being asked to contribute towards one worthy cause after another, doesn’t it? Luckily the Cathedral Flower Guild has been extremely fortunate recently to have been gifted funds towards the annual costs of providing beautiful arrangements within the Cathedral.