St Giles’ Cathedral: The High Kirk of

St Giles’ News

July 2018

St Giles’ Cathedral is a registered Scottish charity SC003565

Welcome to the July edition When I finished compiling the last news- A Summer Message letter in April, I wondered where I could possibly find fresh material for this from the edition. Now, some three months later, I have found myself in the very difficult situation of trying to find space for all the articles and reports that have been sent to me. Indeed, this is the first time that our newsletter has gone to press Friends without all the submissions being included, simply be-

Welcome to this latest instalment of the St. Giles’ newsletter and my thanks cause I ran out of space. This situation has largely impact- ed upon the Neighbourhood Group with whom I am other- again to all who have contributed to it and produced it. wise very involved. I therefore apologise sincerely to them As the summer gets into high gear and we are enjoying this (rare) spell of good and promise to make up for this omission in the next edi- weather, the cathedral welcomes visitors from around the globe and holds the tion in October. sacredness of the space in its Daily Service of reading and prayers at noon. I always include the reading of the psalm set for the day. I am particularly grateful to Mark, our Session Clerk, and the ‘senior’ members of the Session for their comprehen- John Donne once preached that, “The Psalms are the manna of the church,” sive reports. These excellent communications are very referring to the miraculous bread which God provides to feed the children of helpful. So, as Editor, I derive considerable pleasure from Israel during their desert wandering. It is a beautiful image to reflect upon – the sense that God has provided us with spiritual sustenance for our journey being able to pass on so much information which I know of faith in the form of the psalms. The history of the place of the psalms in the from feedback is greatly welcomed. daily worship of the Church and our regular singing of the metrical psalms at It is inevitable that this edition should ‘major’ on the Gen- St. Giles’ would attest to the truth of Donne’s claim. eral Assembly and the wider church and I am very grateful In psalm 147 some of the richness of the content of these love poems to God to Derek Browning for so willingly contributing his article can be seen. The image of God in this psalm (one of my favourites!) is of God about his year as Moderator. who acts with mercy toward his creation. This mercy is seen in both a personal and a cosmic sense. In v. 3 God is praised because God ‘heals the broken- In addition there are many other people who have contrib- hearted/ and binds up their wounds.’ And in the very next verse God is praised uted articles about themselves and the work they under- take in support of St Giles’ and the wider church. And the for God ‘determines the number of stars;/ he gives to all of them their names.’ amazing thing is that nearly all in some way have a close The quality of mercy is one which we often overlook in reflecting on our rela- connection to St Giles’. tionship with God. The poet Denise Levertov offers a corrective to that as she recognizes mercy as a powerful aspect of God’s love – pulsating, life-giving, When you fulfil this task you get a real understanding of cleansing: the sheer extent of the activity undertaken in the name of St Giles’ by so many different people and groups. It all To live in the mercy of God. makes me feel incredibly proud of being part of such an To feel vibrate the enraptured amazing ‘team’ and thereby giving me the opportunity of using this newsletter to pass on as much information as waterfall flinging itself down space will allow. unabating down and down…. Simon Bolam, Editor

Thus not mild, not temperate, Data Protection God’s love for the world. We take our responsibilities with regard to the correct use of emails very Blessings, seriously. However being able to keep people informed of our activities by email saves printing, stationery and postal costs If you are not already receiv- ing your copy of the Newsletter and other selected information by email then we would welcome your permission to do so by emailing [email protected] Calum Equally if you would rather we stopped contacting you by email then please let us know. Page 1

Index Our Shop Page 1 Message from the Minister & Welcome Some of the exciting offers

Page 2 Index, Forward Dates & Our Shop Irina Vettraino—Retail Manager In this article I would like to tell you about some Pages 3—4 Family Matters of our bespoke new products. Being one of many souvenir shops in the High Pages 5—6 News from the Session Street, we try to stand out by selecting different products and producing bespoke unique goods. Irina Page 7 Report from Presbytery Elder The latest development is the new St Giles’ Pages 8—9 General Assembly Report card. It was made in collaboration with artist Pages 10—11 A year in the life of a Moderator Ann Oram. She kindly gave us permission to use her painting “St Giles, Noc- Page 11 Cathedral Choir Fringe Concerts turne”. Susan Mair, the member of the shop staff, Page 12 Stuart Ritchie says farewell who attended the artist’s exhibition, brought the paint- Page12 Refugee Welcoming Project ing to our attention. We are expecting the stock of the new Christmas cards to arrive in the Page 13 Spring Garden Party shop by the end of July. A large number of tourists visit the beautiful Pages 14—15 Our man & woman in Palestine & Israel every day. The Angel, playing Pages 15 The Choir do more than sing! the bagpipes, is one of the famous features of the Chapel. Not exactly new, but always proving to be very popular products, we have Pages 16—17 The reflections of an Army Chaplain developed a range of ‘Angel replicas’ in origi- Page 18 Marvel’s Avengers & a happy wedding nal and smaller sizes and also as fridge mag- nets. Page 19 6VT Edinburgh City Youth Café Our next new product is the St Giles’ Charm Droplet Keyring. It consists of two images of Page 20 Contact details St Giles’ Cathedral, graphic and actual, and a further one con- taining the St Giles’ tartan. We hope that this bespoke product will be popular among the customers. Dates for the diary The etched Brass Bookmark of St Giles’ Ca- thedral is another product made especially for Sunday, 5 August–St Giles’ 11.30am us. It has St’ Giles logo on it, as well as a Edinburgh International Festival Service graphic image of the cathedral. Friday, 10 August—St Giles’ 8.00pm The St Giles’ Roundel continues the Christmas Cathedral Choir Fringe Concert—’Coral Classics’. See Page 11 theme of bespoke products. It has already proved to be popular among Saturday, 18 August—St Giles’ 9.00pm our customers. Cathedral Choir Fringe Concert—’Hollywood Glamour’. See Most of these goods are Page 11. small and light and any one Tuesday, 11 September—St Giles’ could be a a nice present for somebody or a perfect souvenir for a tourist. Exhibition 50th Anniversary of Women’s Ordination opens. We try to apply the image of St Giles’ cathedral Wednesday, 26 September—Lower Aisle 7.30pm—9.00pm on a variety of goods, to interest customers of Faith in Poetry Group. Led by the Rev Helen Alexander different age groups and countries. Do come to our shop and have a look around Music at St Giles’ and perhaps you will find something to your liking. No need to remind you that all the profits from the shop Throughout the next three months there is an extensive, varied and exciting go towards the maintenance of the cathedral—and by buying our programme of music being performed within the Cathedral. For full details beautiful products, you help to keep St Giles’ functioning and please visit www.stgilescathedral.org.uk open to the public.

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Family matters

A message from Helen MARK OAKLEY’S VISIT

We were delighted to welcome The Rev Mark Oakley to St Giles’ for the weekend of 21st and 22nd April. At the time of his visit Mark was Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral London.

Mark Oakley Mark has a great interest in the capacity of poetry to open up windows in the imagination and to be a creative companion in the journey of faith as our Poetry group has found in its use of Mark’s recent anthology The Splash of Words: Believing in Poetry. There was a good turn out for Mark’s conversation with me on the Saturday evening, and we were glad to have him as preacher at the 11.30 service on Sunday 22nd. Mark has recently been appointed Dean of Chapel, St John’s College Cambridge and we wish him very well.

The Faith in Poetry Group will next meet on Wednesday 26th September from 7.30 – 9pm in the Lower Aisle.

The Rev Helen Alexander

Getting to know Nancy - one of our monthly ministers

Rev Nancy Norman introduces herself to us

‘Attend a service in St Giles’ Cathedral’ -- one among a dozen suggestions from my history professor, a Scot, for my first visit to in the summer of 1972. I did. ‘Magnificent’ is the word I jotted on the order of service kept from that day to this. Everything about it so unlike my family’s church in Richmond, Virginia, and the impression remains with me still: dignified; unhurried; ancient; light and height and echo and space; scarlet-gowned choir; Nancy Norman metrical psalms and paraphrases; Scottish accents; John Mason Neale’s translation of the Latin ‘Christ is made the sure foundation’ sung to the tune Westminster Abbey; and more impressions of that occasion that I don’t have words for. In five years’ time that place of indefinable things would become a daily pattern when I began work as the Minister’s Assistant for Congregational Co-ordination and Programme in 1977, the qual- ifications for which were to be an American, theologically trained and not an ordained minister. Nearly six years in that post, working alongside the minister and elders and the congregation, was and still is cause for gratitude -- gratitude not least for friendship and inspiration -- and astonishment that the invitation came my way at all. Being in St Giles’ was followed by nearly a year’s chaplaincy in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. I highlight these two experiences because they were formative in my thinking, convincing me that parish-based ministry is the ’s strength, and spurring me towards becoming a candidate for the ministry. From the city to the countryside I moved in 1988, to be or- dained in Peebles to work as Associate Minister in the triple-linked charge of Eddleston, Lyne & Manor, and Peebles Old, and then continuing as minister of the independent charge of Lyne & Manor. Retirement in 2012 has not meant retirement, with one Locum opportunity after another being offered -- even from a small local sample a good indication of how many Church of Scotland parishes are without a minister. But the past six years have opened new and welcome and refreshing windows on parishes previously unfamiliar to me -- Upper Clyde first, then Douglas & Rigside -- and now, nearer to home, the parish of Carlops, Kirkurd, Newlands and West Linton. And now, returning to St Giles’ but in an entirely different capacity, as an ordained minister, is as unexpected as the original invitation in 1977. To have been on the edge of the transformation of the building and its worship, as an observer over these forty years, has been and continues to be an incalculable privilege.

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Family matters continued The Neighbourhood Group welcomes its new Convener

William Taylor introduces himself to us

As many of you may be aware, Stuart Ritchie is moving away from Edinburgh and consequently has decided to step down from his role as the Convenor of the Neighbourhood Group. We thank him hugely for his work as Convenor and his longstanding contribution to the Group, and while we are very sad to see him leave us, we wish him and Elisabeth all the very best for their new life in Dunbar; it’s not too far away so we hope to see them again from time to time. William Taylor My name is William Taylor and you might perhaps recognise me as the tall skinny tenor you see most Sundays! Remarkably, I have been given the opportunity to take up the mantle from Stuart. I am keenly aware that while I know the faces of so many members of St. Giles’, I rarely know the names. For this reason - amongst many others - I feel incredibly privileged to be taking on this role and hope to change the name-to-face ratio! Please help me with this by say- ing hello, but also please do get in touch if you have any ideas, suggestions, comments, complaints(!) or thoughts about the work of the Neighbourhood Group. My contact details are shown on Page 20.

For those of you who don’t know me, I have been singing in St. Giles’ for just over ten years now since moving to Edinburgh to pursue a PhD in Astronomy at the Observatory on Blackford Hill – another venerable Edinburgh Institution, albeit a few centuries younger than St. Giles’! I have been lucky enough to stay at the Observatory after completing my studies and now work there as a Project Scientist. This sees me researching some of the most massive stars in our local Universe, but also “assisting” engineers, who are building the most remarkable equipment to be shipped to telescopes all around the world. Whilst creating these things they require a pet scientist em- bedded in the project that they can poke occasionally, a role I am happy to fulfil. As the picture shows, they even let me sometimes use some equipment for observing

Shortly after moving here, I was joined by then partner, now wife, Rachael, who was completing her undergraduate studies elsewhere. Rachael also sings in the choir and may even be familiar to some of you from a brief stint in the Cathedral Café shortly after arriving in Edinburgh; before she went on to follow a career in Media Monitoring. We both grew up learning to sing in a different nation’s National Cathedral; St. Davids, Britain’s smallest city in Westernmost Wales. Edinburgh has very much become our home though now, and a huge part of that has been St. Giles’, which we both feel is a major part of our lives. As I said at the outset, I am terribly grateful for the chance to take on this role and hopefully to learn more about St. Giles’ and its congregation.

Sarah Phemister—Head of Heritage and Culture Sarah tells us about her responsibilities at St Giles’ and her busy life as a wife and mum

I have been at St Giles’ since January 2013, but have lived in Scotland on and off since 2006. Originally hailing from the North East of England, I have many happy memories of trips to Edinburgh as a child, partic- ularly of the High Street, so it feels very special to now be working in one of the most iconic buildings on the Mile. I moved up to Edinburgh to attend the , completing my MA (Hons) in History of Art in Sarah Phemister 2010. During that time, I worked in contemporary art venues in the city, and after graduation I went on to complete my MA at the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Dur- ing this period I worked at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, where I was fortunate enough to work on the community engagement strategy for the Turner Prize.This was the first time the Turner Prize had ever been held outside of London and it was a great opportunity to work on such a major project. I was in my element travelling around the North East getting people talking about art and engaging them with what can sometimes seem like an elitist environment. After a detour to London and a spell at the National Portrait Gallery, I made my way back to Edinburgh as my husband began work on his PhD. The opportunity at St Giles’ allowed me to use my skills in a totally new setting and I was ready for a different challenge. I have always felt very comfortable and at home in church; being a child of a mixed marriage, I spent lots of my childhood attending both mass and Church of England services. You may be wondering how someone who spent the first part of her career working almost exclusively with contemporary art found her way to St Giles’, but while the distance between these two contexts may seem broad, it is what they have in common that I find so exciting. At their best, both are thought-provoking spaces, helping us to confront and explore big ideas, and engaging with our past and present. Providing this experience for our visitors, is by far the most rewarding part of my job. Day to day, my role involves managing the building as a heritage site and a space for visitors. This includes facilitating groups, oversee- ing our varied lunchtime music programme, organising exhibitions and events, as well as a whole range of weird and wonderful associ- ated projects (one of which I believe you can hear more about in another article in this issue). Of course, none of this would be possible without our wonderful and enthusiastic team of volunteers, who make sure that every visitor has a positive and memorable experience at St Giles! On the odd occasion I can’t be found in the Cathedral, I live on the Southside of Edinburgh, with my husband Andrew (who is also a his- torian, so you can guess what our dinner table conversations are like!) and our two children, Norah and Brodie (who love St Giles’ and proudly shout ‘There’s Mammy’s Cathedral’ every time the crown comes into view!) alongside our dog Connolly, the Dalmatian. The great thing about working in St Giles’, as cliched as it sounds, is that every day is different, each one bringing its own challenges and triumphs, and we share them all as one big team. There is a great sense of camaraderie and support among all involved. I love working with each and every one of them!

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News from the Session

FROM THE SESSION CLERK—MARK BATHO Summer, and we welcome even more visitors than usual at St Giles’, both at our services and in their Mark Batho many thousands during the week. People come into the Cathedral for all sorts of reasons – to escape the rain (or, this summer, the sun!), to absorb the history and architecture, to attend a concert, to find a place of peace, contemplation or prayer and, of course, worship. And I believe that we make our visitors welcome. During the week, that responsibility falls heavily on our superb Heritage and Culture team, on our Beadles, and on the staff in the shop and the café. Many of us who come to the Cathedral mainly on a Sunday see little of that work. But it’s been my privilege over recent months to get to know more about the great work that goes on. During that time, I’ve been part of a small group that has been set up, comprising both Elders and other members of the congregation, to take a close look at how we can restore the Cathedral to financial sustainability. The work of those who welcome our 1.3 million annual visitors is critical to that and as we’ve engaged with them, I’ve realised more and more how lucky we are to have such professional and committed people working at St Giles’. They have given us great insight into the op- portunities that there are further to develop our visitor welcome and our Task Group has found this input to be of enor- mous value. The Group is currently looking at a number of options that have emerged from these discussions and will be reporting back to the Kirk Session and to the congregation over the coming few months. Another function of the Cathedral, over many centuries, has been to host state and civic occasions and this continues. At the beginning of July, we once again had a ‘Thistle Service’ to mark, in the presence of Her Majesty and other mem- bers of the Royal Family, the inauguration of two new Knights of the Thistle, the Duke of Buccleuch and Sir Ian Wood. It was, of course, a St Giles’ occasion at its best, marked by dignified worship, wonderful music and, of course, splendid pomp and ceremony. A few weeks before that, there was another marvellous service to mark the centenary of the RAF with the Cathedral again providing a fitting backdrop for this moment of commemoration. The welcoming of many thousands of visitors or the marking of great occasions are just two aspects of what makes St Giles’ what it is – a place that people find right and appropriate to visit, whatever their motivations. The St Giles’ community that offers such a wel- come is a diverse one, be it the dedicated staff, our Ministers, the congrega- tion, the musicians. And all contribute to a unique presence and offering in the heart of our busy city, for which we should all offer our thanks and grati- tude to God.

FROM THE TREASURER

At the time of writing, I am preparing to present the annual accounts for 2017, which were ap- proved by the Kirk Session in June, to the Congregational Meeting on 15 July 2018.

In reading the Annual Accounts of St Giles’, it has to be remembered that they are consolidated accounts, that is to say, they include all aspects of the finances relating to St Giles’, including the Renewal Appeal Trust. They also cover both restricted funds, which may be applied only for a specified purpose, and unrestricted funds, available to cover any legitimate expenditure. At the end of each year, we review our expenditure for that year, and decide what items of expenditure John Robertson can legitimately be met from the various restricted funds. A decision is then taken as to what transfers can be and prudently should be made from these restricted funds to our unrestricted funds to cover the qualifying expenditure.

In 2016, the unrestricted funds of the Cathedral benefited from the considerable generosity of one of our deceased members, in the form of a legacy of over £140,000. No legacy was re- ceived in 2017, but the Cathedral did receive a payment of over £55,000 for use made of the building by a major American film studio. Such extraordinary receipts are welcome, but come very infrequently. Disregarding paper gains on investments, there was in 2017 a deficit on the unrestricted funds of the Cathedral, before transfers from special funds, of £12,676. £28,244 was transferred from restricted funds to cover qualifying expenditure, resulting in an overall sur- plus on the unrestricted funds of £15,568. I said last year that the financial position of the Ca- thedral was precarious. That remains true, but in 2017 it has not deteriorated further. Continued next page

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Treasurer’s Report continued Looking behind these overall figures, non-gift-aided congregational giving and donations in 2017 were broadly similar to 2016, but gift-aided donations were noticeably lower. Visitor income, excluding the shop, was a little higher. The perfor- mance of the shop was, once again, excellent, improving even on the good results of 2016. Rents received were higher, largely due to a rent review on one lease coming into effect. Overall, the ordinary running expenses of the Cathedral were a little higher than in 2016. With the assistance of the Presbytery, we cleared the outstanding shortfall on our 2015 Min- istries and Mission contribution, but, having regard to the continued weakness of our unrestricted reserves – standing at the end of 2017 at a little under two months’ normal expenditure – we have not met our 2017 contribution in full.

I anticipate that things will be much more difficult in 2018. It seems over- optimistic to expect that there will be any significant increase in congregational giving. While I hope that our Heritage and Culture team will manage to increase voluntary income from tourist visitors, and I know that they are doing their best to this end, there is no guarantee that they will succeed. I am not expecting any large amounts of extraordinary income, although one modest legacy has been received. What does seem certain is that our running costs will be significantly higher. While that may mean that we can legitimately transfer a much higher sum from special funds, there is a real likelihood that, even after such transfers,

there will be a substantial deficit on unrestricted funds.

The difficulty we have is that we cannot easily find ways to cut our costs without either losing income as a result or radi- cally changing, and diminishing, worship in St Giles’. If, therefore, we are to make a substantial improvement in our finan- cial position, we have to find ways of substantially increasing our regular income. That is the challenge we face, now and

in 2019.

John P Robertson

FROM THE CONVENER OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE Looking after St Giles’ in 2018

Since my last article, the General Committee has continued to provide governance and support to the operation of the Cathedral ensuring that the fabric is maintained to the highest level for all that worship and visit this remarkable and complex building. The committee is presently working on several matters to address the operational efficiency of the Ca- John Andrew thedral including storage, improvements to the IT network and the installation of a new telephone sys- tem for staff and volunteers. The lack of space for storage has been a concern for some time and the committee is now addressing this with the construction of units in the loft above the North Door Porch. This will provide a discrete solution for much of the material that we require to retain for use in the Cathedral during services throughout the year and importantly will provide protective storage for the range banners that hang in the Sanctuary. Works to construct these units will commence shortly. A new IT network was installed throughout the Cathedral in the past year as part of the new sound system and has provided an improved capability for our staff. As the final part of the system we are now installing an improved broadband connection that is required to support the systems we operate throughout the building, this will also allow an improved telephone system to be completed. Other works the committee is responsible for include the external stonework of the Cathedral. You may be aware of the graffiti

that appearedStephen Preston some weeks ago on the east elevation opposite the Mercat Cross. Following extensive trials of techniques to remove this without damage to the stonework, a solution has now been identi- fied and works, to carefully remove the paint, will be undertaken in early course. Health, Safety and Welfare is also a significant part of the work of the committee and I am pleased to report that we have installed an Emergency Defibrillator in the North Porch as part of our First Aid Pro- cedures. The Beadles and Staff have all received comprehensive First Aid training that includes the use of the Defibrillator and this will provide additional emergency support should this be required. Please be aware of this and if emergency action is required the point of contact will be one of the Bea- dles in the first instance. I will continue to provide further updates in future editions of the St Giles’ News and will be pleased to discuss the work of the committee in person should further information be required. John M Andrew

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FROM PRESBYTERY

A report from our Presbytery Elder, Gary Winney———

——outlining the structure and function of our Presbytery The Presbytery of Edinburgh is one of the forty-six presbyteries of the Church of Scotland, being the local presbytery for Edinburgh. Its boundary is almost identi- Gary Winney cal to that of the City of Edinburgh Council area (i.e. also including Kirkliston and South Queensferry).

The Presbytery aims to provide a central point for information on Church of Scotland Edinburgh Presbytery, representing Edinburgh churches and church committees. Presbytery is the gathered life of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its work is part of the ecumenical Christian witness in the city of Edinburgh. Its offices are based at 10 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AA—Phone 0131 225 9137.

The Presbytery Officials are: 1.The Moderator is an annual appointment made by the Business Committee. The Moderator to whom the Presbytery Offi- Iain in action cials report is in charge overall. The Moderator must be an active member of Presbytery but does not necessarily need to be a minister, deacon or an elder. 2.The Presbytery Clerk who is responsible for the smooth running of Presbytery and supports the Ministers, Deacons and Congregations throughout the City of Edinburgh. 3. The Depute Presbytery Clerk who supports the Presbytery Clerk to ensure the smooth running of the Presbytery. 4.The Presbytery Secretary who is responsible for the day to day administrative management of the Presbytery Office. 5. The Presbytery Treasurer who deals with finance and Presbytery accounts. 6. The Communications Co-ordinator who deals with all Presbytery communications including website, social media and newsletters. 7. The Presbytery Officer is akin to a Beadle but has specific responsibilities to ensure Presbytery meetings, inductions and ordinations run smoothly as well as leading delegations and dignitaries into Presbytery meetings. There are approximately 500 members of Presbytery comprising,Mark Oakley Ministers, Deacons, Elders, Candidates for Ministry, Readers, Parish Ministers, Chaplains to Army, Hospitals, Prisons, Schools, Workplaces, Universities and also Retired Minis- ters. The main business of Presbytery is carried out by fifteen Standing Committees who report to the Business Committee. Once approved the Conveners of the Committees report to the Presbytery meeting and, where required, seek approval from that body. In future submissions to the St. Giles News I will endeavour to in- form you about the remits and delegated powers of these commit- tees. I hope that this will have given you a better insight to the workings of the Presbytery in which St Giles’ plays an active and important role.

The next meeting of Presbytery is on 4th September at 7pm in .

Christian Aid Week

Duncan Watson continues to manage the Cathedral’s relationship with Christian Aid. His con- tact details are outlined on Page 20.

Retiring collections during Christian Aid Week, 13—19 May, raised £735. Money raised by the congregation from collecting boxes and bottles totalled a further £376. After accounting for Gift Aid, the total sum raised during the week is expected to be around £1,297.

Due to a number of personal circumstances and commitments, it was not possible for St Giles’ to undertake the usual house-to- house collection that takes place in the Duddingston area, this year. Given the ongoing challenge of recruiting people to partici- pate in this activity, it is also unlikely that it will be possible to do house-to-house collections in future years. Consideration is therefore being given to finding alternative ways of raising funds for Christian Aid.

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The General Assembly, 19-25 May 2018

This report has very kindly been prepared by Lindsay Sawyer, an Elder and member of our Session.

Lindsay attended this year’s General Assembly as a Commissioner

It was both a privilege and a pleasure to be appointed to represent St Giles’ at this year’s Assembly. What follows is of necessity a personal view of the proceedings and will present only some of the topics covered during the six days of deliberation. Some of the more general impressions might be where to start. Each morning began with a short service, that on the Monday being a celebration of Holy Communion. The unac- companied singing led by the Precentor was particularly moving but so too was the reading in Gaelic by two young folk who appeared quite at ease at what must have seemed pretty daunting. The Moderator’s reflections were short, to the point and on various aspects of the general theme of this year’s Assembly: Lindsay Sawyer Peace be with You. The various Councils and Committees of the Church each present a report, introduced by its convener and then the deliverances are debated and approved or amended. Additional deliverances may also be considered and approved or defeated.

The Assembly’s first session dealt with the election of the new Moderator, the Rt. Rev. Susan Brown from Dornoch (and an assistant in St Giles’ in the early 1980s), the reading of the letter from the Queen, the address by the Lord High Commissioner, this year, the Duke of Buccleuch, and the address by the retiring Moderator, the Very Rev. Derek Brown- ing (Morningside) which focused on the building of bridges throughout the world and not just the , the opening of which he blessed! Representatives were received from other denominations throughout the world although, sadly, no delegate came from the Presbyterian Church of Northern Ireland. The first real business of the Assembly was the Report by the Legal Questions Committee which is responsible for producing the legislation by which the Kirk is governed. As well as a fair amount of dotting ‘i’s and crossing ‘t’s, this year after an amendment was debated, the committee was instructed to bring forward legislation permitting ministers who wish to do so, to conduct same-sex marriages but only if there are satisfactory safeguards for those who refuse to be involved. The Report of the Council of Assembly produced signifi- cantly more fireworks than was intended, and indeed expected, by its convener. The As- sembly Council had produced a strategic plan for the Kirk as a glossy publication which consisted of laudable aims but lacking in significant real substance. Assembly gave it a hearty thumbs down such that consideration of 6 deliverances had to be de- ferred until later in the week. The problem, it was felt with falling numbers of both members and clergy, was that the Church was in crisis and concrete proposals for its future needed to be put in place sooner rather than later. Later in the week, the Council was instructed, inter alia, to bring to next year’s Assembly details of a much more radical approach to make the Church structure ‘lean and fit for purpose to lead reform’. The Assembly Council will also consider the future of the Church Offices at 121 George Street in 2019 after receiving a detailed assessment of each of the possible plans: basic repair and maintenance, refurbishment or relocation. Ministries Council presented a lengthy report with some 32 deliverances several of which dealt with the passing of acts or regulations, some of which were for noting and several were instructions to consider such things as ‘hub-style ministries’ in response to the falling numbers of ministers espe- cially in rural areas, or to ‘create a clear definition of ministry’. Several amendments were passed including one on the conduct of funerals in Scotland where information between the bereaved, the The Southside Choir undertaker and the local parish minister is often inaccurate or even wrong – the Church of Scotland offers to conduct a Christian funeral service, free of charge, for any person in Scotland. A pleasant interlude in this report was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ordination of women to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament which followed a march up the Mound by some 500 people, not all female! Margaret Forrester (retired minister of St Michael’s Slateford) recalled the significant hurdles that needed to be overcome in order to convince the Assembly that it was high time to move forward.

The Church and Society Council report was also quite long and covered several broad themes. A deliverance urging the Church to disinvest from companies that didn’t sign up to the Paris Agreement was amended to one that would maintain shareholder

dialogue with such companies rather than being unable to do so.

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There were calls to the governments of Scotland and/or the UK to ensure fair settlement after Brexit, to ensure the health and well-being of individuals as images of the living God, to safeguard the rights of non-UK citizens living in Scotland, to restore housing benefit for under 25s, and to regret the lack of response to tragic events overseas such as the recent killing of 110 people in Gaza. The Thursday morning began with the report of the Committee on Chaplains to HM Forces, which was both complimentary to the hard work done in all Services and sought to allay the fears of ‘second class ministry’ engendered by a recent change to the terms of Church of Scotland ministry. The chief army officer in Scotland also addressed the Assembly, empha- sizing the essential role played by the chaplains to all three services.

The Theological Forum reported on its consideration of children at Com- munion and was instructed to consider the place of what used to be called confirmation in today’s Church. A Presbytery can present an overture to the Assembly concerning some matter that it considers important. Melrose and Peebles Presbytery presented one on the place of the 17th century Westminster Confession in today’s Church of Scotland. As a result, the Assembly instructed the Forum to consider the whole matter of the Westminster Confession as a subordinate standard to the Bible in the theology of the Church of Scotland. I have chosen to highlight only some of the reports and discussions as most interesting to me. As ever, there is a list of Remits from the General Assembly sent to Presbytery, some of which will be forwarded to individual Kirk Sessions for discussion, approval or action. The booklet, all 50 pages, can be seen at http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/ pdf_file/0017/51704/General_Assembly_Remits_booklet_2018.pdf . Away from the main business, there were frequent breaks during which it was possible to chat to other commissioners, visit a series of stalls selling books or promoting a variety of things from retreats to clerical outfits. During lunch breaks there were small meetings, some in New College, others in nearby places like the Quaker Meeting House, on a range of topics both spiritu- al and temporal like ministers’ pensions!

Overall, I was struck by the quality of the debating (for the most part), for the good man- ners shown by speakers to those taking the opposing view and the considerable amount of laughter with which the business was conducted. The Moderator kept things going efficiently with but the lightest of touches and speakers came to their point without too much circumlocution – mostly! I also sat in awe of the series of sign language interpret- ers who provided simultaneous translation of what was being said with efficiency and skill in what must be rather more esoteric than normal: how often does ‘ecclesiology’ crop up in everyday conversation?

Facts that you really should know about ……………….!!

• In 1736 Roderick Chalmers, a herald painter during the reign of George II, was responsible for painting the Royal that sits high above the chancel and is very visible for those seat- ed at the East End of the Cathedral. His fee was £5!

• At the same point in history, it is asserted that Edinburgh Council was spending relatively low sums of money on maintaining its growing number of churches and that in some years the cost of bread and wine for communion exceeded the expenditure on building repairs.

………………..and a moment of reflection

“Almighty and ever living God, hear us as we ask thy blessing on this ancient church of St Giles’ and those that worship here week by week; grant wisdom we pray thee to our parliament and guide our country in a time of many changes. And look with mercy on people everywhere who suffer privation or hunger, persecution or war, sickness or death. We place ourselves in thy hand, O Lord our God, and we pray together as our Saviour taught us”—(followed by the Lord’s Prayer)

Spoken by Calum, from the order of Service, held in in the presence of HM The Queen to mark the installation of the Duke of Buccleuch and Sir Ian Wood as Knights of the Thistle on Friday, 6 July 2018.

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A year in the life of a Moderator

The Right Reverend Dr Derek Browning - 2017 –2018

People have been asking me how I feel now that I have complet- ed my year as Moderator of the General Assembly. The word that has come to me consistently is ‘thankful’. I’ve been astonished looking back over the year just how much I was enabled to cram into it, and remain inordinately grateful to the many people who helped and supported me along the way. Included in that gratitude is the congregation of St Giles’ that allowed me not only to enjoy the privilege of preaching and shar- ing in worship, but more importantly making it possible for me to slip in relatively anonymously to sit ‘in the pews’ and be ministered to on occasional Sundays. I Rt Rev Derek Browning am extremely grateful. The broad theme that I chose for my year was “Hospitality.” If we are in a position of privilege it is better to build a longer table than a higher wall. This remains a challenge to the Church both as an institution as well as to the individuals who make up the Church. Amongst the many privileges of being Moderator is to engage with the Church and wider faith communities at local, national and international levels. What does hospital- ity look like in those arenas? Are we, in reality, living a hospitable faith? I pick a few

out of many encounters. At a local level I have powerful memories of the in Anstruther. Now called St Ayle, the church had been struggling. A Circa17th century building, it was restricted inside by pews, had no adjacent hall, and was completely surrounded by a graveyard. Church members wanted to engage. They set up a foodbank, but few people came because of the location in the church. With a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and some bumps along the road, the inside of the church was redesigned, pews removed, flexible seating in- stalled, and a more usable space created. But still nobody came. A visionary manager was appointed. A café was set up where home baking, tea and coffee was provided free orIrina for Vettraino a small donation. It was realised that those the Church was trying to help had no access to telephones and computers, which made difficulties in making job centre appointments, doctors’ appointments and interviews. Two computers with free Internet access and a telephone were provided. People started coming. Volunteers talked to visitors. The local secondary school got involved. People with no church connection found their way into the church, and found hospitality. At a national level I had a meeting in London with the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis. Relations between the Jewish communi- ty and the Church of Scotland have been tense for a number of years but through hard work, dialogue and simply meeting face to face in a variety of contexts, the situation is so much better, even if there is still some way to go. As we sat in his study and drank coffee, and talked about the challenges and the tensions, we also talked about the possibility of connections. He shared that in his devotional reading that day, he had been reminded of something he’d forgotten. In the Noah story, when birds are sent out from the ark to find out if the flood had abated, the second bird, the dove can be translated in Hebrew also as pigeon. Yonah is not only the symbol for peace but is also the messenger. It also occurred to us that it was part of the meaning in the name of the prophet Jonah, the same word. As I sat at the coffee table with the Chief Rabbi we both made a mental note to use the pigeon/dove im- age in a sermon at some point! But on that morning, it was the coffee table and our sharing together that had equal significance. In what could have been a fractious meeting the stories of messengers and peace-bringers intertwined through hospitality. Hospitality at an international level makes me remember a visit to a shed in Bethlehem, an image in itself. In that shed Elias and his father are part of an olive wood collective and they sell what they make to support themselves. There is not much money. Elias may have some language difficulties, but he is skilled in cutting and carving wood. Throughout my moderatorial year I gave the gift of wooden crosses carved from Bethlehem olive wood, but to children I gave little olive wood stars, which could be Christmas decorations. As Elias cut and carved and polished the wood deftly, his father gave me a small cup of sweet tea and a home- made biscuit. Elias handed a finished article to me and said, shyly, “I am the boy who makes the stars.” In a shed in Bethlehem I met the boy who made the stars, and shared the simplest of hospitality with him. Continued next page

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Continued from previous page Hospitality was my theme as Moderator, and it has been a theme throughout my ministry and in both the congregations where I have served. Hospitality is about how we greet and welcome, how we include and share; it is about how we meet at table and look at those around us and converse with them. Hospitality will mean gathering in places of ease and unease, with friends and maybe with enemies, with family and often with strangers, and often find, to our surprise, what we have in common, as well as what differentiates us. These lessons in hospitality, and many more, will continue to shape me as I return to parish ministry and to other tasks. I wonder if they might also continue to shape the Church that we all love and serve.

I was delighted and very grateful when the Very Rev Dr Derek Browning agreed to contribute this article following the completion of his year in May as the Moderator of the General Assembly. During his term of office, Derek was a regular attender at our services. We thank him for his highly successful year and wish him well as he resumes his duties as Minister of Morningside Parish Church. Ed.

Support Welcome! Support Welcome! Cathedral Choir Fringe Concerts

The choir have two concerts in St Giles’ in August, both helping to raise funds for their 2019 tour to the Chan- nel Islands and Normandy.

The first concert, Choral Classics, is on Friday 10th August at 8pm, and features Mozart’s Spaur or Piccolomini Mass, Tippett’s Five Spirituals from a Child of our Time, and Parry’s Blest pair of sirens.

Tickets £12 (Concessions £10, Students £5, accompanied children free) from St Giles’ Cathedral Shop (0131 226 0673), www.edfringe.com or at door.

Then, on Saturday, 18th August at 9.00pm, our choir cabaret returns with some old-style Hollywood glamour. It has been three years since some of our choir members came up with a new idea for fundraising, doing what they do best – singing. Our successful foray into show tunes “After Dark” returns to the Fringe this year with less of an eclectic mix of personal favourites but a distinct bow to the golden age of the Hollywood musical.

Our Choir—elegantly dressed !!

The programme will include such gems as Leonard Bernstein's America, Frank Loesser's Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat, Cole Porter's Anything Goes and Rodgers and Hammerstein's You'll Never Walk Alone, featuring some brand-new choral arrange- ments by our own Ian Sutherland as well as a chance for our soloists to shine. If you want to know what our choir members look and sound like out of their robes, this is your chance. If you’ve been before, you know you’re in for a fantastic evening of sparkling tunes, and we hope you’ll come and support us again.

Tickets are £10 (£5 for students) from St Giles’ Cathedral Shop (0131 226 673), edfringe.com or at the door.

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Neighbourhood Group

Stuart Ritchie says farewell as Convener as he moves to Dunbar I’ve been privileged to have been Convener of the Neighbourhood Group for a year and a half. I’m not go- ing to make the allotted two-year term, because Elisabeth and I will be leaving Edinburgh in August. And so I take this opportunity to say a most sincere public thank you to every member of the Group. The sense of teamwork is palpable: in the relaxed fellowship of our meetings throughout the year; when we rattle buck- Stuart Ritchie ets to ambush the audiences departing our fund-raising concerts; when we muck in variously at the Betha- ny night kitchens; or when we bully, cajole and plead with the city centre pre-Christmas crowds to fill our collection cans.

It’s supposedly invidious to single out individuals from a team, but I could not take my leave without expressing my appreciation of the support afforded me by Simon Bolam, Victor Ashton and the Minister. I would have greatly floundered without their experience and wise counsel. Thank you gentlemen!

One of the strengths of any organisation is its commitment to self-evaluation and improvement. Our meeting in March took the form of an open forum for members to review and discuss the aims, values, principles, practice and impact of the NG. With very welcome input from Calum, we identified our strengths: notably the involvement of individual members in participating in different ways of supporting those in great need in our community. We agreed that there were areas where we could improve: we could strengthen our impact in working to develop wider engagement with members of the congregation, and by drawing more effectively on your undoubted support for our work in the community. We agreed that we would continue to reflect on strategic and operational approaches to tackling these issues. Kevin

And so I’m pleased to be leaving the Neighbourhood Group in a really good position, strengthenedOur back -lane by anc.1975. Downstairs flat injection of new blood. With the need to appoint a new Convener to take over in the autumn,with at outside our toilet last and no bathroom) meeting we proposed the appointment of William Taylor as Convener. That meant the appointment of a new Secretary, and we were delighted that Douglas Forbes accepted – a coup indeed given that Douglas was attending his first meeting! These appointments were duly approved by the Kirk Session. Peter Backhouse I wish the Neighbourhood Group continuing success in implementing its terms of reference through embody- ing a living faith, and pursuing social justice and pastoral care with a sense of imagination and adventure.

Refugee Welcoming Project

Update by Fiona Graham—Convener

The Welcoming organisation is still taking in refugees each week although perhaps not quite as many as in previous months. However, they are aware that this can change very quickly depending upon circum- Fiona Graham stances in Syria and elsewhere in war-torn countries.

As St Giles’ is the only church, indeed at present the only organisation, in Edinburgh providing funds and goods to The Welcoming the staff are aware of the pressure on us and have, temporarily suspended requests for goods. However this will not last for long and I am hopeful that I will be able to receive more funds soon in order to continue our work with them.

In answering requests from The Welcoming, St Giles’ has given around £7,600 worth of goods for refugees, from electric heaters and hot water bottles for winter and bedding, even to a shed for the allotment which has been a great success. Moving a 52-tonne bridge leg to Doncaster We are hoping to hold an event in a community hall at Tollcross, in partnership with The Welcoming, which would be a fundraiser for our work; so look out for news of that date.

We shall also be holding events in partnership with The Welcoming and highlighting refugees’ stories over three Friday evenings in November – on 9th 16th and 23rd - and I hope that many of the congre- gation will come to these events and be able to talk with people informally afterwards. I am also going to visit a Syrian artist and I hope that we may be able to have a display of his work in St Giles’ in November.

In the meantime, if anyone wishes, and is able, to give a small cash donation towards this work, that would be greatly appreciated.

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The Spring Garden Party

After a very wet and stormy spring, the sun unex- pectedly shone on the Spring Garden Party which was again hosted by Maureen & Tony Toft in the magnificent surroundings of their garden at 41 Her- mitage Gardens on Sunday, 29 April. Approximately one hundred members of the congre- gation, choir and friends attended. All enjoyed a plentiful light lunch with drinks. The event was organised by the Neighbourhood Group who were extremely grateful to our hosts and others who collectively sponsored all the costs of managing the event. This combined support was significant and very greatly appreciated. In addition thanks are extended to all those who worked so hard to prepare and serve the food. A voluntary collection raised £1,449.75 (including Gift Aid) in support of the Cathedral’s charitable funds used to support local charities and worthy causes.

Page 13

Minors in Jeopardy, and Our Man and Women in Palestine/Israel

An article submitted by the Rev Dr Chris Wigglesworth

Surprised at the title? In fact, St Giles’ helps to support two people working for the Church of Scotland in the “Holy Land”, through our contributions to the Central Funds of the Church, at “121”.

One is the Rev John McCulloch who recently took over at St Andrew’s in Je- rusalem (the Scots’ Memorial Church).

He, Annette and family are actually living in Bethlehem, on the other side of the Wall in the Israeli Occupied West Bank part of the Palestinian Territories. He travels to work each day through a check-point, though more easily than many others – see December issue of the Newsletter for that. The other is Preston Aisle & Communion Table the Rev Kate McDonald, formerly assisting at Old St Paul’s and now based in Tiberias further north beside John McCulloch & family the Sea of Galilee, in the state of Israel.

John has written since arrival about attending a press conference as part of his work, which includes, in addition to Sunday worship for residents and visitors, keeping closely in touch with Church of Scotland partners there. One of these is an Israeli Human Rights organisation, B’TSELEM (‘in the image of God’ in Hebrew). He sent disturbing pictures of Palestinian minors as young as 12 in military detention without proper legal process or representation. “Treating children this way will do nothing to safeguard Israeli security” he commented and reflected going out of the meeting: “Under the shade of blossom trees I gave thanks for the work of B’TSELEM, for their witness for St Andrews in Jerusalem truth, and their unrelenting efforts to expose injustice and demand dignity and justice for the Palestinians … As I crossed the check point into the West Bank later that evening, and saw children playing in the shadow of the wall, I lamented the injustice of the military occupation, where children are all too often the victims of a conflict they were born into and did nothing to create.”

Even more recently, Kate has written of her mixed feelings of joy and grief in the land, not least at hearing a 70th anniversary military flyover as she was walking in the ruins of emptied Galilean Palestinian houses from those days, and later the shooting of unarmed people including children at the fence round Gaza. Tension between and among Jewish, Christian and Mus- lim people is being faced by brave people, some of whom she describes, seeking justice and peace, truth and reconciliation.

Kate’s letter, outlined be- low, gives much food for St Andrew’s in Tiberias thought (and prayer).

“I have been trying to take advantage of the perfect weather and have spent many of my days off walking the Israel National Trail (which stretch- es over 1000km from the north near the Lebanese Border to the south near the Red Sea). It’s a wonderful way of getting to know the land from a different perspective.

I was on the Trail on 19 April when Israel was celebrating its Independ- Kate McDonald ence Day. All around the country there were flyovers and airshows for the big 70th Anniversary, and I found it particularly poignant to hear the old propeller war planes flying above as I walked along a stream through an extensive network of dams and mills that were used by the Arab community living in Safed until the war in 1948. The sun shone brightly, dancing through the leaves of the fruit trees lining the paths.

The mills are only empty shells now. What houses there may have been are piles of rocks. It was communities like this that were destroyed by planes like the ones flying above 70 years ago and in the years following as Israel established its State.

Continued next page

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Continued from previous page

And that is one of the many contributing factors to the tension that is present in the land at the moment. As Israel cele- brated 70 years as a nation last month (according to the Jewish calendar), on 14 May (according to the Gregorian calen- dar), the Palestinian communities will lament 70 years of being evicted and unable to return to their family homes and land.

Joy and grief collide regularly here. And so also do anger and fear. It can be literally a deadly combination, as we are currently seeing on the Gazan border. We can all so easily be caught up in the stories and trapped by the emotions. I was having breakfast a few weeks ago with a friend of mine, a Muslim woman I met through one of the Tiberias Church of Scotland’s partner organisations, and we were talking about the situation. Fiona Graham

‘We have to listen to one another, even if we disagree,’ she said. ‘We need to hear one another’s stories to understand one another’s emo- tions. But alongside that, to stay sane, we need to look for beauty. It’s too easy to miss it, to ignore it. We are each beautiful human beings — Jew, Arab, Muslim, Christian, Druze — all beautiful. And we live in a land that is so beautiful. Look around at all that surrounds us. We live in an amazing land! I could tell you a sad story about my family too, but that is the past. I want this to be a homeland for all of us, so we all can enjoy its beauty.’

This is so different from the political rhetoric we hear. And given the stories which are reported by the media, one might think it is unusual. After all, this remarkable woman works for Sindyanna, a women-run NGO which produces fair-trade olive oil, provides employment opportunities for women in the Arab communities of the Galilee, and promotes Jewish-Arab dialogue.

But in truth, it is a view I hear expressed in one form or another by so many people I encounter here, across all the com- munities, on both sides of the separation barrier, who desperately long for an end to the conflict. In these days of tension in this land, her words are part of the beauty I remind myself to seek.

Friends, thank you again for your prayers for all who live in Israel and Palestine. Please continue to pray; pray that peace with justice, justice with mercy, and mercy with truth may be known here in the land of the Holy One. TheThe Shed Shed

And as you pray for me and those I live amongst, please be assured of my prayers for you.”

The Choir do more than just sing!!

Article submitted by Michael Harris , The Master of the Music Members of the choir enjoyed an outing on Saturday 28th April to the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, where Peter Backhouse, as many will know, is a signalman in his spare time. After a visit to the museum we all boarded the train headed by Saddletank 68007 for a trip to Manuel halt and back. Moira Burke had kindly organised refreshments, so there was a definite party atmosphere among the group, as Peter provided us Peter Backhouse with a commentary on many aspects of the preserved railway. After stretching our legs on the platform at Manuel while the engine was shunted, we returned to Bo’ness. We were then privileged to be able to visit the signal box with Peter and be shown how it all works, andPeople in from some the cases,refugee communityhave a go working at shifting on the theallotment lev- ers. All in all a most enjoyable day in the spring sunshine.

A great big thank you! Peter asked if he could use the Newsletter to express his very sin- cere thanks to all who contributed towards his recent retiral present. The kindness and thoughtfulness of all involved is very greatly appreciat- ed.

Page 15

The reflections of an Army Chaplain

An article contributed by Rev Rory MacLeod, Reserves Chaplain to 154 (Scottish Regiment), The Royal Logistic Corps

Rory Piping the troops across the line

In Desiderata, there is the line, ‘you are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.’

Throughout my life, I have felt at home and enjoyed St Giles’ well-ordered, dignified, traditional worship. Appreciating its Min- istry of Word and Sacrament and viewing its ministers as wordsmiths with well-crafted sermons and prayers. If the sermons were too cerebral there was always comfort to be found in the silent sermons of sunlight on pillars or the varied rich music of organ and choir. For me, the magical moment often came after the Benediction, when the choir sang the Orlando Gibbons version of the sung Amen. I was entranced by the rising wave of beauty which reached the roof and somehow captured the depths of human longing and thankfulness to God, for our very existence.

As the first Chaplain to 1 SCOTS (Royal Regiment of Scotland) I shared a service of Thanksgiving in St Giles’ upon our return from the Op Herrick Tour of Afghanistan. The occasion evoked a full range of emotions but was also cathartic; we were re- lieved to be safely home while aware of the deep loss of those who were not as for- tunate. That day, the St Giles’ choir beautifully sang Morten Lauridsen’s exquisite version of O Magnum Mysterium. Different, but just as spell-binding were the unac- companied male voices of the soldiers who formed the Fijian Choir. Many of them who were fearsome opponents on a rugby field sang proudly, without embarrass- ment or reservation, praises to God in their native tongue.

1SCOTS soldiers, for the most part were never church greedy. Long before the ser- vice began, to the horror of Gilleasbuig Macmillan, the raucous noise sounded to his ears like a chattering supermarket albeit in a language more colourful and eyebrow raising than you’d ever hear in Tesco’s. He sent me out to grip them. When the ser- vice started and the Fijian soldiers stood up and sang, the place fell silent; they set the tone for our thanksgiving, praise and acknowledgement of loss. They lifted the spirits and made one proud to belong to the 1SCOTS family, sharing the highs and lows of military life.

This year, as the Reserves Chaplain to 154 (Scottish) The Royal Logistic Corps, I attended the Annual Chaplains Service of Remembrance (during the General As- sembly week); in the company of my brother Angus, himself a former Regular Army Chaplain. Many of those gathered are still serving and therefore dressed in uniform and medals. As always, following a poignant service, we moved to the Holy Cross Aisle memorial and listened to the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice; the names of Chaplains killed during the First and Second World Wars and since. A wreath was laid and an Army Bugler and Piper filled the air with their haunting ren- dering of The Last Post, Reveille and the Lament (the Flowers of the Forest). Continued next page

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Continued from previous page

As brothers, we paused to think of Dr Rev James Matheson, who from his house on the Isle of Skye, could view our own home at Suardal across Loch Dunvegan. He himself had been an Army Chaplain in the Second World War, held prisoner in Italy and successfully escaped. For me, he is an unforgettable link in a chain of belonging to St Giles’. At his death in Octo- ber 2007, I wrote: A footnote

There was gorgeous sunlight, Rory’s great grandfather Bailie Arthur Blake Easter- through Saint Giles’ windows brook gifted a stained-glass window to St Giles. His at Sunday’s early communion. parents, Sheila & Norman MacLeod, were married at the cathedral on 2 September 1948 (pictured below) I knew well you were seriously ill, and Rory was later baptised by Rev Charles Warr. In Churchyour of the days Holy Rudenumbered. in Stirling his youth, Rory attended services at St Giles with his grandmother, Sydney Gorrie. Yet, the Light of that morning

was of a different texture.

A kind of brilliance, heralding intimations of a life beyond.

This place, steeped in

Scottish and Church history, stones and silence, candlelight and chimes of bells. The Minister uttering ancient words, the giving and receiving of bread and wine.

All in a space

which was to you so familiar.

Amongst sturdy pillars and under solid roof you once preached

as Moderator of General Assembly.

Years later, returning regularly as widower and Senior Citizen. Your slow methodical progress aided with stick and helper’s hand, shufflingEaster Sepulchrein and out—St theGiles’ building. Testament to your resilience,

and faithfulness, Rory’s brother, Rev Angus MacLeod (pictured above) is loyal worship the Minister at St Columba’s Church Pont Street, Lon- to the God you believed in. don

The St Giles’ emailing list We can only send the St Giles’ News and other periodic communications from St Giles’ by email if we have specific permission to do so. However, if you are not on the emailing list but would like to be added then please send an email to [email protected] to give us the necessary permission.

If in doubt or you would like further information please contact the Editor—Simon Bo- lam—at 07850 790051

Page 17

Have we been attacked? Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War

An article submitted by Sarah Phemister and Stephen Preston of Heritage and Culture.

It’s all been a bit hush hush, but finally we can tell you about the movie project we were working on back in spring 2017. Released earlier this year, Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War was a mammoth block- buster, starring the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Scarlett Johansson. With Edinburgh as a key filming location, the film has become one of only four films ever to gross over $2 billion worldwide and we got to be part of it! Back in 2016, We were approached to be a location for a major Hollywood film, which at that point was untitled. After many months of ‘recces’, contract negotiation and some serious digging into the plot, St Giles’ agreed to become a part of Edinburgh’s battle ground for Avengers: Infinity War. Filming began in April 2017 during which The was closed every night to the public at 7pm and transformed into a battle scarred version of itself, complete with fake Lothian buses bus stop and a fake police box, not to mention the explod- ing van! All of the filming took place dur- ing the night and the building was required to be staffed throughout. The H&C team took turns to work these long 12 hour night shifts in pairs, kindly assisted on a couple of occasions by Kevin Hall. Night shifts are tough, all credit to those who do them regularly but we were well looked after by the film crew and were made to feel properly part of the Marvel team. This care extended to the brilliant catering provided throughout the night, the huge BBQ in Parliament Square at midnight for ‘lunch’ was definitely a highlight for Stephen and me! To avoid spoiling the plot, but to give a sense of the action, St Giles’ can be seen starring in the Edinburgh sequence of the film, culminating in a lead character ‘crashing’ rather spectacularly into our tower (thankfully down to the wonders of CGI). It was a great experience to be part of and we would hope this new type of adven- ture brings St Giles’ into the eyes of the worldwide public and a whole new audience. It has also helped raise our profile and reputation as a filming location and we hope to be able to welcome further projects like this in future, great profile raising oppor- tunities and an excellent additional revenue stream. The Grandfather

Congratulations to Alan & Esther

It is a real pleasure to report that our Beadle, Alan Foggo, married Esther Laird at a cere- mony in St Giles’ on Saturday, 16 June.

We wish them every success and happiness in the years ahead.

The Reception, supported by some wonderful weather, was held at the Braid Hills Hotel followed by a two weeks’ honeymoon in Portugal.

Alan is now nursing a broken toe, allegedly caused whilst swimming in the sea. We believe you Alan!

Page 18

6VT Edinburgh City Youth Café: Leading the Way for Youth

An article supplied by Henry Phillip about the amazing support provided to young people and a cause that has repeatedly been supported by St Giles’

6VT opened in two rooms at 6 Victoria Terrace in July 1994. Its aim was to provide a safe alcohol-free and drug-free meeting place for young people aged 15 to 21. It is still going strong 24 years later, albeit in new premises on the Vennel, still offering a drop-in on three evenings a week for 52 weeks in the year. There is no membership fee.

At the drop-in, youngsters from all over the city come together to have an enjoyable evening socialising with their peers and also, most importantly, discussing their person- al problems with a well-trained, caring staff. 6VT can genuinely claim to have helped thousands of young people through possibly the most difficult time in their lives. Inter- Fiona Graham estingly, when the media wish to hear the views of young people, it is to 6VT that they usually come, while agencies dealing with youth frequently invite members of our Youth Board to address their conferences.

Over the years, in addition to the drop-in, 6VT has run many different projects to diversify the opportunities on offer, and its successful approach has been recognised by a wide range of agencies including the Scottish Government, Edinburgh Council, the police and the Chil- dren’s Hearings, because it deals also with the wider implications for families and neighbours instead of simply concentrating on the im- mediate problem.

At the invitation of these agencies, 6VT has run courses ranging from major projects such as Keysteps (designed to prevent young tenants from failing in their tenancies through lack of basic housekeeping skills) and ICSS (working with young offenders) at one end of the spectrum to Riding for the Disabled, gardening, looking after bikes and preparing a recipe book for young people who have literacy difficulties at the other end. The police frequently ask our staff to help them in areas where local people are concerned about groups of young people hanging around Picture by Peter Backhouse the streets. 6VT’s success has been recognised locally and internationally. For example, in the past, 6VT staff helped solve problems faced by traders through groups of young people hang- ing around Cockburn Street and, in recent months, our staff have worked at Princes Mall where traders were facing similar problems. 6VT has just startedDrop anin mealsexciting at projectGCP at the A&E De- partment of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where staff are concerned about the same young people appearing for treatment over and over again. They have asked 6VT to work with these youngsters, many of whom have mental problems which lead them to self-harm.

Every Tuesday morning, around 30 young parents and their very young children come to Terrace Tots where the parents socialise and share problems while their children enjoy playing together. 6VT does not charge for this. We also run Holiday Clubs to support parents who face difficulties in keeping their children gainfully occupied during the Easter and Summer holidays.

At present, we are piloting a course to support young victims of crime — the first such service in Scotland.

6VT’s success has been due largely to the skills of the staff in being able to get on the same wave-length as the young people, seeing things from their point of view. The young folk trust them because they are non-judgemental. Whatever project they are involved in, 6VT staff are always willing to go beyond the immediate remit they have been set and extend their input to the wider aims of 6VT. Respect is behind everything they do — mutual respect between young folk and staff, and bolstering self-respect when a young person’s morale is low. Early action can often prevent small problems escalat- ing, as we saw in the Turnaround programme which 6VT ran at the invitation of the police who were concerned about 14-16 year olds who had come to their notice for petty crimes. Following the courses, the police reported that almost all of the young people were no longer in trouble.

In this short article, it has been possible to give only a flavour of the work of 6VT. But I cannot end without expressing how much we have appreciated the support which the St Giles’ Neighbourhood Group has given us over the years. The grants we receive for our major projects cover only the basics. It is often the little extras we provide from our own funds which make all the difference in cementing the success of what has been achieved, such as taking groups of young people away on residentials or, at the end of a course, laying on a celebration for the participants and their parents. Thank you fromThe allChoir at 6VT.

Footnote

Henry Philip was born in Aberdeen and educated at Robert Gordon’s College. After graduating from Aberdeen and Cambridge Universities, he taught in Kirkcud- bright Academy and Beath High School before joining HM Inspectorate of Schools. He ended his career as Headmaster of . He has contin- ued his interest in the education of young people in his retirement. He has been heavily involved in the development of 6VT since 1991 and, even at the age of 90, he continues to serve on its Board because of the amazing work it does with young people. He has been an Elder of the Church of Scotland for over 60 years.

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Contact Details—July 2018

*Minister: Rev Calum I MacLeod [email protected] *Assistant Ministers Rev Helen Alexander [email protected] Rev Craig Meek [email protected] *Session Clerk Mark Batho [email protected] *Treasurer John P Robertson [email protected] *Business Committee Convener Carole Hope [email protected] *General Committee Convener John Andrew [email protected] *Presbytery Elder Gary Winney [email protected] *Minister’s Secretary Alison Wylie [email protected] *Organists Michael Harris: Master of the Music [email protected] Jordan English: Assistant Organist [email protected] * Phone 0131 225 4363 Beadles 0131 226 0672 David Hall [email protected] Finance Office 0131 225 7448 Suzanne Whitehead [email protected]

Neighbourhood Group William Taylor: Convener [email protected] Douglas Forbes: Secretary [email protected] Simon Bolam: Treasurer [email protected] Christian Aid: Duncan Watson [email protected] Edinburgh Clothing Store: Jean Ferris 0131 332 5584 Foodbank: Victor Ashton [email protected] FreshStart:: Carole Hope [email protected] Refugee Welcoming Project: Fiona Graham [email protected]

Heritage and Cultural Department 0131 226 0674 Sarah Phemister—Head of Heritage and Culture [email protected] Stephen Preston–Heritage and Culture Coordinator [email protected] Andrew Barr—Marketing and Communications Officer- [email protected] Heritage and Culture

Archivist 0131 225 4363 Kevin Hall [email protected]

Shop 0131 225 7448 Irina Vettraino: Retail Manager [email protected]

Editor 07850 790051 Simon Bolam [email protected]

Cathedral’s Address St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RE 0131 225 4363 www.stgilescathedral.org.uk

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