Wells Cathedral Email Newsletter

Wells Cathedral Email Newsletter June 2014

This is a printed copy of the email newsletter from Wells Cathedral. If you would like to receive this by email please send your details to [email protected] or follow the link on our website.

Welcome to the June issue of the Wells Cathedral newsletter Below is a snapshot of what's coming up this month at the Cathedral. Remember - news and events are also always available via our website and our Facebook page. We hope to see you in the Cathedral soon!

The installation of The Rt Revd Peter Hancock as Bishop of Bath and Wells

The Right Reverend Peter Hancock will be installed as the Bishop Of Bath & Wells in a joyful service here at the Cathedral on Saturday 7th June.

This special service of Welcome will see Bishop Peter established as the 79th Bishop of Bath & Wells and will formally mark the beginning of his ministry. Note that the Cathedral will be closed to visitors during this service although our café and shop remain open - please see our website for details.

Symbolic rituals The service will include a number of historic and symbolic rituals. Bishop Peter will strike the Cathedral’s west door three times with his staff before being granted entry. He will then be greeted by a child before the Dean of Wells gives the formal welcome and legal declarations are made. Bishop Peter will be anointed with consecrated oil by his Archdeacons and will receive the episcopal ring from the Bishop of Taunton. The ring dates from the 15th century and was first worn by, and buried with, former Bishop of Bath & Wells, Thomas Beckynton.

1 Later in the service Bishop Peter will be cloaked in a cope which has been worn at every coronation since Edward VII. He will then be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the ‘cathedra’, the bishop’s throne, before preaching his first sermon in the Diocese. The service will be led by The Very Reverend John Clarke, Dean of Wells.

Archives and Library Our own Cathedral archives are home to many historic and fascinating documents from previous installations, then known as ‘enthronements’. Items include copies of the order of service for the Right Reverend George Wyndham in 1894 and a unique scrapbook of commemorative documents from the enthronement of John Bickersteth in 1976 compiled by Chief Steward of the time, H F Henfrey. This includes notes on a relatively modern issue – at what level to set the microphone volume for the service! Back to the present, the library is the usual home of the Bible that will be used at Bishop Peter’s installation this month. The Bible originally belonged to Bishop Robert Creyghtone (1670-2). Published in 1633, it is bound in red Morocco with gold tooling that includes Bishop Creyghtone’s heraldic emblem.

More details about our Cathedral Archives - including how to arrange a visit - can be found by on our website.

What's on in June

On Wednesday June 4th (7.30pm-9.00pm) join us in welcoming Dr Stephen Cleobury CBE, Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge. His performance for the Derek Andrew Memorial Recital as part of our 2014 Organ Festival will include music by Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn and more! We anticipate the evening here in Wells will prove inspirational for audience and performer alike! Tickets for the concert cost £10 including a pre-concert glass of wine and are available from Wells Cathedral Shop Box Office (01749 672773) and Dr Stephen Cleobury at the door.

Organ Meditations Wells Cathedral’s Matthew Owens, Organist and Master of the Choristers, will give the annual performance of Olivier Messiaen’s L’Ascension (Four Symphonic Meditations for Organ), with narration by Prebendary Elsa van der Zee on Thursday 5th June. It is the second of three organ meditations taking place in 2014, with the third being held on Sunday June 8th when Matthew and Elsa will draw this year’s meditations to a close with Messiaen’s Messe de la Pentcôte. For times of the recitals, view details on our What’s On pages of the Cathedral website.

Window Walk for June Our monthly ‘window walks’ continue and our theme for June is ‘Wonderful Women’. Starting at 11.15am (Saturdays and Wednesdays), no booking is required and the walks are free. Simply gather at our Information Desk to join the tour, and if you have binoculars,

2 do bring them along - they are recommended for all our window tours!

Eucharist with Healing June’s service is being held on Saturday 14th from 12:00noon – 12:50pm. This reflective service offers the opportunity to pray for healing and come forward for the laying on of hands. The service takes place in the Lady Chapel, located at the East End of the Cathedral.

Diocesan Choral Festival The Diocesan Choral Association Festival exists to encourage the study and practice of church music and to maintain and improve the standards of singing of choirs and congregations throughout the Diocese. A Diocesan Choral Festival is held in the Cathedral each year and this year will be held at the Cathedral on Saturday 21st June from 5:15pm - 6:45pm.

10% discount off our new toiletries range!

Our Cathedral shop stocks a vast range of products including books, cards, CDs, gifts, pictures, chocolates, Somerset Lavender, tapestries and jewellery. Many of our products are sourced and manufactured locally.

NEW this month! A fabulous new range of toiletries has just arrived including the William Morris and Enchanted Walk collections from Heathcote and Ivory. We're offering subscribers to the Wells Cathedral newsletter a 10% discount on these ranges. Simply print out a copy of this June 2014 newsletter and present it with your purchases in the shop to get your discount. Promotion ends Monday 30th June 2014 and other terms and conditions do apply and are available on our website.

Service information and music list

Our Service Information and Music List for the month of June is available on our website. All are welcome to join us at any of our daily services.

Cathedral café news and June promotions

Come on up - the view's fine!! If you've visited our café recently you'll probably have noticed our new chairs and benches. Situated along each window, the high benches mean our café visitors have been able to enjoy some of the best views in Wells with their refreshments; over Cathedral Green on one side and the Bishop's Palace moat on the other.

And if that's inspired you to visit, you may find June's cafe offers of interest! This month, in addition to our usual menu, we feature toasties served with crunchy salad and a cup of tea 3 or coffee for just £4.75. Or enjoy a slice of our homemade Australian crunch cake with tea or coffee for just £4.

News from our Music Department

A review of our successful new music wells festival in May and a look ahead to June's programme of summer organ recitals. Plus - do you know a child who would like to be a chorister at Wells?

More about these stories can be found on our website.

Cathedral Library book of the month - June

Our focus this month is on BROWNE, Sir Thomas Hydriotaphia, or Urn-burial (1686). Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682) wrote on varied subjects including religion, medicine and science and is best known for the Religio Medici which is also in our library.

A journey with Preb Alastair Wheeler in the Holy Land

On 4th – 13th May 2015, Prebendary Alastair Wheeler will be leading a group around the Holy Land on a Pilgrimage. He is inviting people from the Cathedral congregation and other local churches join him in what will be an experience that will change your appreciation of faith and deepen your understanding. More information about this inspirational trip is available on our website (via our Online Reading Room page) and there will also be a gathering of anyone interested in St Cuthbert’s, Wells at 10.30am Saturday 28th June – all welcome!

In our thoughts

Amnesty Victim of Injustice for June - Nigeria On 27 November 2005, Moses Akatugba, aged sixteen, was waiting for the results of his secondary school exams when he was arrested by the Nigerian Army and, he says, shot in the hand, beaten and charged with stealing mobile phones. Moses was moved to Epkan police station in Delta State, where the torture continued. He was severely beaten using machetes and batons and tied up and hung for several hours. He then had his finger and toe nails pulled out to make him sign confessions. Moses was convicted on the basis of the victim’s statement and confessions made under duress. After eight years in prison he was sentenced to death by hanging and remains on death row. His claims of torture have never been investigated.

4 Other ways to keep in touch with Wells Cathedral:

Our website – www.wellscathedral.org.uk Facebook - www.facebook.com/WellsCathedral Twitter – www.twitter.com/WellsCathedral1