THE E u r o p E a n a n g l i c a n c a l l E d T o S E r v E o r d i n a T i o n r E p o r ts o l d W o r d S n ew l i f E K i n g J a m es B i B l E 4 0 0 Y E a r S o n T h E S o u n d o f m u S i c c h u r c h v o i c es i n h a r m o n Y S u n S h i n E c E l eb r a T i o n S S u m m E r c h u r c h S n a p S h o ts l u wee r o l i n ks W i T h n o r T h W est E u r o p E FREE N o . 5 1 AUTUMN 2 0 1 1 DE5791 - TEA 51 Sept 2011 v2 REPRO.indd 1 02/08/2011 16:09:09 2 IN QUIRES AND PLACES WHERE THEY SING.... THE E u r o p E a n a n g l i c a n The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe The Rt Revd Geoffrey Rowell Bishop’s Lodge, Church Road, Worth, Crawley RH10 7RT Tel: +44 (0) 1293 883051 Fax: +44 (0) 1293 884479 Email: [email protected] The Suffragan Bishop in Europe The Rt Revd David Hamid Postal address: Diocesan Office W i T h o u T m u S i c Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1160 Email: [email protected] The Diocesan Office l i f E W o u l d 14 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QZ Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 be a m i sta ke Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 Email: [email protected] Diocesan Secretary Mr Adrian Mumford The 19th Century philosopher, poet and Diocesan Synod composer Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche said in Cologne in Assistant Diocesan Secretary Mrs Jeanne French that life would be a mistake without music. early June. As I Many in churches around the Diocese in witnessed the Finance Officer Europe would agree. In early Summer this debates and Mr Nick Wraight year there were special prayers and music to discussions on Diocesan Website mark the valuable work of the Royal School two major issues referred to members by www.europe.anglican.org of Church Music, which dates back to a the General Synod – the proposed Anglican Editor and Diocesan Communications meeting in Westminster Abbey in December Covenant and a scheme for the ordination Officer 1927 and which became the Royal Society of women as Bishops. There were some The Revd. Paul Needle strong opinions on both sides of the debate Postal address: Diocesan Office in 1945 at the behest of King George VI. Email: Since our Diocese reflects a huge yet through patience and prayer there was a [email protected] diversity of locations and congregations sense (to this observer, at least) of harmony. Tel: 0034 662 482 944 it is not surprising to find many different One Synod member remarked on the final Friends of the Diocese musical styles in our worship – and one evening that we could all enjoy a meal Secretary: Rev Canon Arthur Siddall never ceases to be surprised at the range of together after discussing matters which Email: accompaniment as our picture below reveals potentially could cause deep division. [email protected] our Bishop “blowing his own trumpet” – or We pray for that harmony to continue Design euphonium to be precise, during a recent as – uniquely – the discussion and votes at Adept Design, Norwich visit to France. We report elsewhere on this Diocesan Synod do not form our response Printer page a plethora of musical activity around to General Synod as they would in the other Norwich Colour Print Europe. forty-three dioceses. Our final response Distribution My friend, Ray, who helps to rehearse an on these topics will come at a meeting of CoDEStorm plc occasional choir in one of our congregations Bishop’s Council in London in late October. in Spain, has no time for what he calls “La, Your prayers for this and all continuing La Music”! He says that unison singing is all developments in our growing diocese are Cover photo: very well during the last verse of a hymn, needed and requested, not that we shall Three of the fifty singers from when the organist wants to let rip, but there become shallow “La, La music people” but Belgium, Luxembourg and The is nothing to beat good harmony in worship. that God’s Spirit will lead us to a harmonious Netherlands who met at St Boniface The English Romantic poet Percy Shelley deliberation and witness. Antwerp for their annual choral festival under the direction of Simon wrote; “Are we not formed, as notes of music Lole from the RSCM. They then are, for one another, though dissimilar?” P a u l N e e d l e sang Choral Evensong. Harmony was a sub-theme of the E d i T o r , Th E E u r o p E a n a n g l i c a n DE5791 - TEA 51 Sept 2011 v2 REPRO.indd 2 02/08/2011 16:09:11 ...HERE FOLLOWETH THE ANTHEM 3 c h o r a l c o l l E c T i o n Singers from six churches met at St Ursula’s Berne for the annual Swiss Archdeaconry Choir Festival, led this year by Gordon Appleton, the Royal School of Church Music’s Regional Adviser for the North of England. The combined choirs sang music ranging from the Tudor composers William Byrd and Adrian Batten through Saint-Saens to contemporary pieces by John Sanders and David Willcocks A cluster of manuals and a pedalboard can be daunting but provides a reliable support for singers Red and blue robes in evidence as different choirs get together to rehearse and sing Choristers receive certificates of merit from the RSCM DE5791 - TEA 51 Sept 2011 v2 REPRO.indd 3 02/08/2011 16:09:15 4 RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT Th r ee o r d i n aT i o n S i n a J u lY W eeke n d A few weeks after churches around the Diocese marked Vocations Sunday three people were ordained during the first weekend of July. On Saturday 2 July Nigel Thomas was made a Deacon in St George’s Church, Madrid in Spain where he is now Assistant Curate. The following day in All Saints’ Church, Tenerife Mrs Jennifer Elliott de Riverol was also ordained Deacon. She serves as Assistant Curate of All Saints’ Tenerife with St Martin de Porres, La Palma. Jennifer has already been serving as a reader in the church. In The Netherlands the Rev Chris Nicholls was ordained Priest in Holy Trinity Church, Utrecht where he has been working since his ordination as a Deacon a year ago. All three tell about their calling and ministry. On July 2nd I was ordained as priest calling without encouragement, for leisure. It is not something I would in the Anglican Church by Bishop the calling seemed awesome. Philip necessarily recommend but there are Geoffrey – a happy occasion for all described the priestly life as “being” benefits to being fully engaged with present and something of a personal rather than “doing”. This resonated the “real world”. milestone. But how did I discover with me as something I wanted in It seems to me that calling often this call to ordained ministry? life – Christ-likeness. occurs in a particular context and we As with many things in life, it’s Along the path through selection, may be called to serve a particular hard to say when something began. 3 years of training and one year need or community. We are drawn About 8 years ago, I felt stirrings as deacon I have been assisted by by our life experience and as the that I would like to grow further in an army of helpers; those who Lord guides us. Since leaving the UK my spiritual life and wondered what have prayed, encouraged, guided, 30 years ago I have lived and worked else I could do within the life of taught and provided resources. I am in international, multicultural the church. Philip Bourne, my then enormously grateful to all who have communities. Holy Trinity Utrecht Chaplain at St James Voorschoten helped me. My wife and family have where I now serve is one such diverse suggested I enrol on a theological been a massive source of practical and community. My wife, Johannette, course with St. John’s Nottingham. moral support. They have kept me and I feel very much in the right This was an excellent “taster” and going - and washed up many dishes place. But there is always a measure opened up new ways of thinking while I studied deep into the night. of the unknown. I still do not know about the Bible. I had a hunger to My 3-year training with Eastern when and if I should go into full- know more. Region Ministry Course (ERMC) time ministry. I am encouraged that Then independently, two and my ongoing curacy at Holy Abraham set off at God’s calling even Anglican clergy challenged me more Trinity Utrecht has been part-time.