NEWSLETTER Parish of St George Hanover Square
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NEWSLETTER Parish of St George Hanover Square St George’s Church Grosvenor Chapel March—June 2019: issue 42 Inside this issue The Rector writes 2 Mayfair Organ Concerts 4 Services at St George’s 5 Pour encourager les autres 7 Modern slavery 8 Services at Grosvenor Chapel 10 St George’s Undercroft 11 Prisons Mission 13 HPPEC 15 The Rector attends Forum on Modern Slavery in Istanbul January 2019 Contact details 16 ne of the recurrent enquir- Plus ça change . Modern slavery is alive in our very ies we receive in the Vestry midst – yes, even in Mayfair. Mayfair still gives the impression is from people in pursuit of it is a playground for the wealthy. March 23rd 2019 marks the 294th information about long O To some extent of course it is. anniversary of the consecration of dead relatives. This is often The car showrooms for vehicles St George’s which means there are couched in terms of hushed expec- with prices in six figures and the just six years before our tercen- tation. The words, ‘my great, buildings which seldom show a tenary. Current plans to give sub- great, great grandmother was mar- light in their windows — buildings stance to the celebration of this ried at St George’s’ often carry none of us could afford to occupy milestone include commissioning a with them the unspoken expecta- — attest to wealth beyond the book about The Parish of Mayfair in tion that Great-great-great Granny wildest imagination of our fore- all its diversity, sacred and pro- was probably a great lady if she’d bears. Those of us who deal daily fane, and to complete the task been married in such a grand with local rough sleepers and oth- started but by no means completed church. The reality, as one gently ers who depend on St George’s for in 2010, to ensure that the Parish explains to the enquirer, is that for a square meal can and do tell a Church is in a condition of which all every great lady in 18th or 19th cen- very different story. Yet, as the who know and love the building can tury Mayfair, there were dozens of Rector points out in his article on be proud. The 21st century Chris- ladies’ maids, scullery maids, modern slavery (on page 8), the tian community can sometimes look cooks, cleaners and other domestic lifestyles of the affluent in our down its nose at decorative refine- servants to say nothing of the hair midst sometimes ride on the back ments, forgetting that in medieval dressers, milliners, dress makers of questionable employment prac- times, when levels of personal and myriad others that were need- tices that make the conditions wealth were substantially lower ed to ensure that milady functioned enjoyed by 18th and 19th century than at present, there was no hesi- in the style to which she was accus- domestics and service providers tation to spend extravagantly on tomed. look like a model of liberal values. the best adornments for God’s house. The Rector writes . sponding when he was calling. Friday 19th April Instead, God is met with stub- bornness and disobedience. GOOD FRIDAY 2.30pm In Jesus Christ the Word of God ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER starts afresh his conversation SQUARE with us, to breach the distance, to restore God’s presence to us. And the desire of God to share St Matthew Passion his life with us is expressed again in Christ who says: I have The popular annual performance called you friends, because I of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, have made known to you every- sung in German, and part of thing that I have heard from my Good Friday Vespers. This is a rare opportunity to experience Father. the work in its original liturgical context. Complete with sermon We are fortunate at St George’s and congregational hymns. in having wonderful friends in America who oversee the Ameri- NATHAN VALE his is my commandment, can Friends of SGHS and who Evangelist & tenor that you love one anoth- have visited us recently as they er as I have loved you. No do regularly, and I would like to GEORGE HUMPHREYS T one has greater love than record my immense gratitude to Christus & bass this, to lay down one’s life for them for their support and all one’s friends. You are my the encouragement and work ERICA ELOFF Soprano friends if you do what I com- they do on our behalf. Also to mand you. I do not call you serv- bring the existence of our Amer- CHRISTOPHER AINSLIE ants any longer, because the ican Friends to your attention, servant does not know what the Countertenor and especially our wonderful master is doing; but I have Trustees: Dick Schulze, Marilyn LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA called you friends, because I Bodner and George Nowak. CHOIR OF ST GEORGE’S, have made known to you every- HANOVER SQUARE thing that I have heard from my LAURENCE CUMMINGS conductor Father. Sunday 14th April TICKETS: £55, £45, £40, £15, £12 Those who have good friends Palm Sunday Liturgy: 11am www.london-handel-festival.com find in their close friendship real blessings, and a generous love Monday 15th April, and acceptance. Not to mention Wednesday 17th April & Maundy Thursday 18th April an invaluable support in difficult Holy Communion: 1.10pm times. We have so much to be thankful for in our friends. Tuesday 16th April Holy Communion: 5.45pm There are other times when we feel the need to keep others at Tuesday 16th April distance. It gives us some sense Ecumenical Stations of the Cross of security and a protection of personal space. Some say that with clergy from St George’s, Grosvenor Chapel and The distance is also at the heart of Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street religions. The unknown gods, un- Starting at Farm Street & ending at the Grosvenor Chapel reachable and far removed, communicate their demands Friday 19th April through the mouth of the chosen Good Friday shaman or priest, who are able Liturgy of the Passion at 10.00am to bridge the gap and receive Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion: 2.30pm (with sermon) their word. Sunday 21st April But our faith is different. From Easter Sunday the moment we are created, God constantly offers himself to be Sung Eucharist & renewal of vows & Holy Baptism:11.00am with us. In the Book of Genesis followed by a reception. we dwell together with Him in the garden of Paradise, not to Members of the congregation (but regretfully not their guests due to limited space) who wish to attend the St Matthew Passion keep us at bay but to be close to th us. But it was we who tried to should please inform the Vergers by Monday 15 April. hide our faces from him, not re- 2 Lent course. Details of the The Revd Prebendary Jeremy There are daily prayers in 2019 Lent Course, held in the Crossley will be the preacher, church, Monday – Thursday Grosvenor Chapel on and the Sung Eucharist will be at 12.10pm. The Midday Wednesdays in Lent, are to followed by a festive recep- Office is said on most days be found on page 10. tion. except when the Eucharist is celebrated on Fridays and Mothering Sunday is on Sun- The Annual Parochial Church Saints’ Days. Please join us day 31st March and all chil- Meeting is on Thursday 25th if you are in the area. dren and families are warmly April at 6.30pm. Members of invited to join us for what the Parochial Church Council Requiem for departed are thrice-yearly services are elected at this meeting loved ones will be celebrat- where children are involved which is preceded by the An- ed on Friday 12th April at in leading worship/reading, nual Vestry Meeting to elect 1.10pm. Please inform the and the sermon geared to Churchwardens. Please join us Verger if you wish to include families with children at the to hear reports and plans for names for prayer. Contact Sung Eucharist at 11am. Fol- the future. details are on the back lowed by customary refresh- page. ments. Marriage Renewal Sunday will be on Sunday 14th July – Holy Cocktail Hour Open Whitsunday on 9th June is of with preacher The Ven Luke House – all are welcome for drinks on Wednesdays 15th May, course another Sunday when Miller, Archdeacon of London, th th we extend a similar invita- followed by a reception. 5 June, 26 June, at 6.30pm until 8pm at the Rectory, 21a tion to families to celebrate Down Street W1J 7AW: en- Pentecost, and again fol- Morning Calm details of trance in Brick Street opposite lowed by drinks. which appear below starts the tapas bar – top bell. This again on 6th May after a 21- follows the 5.45pm celebration St George’s Patronal Festi- month moratorium caused by of Holy Communion at St val will be kept this year on work on the Undercroft. George’s. Sunday 28th April at which MORNING CALM with music by students from the Royal College of Music Monday 6th May – Friday 28th June 2019 Mondays to Fridays at 8.45am FINDING SILENCE AND STILLNESS 3 Mayfair Organ Concerts A weekly series of lunchtime organ concerts now beginning its seventh year at St George’s, Hanover Square & the Grosvenor Chapel. Every Tuesday 1.10-1.50pm Free admission — retiring collection March 5 St George’s Loreto Aramendi San Sebastián, Spain March 12 Grosvenor Chapel James Johnstone Trinity Laban March 19 St George’s Rashaan Allwood Rice University, Texas March 26 Grosvenor Chapel Richard Hobson Grosvenor Chapel April 2 St George’s Matthew Jorysz Westminster Abbey April 9 Grosvenor Chapel Alexander Pott Magdalen College, Oxford April 16 St George’s Domenico Gioffré London April 23 Grosvenor Chapel Jeremiah Stephenson All Saints, Margaret Street April 30 St George’s Andrew Benson-Wilson Basingstoke May 7 Grosvenor Chapel To be announced May 14 St George’s Carolyn Craig Truro Cathedral May 21 Grosvenor Chapel Janette Fishell Indiana, USA May 28 St George’s Markus Sterk