NEWSLETTER of St George Hanover Square St George’s Grosvenor Chapel March—June 2015: issue 30

ence these men exercised on Inside this issue musical life in the second half of the twentieth century: The Rector writes 2 Christopher Morris, the prodi- gious Anglican church musi- Services at St George’s 3 cian and organist of distinc- tion who befriended and Fr Richard Fermer writes 6 mentored a generation of Eng- lish, Welsh and Scottish com- Services at Grosvenor Chapel 7 posers and whose immensely practical publisher’s mind Course 8 conceived and gave birth to Prisons Mission 10 that ubiquitous staple of An- glophone choirs worldwide, Handel 11 Carols for Choirs; and Denys Darlow who not only founded Organ Concerts 13 major English cele- brating the music of Bach and Hyde Park Place Estate Charity 15 Handel but who played a pro- found part, through his per- t is with great sadness that we formances of works by these I learned, just as this edition of Baroque masters and their the Parish Newsletter was going contemporaries, in our devel- to press, of the death at the age oping understanding of ‘early of 93 of Denys Darlow who served music’. as tenth organist and choirmaster of St George’s between 1972 and This year’s London Handel 2000. It is just two months since Festival - an annual event the demise of Darlow’s younger Darlow founded at St George’s predecessor, Christopher Morris back in 1978 - is about to (organist between 1947 and start. Details of the 2015 Fes- 1972), whose memorial service tival may be found on pages took place at St George’s at the 11 and 12. But it would surely end of January. also have pleased the founder (back in 1952) of the Tilford A full appreciation of the lives of Bach Festival to know that the these two outstanding musicians London Bach Society’s Bach- will appear in the next edition of Fest 2015 will later in the this Newsletter. It is nevertheless year once again be based at St fitting that we reflect, albeit George’s. briefly, on the considerable influ- Sites of the biblical events were Sunday 5th April identified and the appropriate Day liturgy or service was held in each 11am Sung Eucharist with re- geographical location. And this newal of baptismal vows gradually extended to the whole year, so that nearby Bethlehem, Fr Stebbing will preach at St the place of ’s birth was George’s on Good Friday and Easter equally a place of pilgrimage after Sunday as well as offering short the date of was finally meditations during a performance settled, rather later than in of Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Egeria’s time. Our Saviour on the Cross on Tues- day 31st March at 7pm. Members of Apart from the site of the crucifix- the congregation (but regretfully ion itself, the Holy Sepulchre, not their guests due to limited there remains to this day a possi- space) who wish to attend this con- ble site for the garden of Geth- cert, or the St Matthew Passion semane. Also the area on the should please inform the Verger, Mount of Olives associated with Seamus O’Hare by Friday 20th the Ascension, and most probable March. Contact details on page of all, the place where the Holy 16. Spirit descended upon the disci- The Rector, The Revd ples in the upper room on Mount Mothering Sunday is on Sunday 15th Roderick Leece, Zion. March and all children and families writes: as well as children from our St This idea of liturgical realism of re George’s Hanover Square School -enacting in a dynamic way the are warmly invited to join us for n the earliest Gospel, St final days of Christ’s life surged what are thrice yearly services I Mark, the final five chapters throughout Christendom, and re- where children are involved in in a total of sixteen concern mains for Christians today who leading worship/reading, and the the last week of Jesus’s life. In can partake spiritually in the rec- sermon geared to families with other words almost a third of reation of Jerusalem and Holy children at the Sung Eucharist at the text concern Holy Week, Week in their own parish church. 11am. Followed by customary re- the Great Week. Furthermore, it was this working freshments. Whitsunday on 24th backwards from Easter to Holy May is of course another Sunday The most ancient core is of Week that led ultimately to the when we extend a similar invita- course the greatest feast of all observance of the whole liturgical tion to celebrate Pentecost. the Easter Vigil. To which was year and the seasons we now re- added - working backwards - gard as standard. St George’s Patronal Festival will the , the three Holy be kept this year on Sunday 26th Days beginning on Maundy Fr Nicolas Stebbing CR will be April and the Sung Eucharist will be Thursday with the celebration preaching Holy Week both at St followed by a festive reception. of the Lord’s Supper. William George’s and at the Grosvenor Kent’s beautiful picture of the Chapel. He comes to us from the The Annual Parochial Church Last Supper of course gives St Community of the at Meeting will be on Wednesday 29th George’s Church its main focus. Mirfield and does a lot of work in April in St. George’s at 6.30pm and The Triduum continues on Good Zimbabwe supporting embattled is preceded by the Annual Vestry Friday with a celebration of the churches. Meeting to elect Churchwardens. Lord’s Passion and death. Please join us to hear reports and Holy week services: plans for the future.

We owe a huge amount to a th Gallic woman, Egeria, who Sunday 29 March Rogation Sunday is on 10th May and wrote about her travels to the (Remember, clocks go forward) after the Sung Eucharist there will Holy Land on pilgrimage around Palm Sunday Liturgy at 11.00am follow the traditional walk around the years 381-384. This is in- the boundaries of our parish of valuable because by this time Monday-Thursday Mayfair ‘Beating the Bounds’ and in late 4thC Palestine, the de- Holy Communion at 5.45pm we hope to join together some velopment of liturgical worship walkers from both St George’s and (that is Palm Sunday and Holy Friday 3rd April the Grosvenor Chapel. Week) had been established Good Friday and Egeria provides a first hand Liturgy of the Passion at 10 am Continued on page 15 account of practices and obser- St Matthew’s Passion by J.S. vance of liturgical seasons as Bach at 2.30pm (with sermon) they then existed in Jerusalem. Friday 13th March Services at 8.45am Morning Calm St George’s 12.10pm Holy Communion

Sunday 15th March Sunday 1st March Fourth Sunday in Lent Second Sunday in Lent 8.30am Holy Communion 8.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Sung Eucharist 11.00am Sung Eucharist Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Mass in G (Schubert) Missa Papae Marcelli (Palestrina) Lent Prose Lent Prose Ave Maria (Bruckner) O Lord in thy Wrath (Gibbons) Nachspiel (Bruckner Aus tiefer Not BWV 686 (Bach)

Monday 16th March Monday 2nd March 8.45am Morning Calm 8.45am Morning Calm 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Midday Prayer

Tuesday 17th March Tuesday 3rd March 8.45am Morning Calm 8.45am Morning Calm 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Midday Prayer Friday 27th March

Wednesday 18th March 8.45am Morning Calm Wednesday 4th March St Edward, 12.10pm Holy Communion 8.45am Morning Calm King of the West Saxons, 978 12.10pm Midday Prayer 8.45am Morning Calm Sunday 29th March 5.45pm Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer Palm Sunday

5.45pm Holy Communion 8.30am Holy Communion Thursday 5th March 11.00am Sung Eucharist 8.45am Morning Calm Thursday 19th March Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector 12.10pm Midday Prayer 8.45am Morning Calm Missa Brevis in D minor (Mozart)

12.10pm Midday Prayer Passion according to St Matthew Friday 6th March (Lassus) 8.45am Morning Calm Friday 20th March Pueri Hebraeorum (Victoria) 12.10pm Holy Communion 8.45am Morning Calm Valet will ich dir geben BWV 735

12.10pm Holy Communion (Bach) Sunday 8th March

Third Sunday in Lent Sunday 22nd March Monday 30th March 8.30am Holy Communion Passion Sunday Monday in Holy Week 11.00am Sung Eucharist 8.30am Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector 11.00am Sung Eucharist 5.45pm Midday Prayer Mass for four voices (Byrd) Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Lent Prose Missa Simile est regnum (Victoria) Tuesday 31st March Purge me O Lord (Tallis) Lent Prose Tuesday in Holy Week Ut re mi fa sol la (Byrd) Crucifixus (Lotti) 12.10pm Midday Prayer

Herzlich tut mich verlangen 5.45pm Holy Communion Monday 9th March BWV 727 (Bach) 7.00pm Seven Last Words of 8.45am Morning Calm Christ (Haydn) 12.10pm Midday Prayer Monday 23rd March (ticket only: Handel Festival box

8.45am Morning Calm office: 01460 54660 Tuesday 10th March 12.10pm Midday Prayer For further details see page 14) 8.45am Morning Calm

12.10pm Midday Prayer Tuesday 24th March Wednesday 1st April

8.45am Morning Calm Wednesday in Holy Week Wednesday 11th March 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Midday Prayer 8.45am Morning Calm 5.45pm Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer Wednesday 25th March 5.45pm Holy Communion The Annunciation of the BVM Thursday 2nd April

8.45am Morning Calm Maundy Thursday Thursday 12th March 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Midday Prayer St Gregory the Great, 5.45pm Holy Communion 5.45pm Holy Communion Bp of Rome, 604

8.45am Morning Calm Thursday 26th March 12.10pm Midday Prayer 8.45am Morning Calm

12.10pm Midday Prayer

rd th th Friday 3 April Sunday 19 April Monday 4 May Good Friday Second Sunday after Easter 12.10pm Midday Prayer 10.00am Good Friday Liturgy 8.30am Holy Communion th 2.30pm Vespers 11.00am Sung Eucharist Tuesday 5 May Preacher: The Revd Nicolas Steb- Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector 12.10pm Midday Prayer bing CR Missa sine nomine (Hassler) th St Matthew Passion (J S Bach) Ego sum panis vivus (Victoria) Wednesday 6 May (ticket only: Handel Festival box Prelude & Fugue in G BWV 541 St John the Evangelist ante office: 01460 54660 (Bach) Portam Latinam For further details see page 14) 12.10om Midday Prayer Monday 20th April 5.45pm Holy Communion Sunday 5th April 12.10pm Midday Prayer th EASTER DAY Thursday 7 May 8.30am Holy Communion Tuesday 21st April 12.10pm Midday Prayer 11.00am Sung Eucharist 12.10pm Midday Prayer th Celebrant & Preacher: The Revd Friday 8 May Nicolas Stebbing CR Wednesday 22nd April Julian of Norwich, Coronation Mass (Mozart) 12.10pm Midday Prayer Spiritual Writer, c 1417 Christus vincit 5.45pm Holy Communion 12.10pm Holy Communion Hallelujah (Handel) th Sun Dance (Chilcott) Thursday 23rd April Sunday 10 May 12.10pm Midday Prayer Fifth Sunday after Easter Monday 6th April Rogation Sunday No services Friday 24th April 8.30am Holy Communion 12.10pm Holy Communion 11.00am Sung Eucharist Tuesday 7th April Celebrant & Preacher: 12.10om Midday Prayer Sunday 26th April The Rector St George’s Patronal Festival Missa Iste Confessor (Palestrina) Wednesday 8th April 8.30am Holy Communion Os justi (Bruckner) 12.10pm Midday Prayer 11.00am Sung Eucharist Chant de joie (Langlais) 5.45pm Holy Communion Celebrant: The Rector Beating of the Bounds Preacher: th Thursday 9th April Williams in D Monday 11 May 12.10 pm Midday Prayer Anthem for St George (le Fleming) Rogation Day Paean (le Fleming) 12.10pm Midday Prayer Friday 10th April th 12.10pm Holy Communion Monday 27th April Tuesday 12 May 12.10pm Midday Prayer Rogation Day Sunday 12th April 12.10pm Midday Prayer First Sunday after Easter Tuesday 28th April th 8.30am Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer Wednesday 13 May 11.00am Sung Eucharist Rogation Day Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Wednesday 29th April 12.10om Midday Prayer Whitlock in G 12.10pm Midday Prayer 5.45pm Holy Communion Christus vincit 5.45pm Holy Communion th Sing joyfully (Byrd) Thursday 14 May Festive March (Smart) Thursday 30th April ASCENSION DAY 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Holy Communion Monday 13th April th 12.10pm Midday Prayer Friday 1st May Friday 15 May Ss Philip & James, Apostles 12.10pm Holy Communion Tuesday 14th April 12.10pm Holy Communion th 12.10pm Midday Prayer Sunday 17 May Sunday 3rd May Sunday after Ascension Wednesday 15th April Fourth Sunday after Easter 8.30am Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer 8.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Sung Eucharist 5.45pm Holy Communion 11.00am Sung Eucharist Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Missa Ascendens Christus Thursday 16th April Missa Brevis St Joannis de Deo (Victoria) 12.10pm Midday Prayer (Haydn) God is gone up (Finzi) Christus vincit Finale from Sunday Music (Eben) Friday 17th April O for a closer walk with God 12.10pm Holy Communion (Stanford) Grand Jeu (Du Mage)

rd Monday 18th May Wednesday 3 June Sunday 21st June 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10om Midday Prayer Third Sunday after Trinity 5.45pm Holy Communion 8.30am Holy Communion Tuesday 19th May 11.00am Sung Eucharist th St Dunstan, Thursday 4 June Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Archbishop of Canterbury, 12.10pm Midday Prayer Missa Brevis (Palestrina) Restorer of Monastic Life, 988 Thy word is a lantern (Purcell) th 12.10pm Midday Prayer Friday 5 June Lobe den Herren (Walther) St Boniface (Wynfrith) of Wednesday 20th May Crediton, Martyr, 754 Monday 22nd June 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer 5.45pm Holy Communion th Sunday 7 June Tuesday 23rd June Thursday 21st May First Sunday after Trinity 12.10pm Midday Prayer 5.45pm Midday Prayer 8.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Sung Eucharist Wednesday 24th June Friday 22nd May Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector The Birth of John the Baptist 12.10pm Holy Communion Stanford in C 12.10om Midday Prayer Ave verum corpus (Elgar) 5.45pm Holy Communion Sunday 24th May Imperial March (Elgar) Whit Sunday Thursday 25th June th 8.30am Holy Communion Monday 8 June 12.10pm Midday Prayer 11.00am Sung Eucharist 12.10pm Midday Prayer Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Friday 26th June th Missa Cantate Domino (Lobo) Tuesday 9 June 12.10pm Holy Communion Loquebantur variis linguis (Tallis) 12.10pm Midday Prayer Praeludium in G minor BuxWV 149 Sunday 28th June th (Buxtehude) Wednesday 10 June Fourth Sunday after Trinity 12.10om Midday Prayer 8.30am Holy Communion Monday 25th May 5.45pm Holy Communion 11.00am Sung Eucharist 12.10pm Midday Prayer Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector th Thursday 11 June Missa Brevis (Lennox Berkeley) Tuesday 26th May St Barnabas, the Apostle If ye love me (Tallis) St Augustine, 12.10pm Holy Communion Paen (Leighton) First Archbp of Canterbury, 605 th 12.10pm Midday Prayer Friday 12 June Monday 29th June 12.10pm Holy Communion St Peter, the Apostle Wednesday 27th May 12.10pm Holy Communion th The Venerable Bede, Sunday 14 June Monk of Jarrow, Scholar, 735 Second Sunday after Trinity Tuesday 30th June Ember Day 8.30am Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Midday Prayer 11.00am Sung Eucharist 5.45pm Holy Communion Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector Mass in E flat (Rheinberger) Thursday 28th May Beati quorum via (Stanford) 12.10pm Midday Prayer Allegro assai vivace from Sonata No 1 (Mendelssohn) Friday 29th May th Ember Day Monday 15 June 12.10pm Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer

th Sunday 31st May Tuesday 16 June Trinity Sunday 12.10pm Midday Prayer 8.30am Holy Communion th 11.00am Sung Eucharist Wednesday 17 June Celebrant & Preacher: The Rector St Alban, first British Martyr, c250 Spatzenmesse (Mozart) 12.10om Midday Prayer The heavens are telling (Haydn) 5.45pm Holy Communion Gloria tibi Trinitas (Bull) th Thursday 18 June Monday 1st June 12.10pm Midday Prayer 12.10pm Midday Prayer th Friday 19 June Tuesday 2nd June 12.10pm Holy Communion 12.10pm Midday Prayer versions. Giving, prayer and , now treated as a God-given gift, involve us in real relationships to to be enjoyed with temperance the world around us. At the same and discernment. We know that time, Lent does require a contem- the cultivation of such a sensibility plative reflectiveness on those rela- has a much wider impact on the tionships, and our attitudes, dispo- earth than merely the tedium of sitions and motivations towards our daily culinary routine. It re- them. None of the practices are to lates to how we treat animals, be merely mechanical or about how food is produced, how it is show or function. These practices shared and distributed in the take us out of ourselves and to- world at large. wards God, in an engagement with With all these practices, then, a the world. So, in giving, we think of space is created for God to be God the world beyond ourselves that again in our lives; for the creation merits our attention. Giving gener- to be God’s creation again, and to From Ashes to the Living ates humility, as we realise that we be delighted in by us; and, indeed, only give what we have already Font: Lent to Easter. for us, to be ourselves again, be- been given. It stimulates selfless loved children of God. So in Lent Fr Richard Fermer writes: action: giving that counts neither we hold two things together. First, the cost, nor the reward. In this, we we recall the story of how God ent invites us on a journey. find ourselves imitating and partici- loves us, how He forgives us, how L Some journeys we make can pating in how God is, how His love He wants the best for us, like the be quite haphazard: a stroll in the works and so are changed by it. father of the prodigal son. Yet, countryside; a care-free tour of a equally, Lent is a story about how Likewise in prayer, once we move particular region, with no desig- that world, and we too, rejected beyond prayer as merely the per- nated itinerary. The joy is just to that love. Of course, in Holy Week sonal cry of last resort, we discover roam. Lent is not quite like that: it and at Easter we see that God re- that it leads us not only into a great is a journey with a purpose, with fuses to be put off by our rejec- solidarity with and compassion for an end, namely, to prepare us for tion. Nonetheless, the world is still the world around us, but a truly the great journey that Jesus makes marked by that rejection. We can- attentive listening to God. In true during His Passion and in His Res- not straightforwardly affirm the prayer, we prepare a space for God urrection. Yet, at the same time, world, or even ourselves for that to indwell us, and so change us. We there is no cartographic map, with matter, as it and we now are. As may never hear verbal responses to clear stopping points on the way Geoffrey Preston O.P. once put it: our prayer – God does not man the and measures of progress along a “We have to share in God’s “yes” telephone lines– but we will find designated route. We are, after to the world: but that “Yes” is that in the light of the space cre- all, meant to be in the desert! always for us a “Yes, ated in prayer, we will begin to see Rather, it is more of an inner jour- but”.”(Hallowing the Time, p. 71) ourselves more truthfully and recog- ney. How can we be ready to fol- Fasting is an example of the nise how, slowly and unexpectedly, low Jesus on His great journey, if “but”. At the same time, fasting things just slot into place, as the is part of a larger “yes”, for it is a we are not prepared ourselves? hand of the Invisible Healer does its sign of our expectation of the Like those forty-days of Jesus in work. feast that is to come in the new the desert, Lent is not so much creation. When we abstain in about how much terrain is cov- Fasting is very much about the rela- Lent, the negation is not the ered, as our ability to discern tionship of spirit, mind and body. It point. Rather we should be moti- God’s will in our lives. That can trains us to distinguish our needs vated by an affirmation, namely, often take us through a consider- from our wants. When we fast or that we are preparing for a “Yes” able degree of disorientation, as I abstain we give ourselves the to God and His good creation, pre- am sure Jesus himself felt in the chance to discover what our real paring to sing the “Alleluia” of desert. needs are. We detoxify the insensi- Easter Day! bility that has built up in us through The three traditional elements of our taking things for granted, being Lenten practice (Mark 6. 1-6, 16- controlled by our habits and always 21) – almsgiving, prayer and fast- grasping what we desire. Re- ing –mean that any inner journey sensitised by fasting, our food is of Lent can never be mere intro- Thursday 2nd April Services at Grosvenor Maundy Thursday Chapel 7.00pm Solemn Mass of the Last Supper Preacher: The Revd Nicolas Stebbing CR Missa Brevis (Palestrina) In addition to the Sunday Sung Ave verum corpus (Lassus) Eucharist detailed here, a said Ubi caritas (Duruflé) Eucharist is celebrated each The Lamentation of Jeremiah Thursday morning at 8.00am (Tallis) and every day (Monday to Fri- Friday 3rd April day) Daily Prayer is said at Good Friday 12.30pm. 12.00 noon The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion Preacher: Sunday 1st March The Revd Nicolas Stebbing CR Sunday 10th May Second Sunday of Lent The St John Passion (Plainsong) The Sixth Sunday of Easter 11.00am Sung Eucharist Crux fidelis (John of Portugal) 11.00am Sung Eucharist Preacher: The Revd Neil Bunker The Reproaches (Sanders) Missa Octavi Toni (Lassus) Missa Congratulamini mihi Tenebrae factae sunt (Poulenc) Sing joyfully (Byrd) (Guerrero) Ubi caritas et amor (Duruflé) Salvator Mundi (Tallis) Sunday 5th April Easter Day Thursday 14th May Sunday 8th March 6.00am Dawn Mass Ascension Day Third Sunday of Lent Preacher: 7.00pm Sung Eucharist 11.00am Sung Eucharist The Revd Nicolas Stebbing CR Missa Ascendens Christus Preacher: 11.00 Sung Eucharist (Victoria) The Revd Dr Richard Fermer (with orchestra) Ascendit Deus (Phillips) Missa Qual’e el piu (Palestina) Preacher: Adolescentulus sum ego (Mundy) The Revd Dr Richard Fermer Sunday 17th May O sons and daughters The Sunday after Ascension Sunday 15th March (Walford Davies) 11.00am Sung Eucharist Fourth Sunday of Lent Mass in C (Schubert) Missa Collegium Regale (Howells) Mothering Sunday Surrexit pastor bonus (Schütz) God is gone up (Finzi) 11.00am Sung Eucharist Concerto for two trumpets (Vivaldi) O taste and see Preacher: (Vaughan Williams) The Revd Dr Richard Fermer Sunday 12th April Communion Service in E (Darke) The Second Sunday of Easter Sunday 24th May As truly as God is our Father 11.00am Sung Eucharist Pentecost (Mathias) Hymns and organ music 11.00am Sung Eucharist Missa Brevis:Tongues of Fire Sunday 22nd March Sunday 19th April (Cecilia McDowall) Fourth Sunday of Lent The Third Sunday of Easter Loquebantur variis linguis (Tallis) 11.00am Sung Eucharist 11.00am Sung Eucharist Preacher: Missa Paschalis (Lassus) Sunday 31st May The Revd Dr Richard Fermer Christus resurgens ex mortuis Trinity Sunday Missa je prens en gres (Lassus) (Phillips) 11.00am Sung Eucharist O vos homnes (White) Communion Service in C & F Sunday 26th April (Stanford) Sunday 29nd March The Fourth Sunday of Easter A Hymn to the Trinity (Leighton) Palm Sunday 11.00am Sung Eucharist 10:45 Exchange of Palms with Farm Missa Brevis in C K259 (Mozart) Sunday 7th June Street Church Alleluia, I heard a voice (Weelkes) The First Sunday after Trinity 11.00am Sung Eucharist 11.00am Sung Eucharist Preacher: Sunday 3rd May Missa Pater noster (Palestrina) The Revd Nicolas Stebbing CR The Fifth Sunday of Easter O sacrum convivium (Tallis) Hosanna to the Son of David 11.00am Sung Eucharist (Weelkes) Missa Brevis (Hobson) Sunday 14th June Missa Bell’ Amfitrit’ altera (Lassus) Vinea mea electa (Poulenc) The Second Sunday after Trinity St Matthew Passion (Victoria) 11.00am Sung Eucharist Christus factus est (Bruckner) Mass for Four Voices (Monteverdi) Jesus Christ, the apple tree (Poston) work, as the global and the local Lent Course come together. Nowhere is this more true than in this area of Citizens of a Global City London which is Mayfair. It is home to people from all over the The Lent Course in 2015, shared be- globe of widely different cultures tween St John’s Hyde Park, St and faiths engaging in an aston- George’s Hanover Square and the ishing array of activities from Grosvenor Chapel, will be focused on hospitality to high finance and the theme of some of the challenges everything from selling fast cars that living in a global city, such as and luxury goods to magazines London, present, and what Christian and pianos in between. Within thought and practice might have to this array of diversity it is impor- say in addressing them. We are also tant for the Church not only to seeking to invite members of our be present, but actively reaching local communities to respond to out to explore our many sub- some of the talks so that our Lent communities and different iden- Course is not merely an “in house” tities while also encouraging us Sunday 21st June Christian discussion group, but seek- to remember our spiritual roots The Third Sunday after Trinity ing engagement with the local com- and to be grounded in faith 11.00am Sung Eucharist munity. The challenges we are ad- Missa S Johannes de Deo (Haydn) dressing have been identified as ap- In a Mayfair which is fast becom- Ascendente in naviculum (de Wert) plying to our two , if not ex- ing a global village where the clusively so. world comes to London, there is a clear need to find ways of fos- Sunday 28th June Details will be found on the facing tering dialogue and to help pro- The Fourth Sunday after Trinity page. mote greater cohesion, harmony 11.00am Sung Eucharist and integration: in short ‘to build Mass for Four Voices (Byrd) community’ and understand each Siderum rector (Byrd) other better. The Lent course Citizens of a Global City: for 2015 explores what it means

The Challenges of Lent to be citizens of a global city and aims to help us reflect on several The Revd Canon Alistair dimensions of the issues raised. These will range from how we Macdonald-Radcliff writes:- think theologically about the concept of the city, through to The World has just made a funda- the role of money in the good mental transition, as the percentage life, and the practical impact of of the global population that lives in living out multiple identities and cities instead of the countryside has living within the tension between risen past 50%. This means that the the local and the global. We con- future for mankind is increasingly clude by looking even at the urban which poses both challenges challenge of avoiding the soulless and opportunities for the cultural, in the architecture of the lived spiritual and religious context of our environment. All this promises lives. to be both a fascinating and re- warding part of Lent. To coin a We live amidst the pressures of a phrase: if variety is the spice of profound globalization that risks sub- life then here is plenty for a Lent merging identities in an amorphous that will be far from bland. whole but which has led, in re- sponse, to the renewal of local and Canon Alistair Macdonald- regional identities that can some- Radcliff, assists at the Grosvenor times even seem to compete with Chapel and works in the domain those of nation states. In the midst of interfaith relations. of all this, has come a resurgence of cities as a focus of identity with a

prominence perhaps unequalled since the times of the city states in Renaissance Europe or ancient Greece.

Among these new dynamics we find overlapping and competing identities which play out where we live and

Prisons Mission mind’. Despite this, participants prisons, despite the fact that have found that an environment, record numbers are being sent to which seemed very strange and even prison in our name. At St John Plummer (Prisons Mis- hostile in the beginning, is becoming George's we have tried to sion Co-ordinator) & John more familiar and a little less achieve this through regular re- Rowland write: threatening. In fact, it is proving for ports to the PCC and notices about developments at services. participants to be a practical way to Importantly, we also marked Key facts minister to a vulnerable part of our society. Prisons Week at SGHS in Novem-  85,000 men, women and ber last year. The Prisons Mission compiled and circulated a new children are remanded or Mission participants have been regu- larly visiting our pilot prison, HMP collection of prayers and sug- serving custodial sentences Wandsworth, offering support to gested sermons about prisons for in and Wales members of its chaplaincy team. use by CTiW member churches. This support can involve attending This was used during a special  This has doubled in 20 worship in the prison chapel, assist- service on 16th November and prayers were led by Prisons Mis- years and is extremely high ing with bible studies, or visiting prisoners on a wing at the request of sion participants. This provoked by EU standards. one of the chaplains. Some partici- many questions from worship- pants have received training and pers, the most common of which  The National Offender entered a formal befriending pro- was: "What can I do to help?" Management Service em- gramme. Befrienders mentor prison- It is an important question. In ploys 44,000 staff at 131 ers before and after discharge, help them with housing and employment the coming the coming weeks the prisons and support their resettlement in three pilot churches (SGHS, St the world outside. One member is James's Piccadilly and Farm  The cost of each prison advising new prison volunteers on Street Jesuit Centre) will be in- place ranges from £35,000 the functions of magistrates’ courts vited to increase the number of participants from three to six. to £200,000 p.a. as part of the induction process for new visitors. We will therefore be looking for

more volunteers from SGHS to  There are 14 prisons in the Our support is important and val- join the Mission. If you are in- London region ued. Chaplaincy teams function un- terested in finding out more, der considerable pressure. They please do not hesitate to con- tact us.  More than 15,000 London- have a statutory duty to visit, every

ers are held in prisons, day, all prisoners who are officially Looking forward, three or four many far from home designated as especially vulnerable. more churches will be invited to These include men who are consid- formally engage with the initia- hurches Together in Westmin- ered to be at risk of suicide and self tive. We would also like to ex- ster (CTiW) agreed to a pilot -harm. Chaplains have particular C tend the project to Pentonville of a new Prisons Mission at its 2014 responsibilities in respect of the and Wormwood Scrubs prisons, AGM. SGHS has been instrumental death of offenders, or those who with discussions currently under- in driving the Mission forward as a experience bereavement. This has way with their chaplains. If the founder member. Three members become an increasingly heavy load rate of progress is maintained, it of our congregation have partici- as suicides in prisons have increased might be feasible to extend the pated, along with John Plummer, sharply in recent years. Staff cuts in mission to others among the 14 who is the Mission’s coordinator. the prison service are having a se- London prisons, including those We would like to report on the pro- vere impact on the wellbeing of at which children and women are gress we have made in the first prison officers and prisoners. In- detained. We hope that prison year, and give a sense of what the mates are locked in cells for up to chaplains will sometimes attend mission involves – particularly for 23 hours each day, causing yet more member churches either to those who may be considering get- frustration and aggression. It is preach to discuss prison issues. ting involved themselves. against this background that the Finally, with the continuing sup- Prisons Mission endeavours to sup- port of our congregation, we can It is worth saying at the outset that port chaplains providing such impor- all become better informed it is somewhat different from tant pastoral care. about the prisons system. We other, more familiar forms of mis- may even one day be proud that sion such as hospital visiting As well as supporting at the coal- our church has been twinned schemes. Most of us have some face, the Prisons Mission also seeks with one of London’s huge pris- personal experience of hospitals to foster greater understanding of ons. and they are not generally consid- our prisons amongst church congre- ered hostile or strange gations. Most members of the - (A copy of the report on the Pris- places. Hospitals do not operate lic, including priests and churchgo- ons Mission which was presented under alien rules and, unlike pris- ing Christians, know very little to the CTiW AGM can be found ons, are not ‘out of sight and out of about life behind the walls of British at www.ctiw.london)

th Thursday 19 March LONDON HANDEL FESTIVAL 2015 7.00pm Solomon’s Knot & Les Passions de l’Arne

DIARY OF EVENTS Tuesday 24th March AT ST GEORGE’S & GROSVENOR CHAPEL 1.10pm Organ recital: Robin Walker

Wednesday 25th March 1.00pm Lunchtime recital: Neil McLean & Laurence Cummings

Thursday 26th March 1.00pm Lunchtime concert: Royal College of Music Baroque

Friday 27th March 1.00pm Lunchtime recital: Ewa Gubanska

Tuesday 31st March Grosvenor Chapel 1.10pm Lunchtime concert: Grosvenor Chapel Choir St George’s 7.00pm: Seven Last Words of Christ (Haydn) Further details: page 14

Friday 3rd April 2.30pm St Matthew Passion (Bach) Further details: page 14

Tuesday 7th April 1.10pm Organ recital: Andrew Benson-Wilson 7.00pm The Dragon of Wantley (Lampe)

Wednesday 8th April All performances take place at St George’s unless 1.00pm Lunchtime recital: Maria Valdmaa otherwise specified. 7.00pm Red Priest

Tuesday 10th March Thursday 9th April 1.10pm Organ recital: Simon Williams 6.00pm Handel Singing Competition semi-final 4.00pm Talk on Semele by Dr Ruth Smith

A performance of Semele takes place at the Queen Friday 10th April Elizabeth Hall at 7.00pm 1.00pm Lunchtime recital: Timothy Nelson

Thursday 12th March Monday 13th April 1.00pm Lunchtime concert: 1.00pm Lunchtime recital: Edward Grint Trinity Laban Baroque Ensemble

Tuesday 14th April Friday 13th March Grosvenor Chapel 1.00pm Lunchtime concert: 1.10pm Organ recital: Richard Hobson Guildhall School Cantata Ensemble

Thursday 16th April Monday 16th March 7.00pm Odiessa & Suzana Ograjenšek 1.00pm Lunchtime recital: Susanna Fairbairn

7.00pm Film: God rot Tonbridge Wells Friday 17th April

7.00pm Southbank Sinfonia Baroque Tuesday 17th March

Grosvenor Chapel Monday 20th April 1.10pm Organ recital: Weston Jennings 7.00pm Handel Singing Competition final St George’s

7.00pm: Catone in Utica (Handel) Further information and booking information may

be found on the Handel Festival website:

www.london-handel-festival.com MAYFAIR ORGAN CONCERTS

a weekly series of lunchtime organ concerts at St George’s Church, Hanover Square & Grosvenor Chapel Tuesdays 1.10 – 1.50pm

May 12 March 3 Grosvenor Chapel St George’s Christopher Strange John Keys (St Mary’s, Nottingham) (Organ Scholar, Grosvenor Chapel)

March 10* May 19 St George’s St George’s Simon Williams (St George’s) Christopher Bragg

March 17* May 26 Grosvenor Chapel Grosvenor Chapel Weston Jennings (Organ Scholar, Richard Hobson with Chelmsford Cathedral) Moyra Montagu (oboe) with Apollo Baroque Consort

June 2 March 24* St George’s St George’s Jonathan Bunney Robin Walker (St Giles in the Fields) (Assistant Director of Music, St George’s,

Hanover Square) June 9

Grosvenor Chapel March 31* Robin Walker Grosvenor Chapel (Assistant Director of Music, Grosvenor Chapel Choir St George’s, Hanover Square) Music for Holy Week

June 16 April 7* St George’s St George’s Tim Wakerell (Assistant Organist, New Andrew Benson Wilson College, )

April 14* June 23 Grosvenor Chapel Grosvenor Chapel James Johnstone Charles Andrews (Professor, Guildhall and Trinity Laban) (Assistant Organist,

All Margaret Street) May 5

St George’s June 29 Peter King (Bath Abbey) St George’s

Jemima Stephenson (Assistant Director

of Music, St Michael’s, Cornhill)

HAYDN BACH SEVEN STRING QUARTETS, OP 51 ST MATTHEW PASSION ‘SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST’

Help needed

St George’s is looking for a flexi- ble, appropriately qualified per- Nathan Vale Evangelist son to lend a hand in the Vestry George Humphreys Christus & arias for up to six hours a week. Introduzione – Sonata I: Largo Sonata Anna Dennis soprano You will need to be IT literate, have some experience of office II: Grave e cantabile Sonata Alexandra Gibson mezzo-soprano administration and be able to III: Grave Sonata Laurence Cummings conductor operate independently. IV: Largo Sonata London Handel Orchestra (Adrian Precise tasks will be agreed with Butterfield leader) V: Adagio Sonata the successful candidate but are Choir of St George’s likely to include the maintenance VI: Lento Sonata of Gift Aid records, the mainte- The London Handel Festival’s an- VII: Largo – Il Terremoto nance of our database and donor nual performance of Bach’s St Mat- records and the processing of REVOLUTIONARY DRAWING ROOM thew Passion, sung in German and returns to the Performing Right Adrian Butterfield violin set in the context of Vespers. Society. Kathryn Parry violin FRIDAY 3 APRIL 2.30PM Rachel Stott viola The number and flexibility of Ruth Alford cello working hours will be open to The Revolutionary Drawing Room discussion. currently celebrating its 25th anni- versary, performs Haydn’s set of Remuneration will be competi- reflective and dramatic movements tive. illustrating the Seven Words of the Saviour on the Cross. Commissioned If you think you might be inter- as a passion for the Cathedral at ested and would like further in- Cadiz, it was originally scored for full orchestra, and was intended as in- formation, please be in touch strumental music for reflection on with Stephen Wikner, Parish Ad- the words delivered by the Bishop. ministrator whose contact details Haydn later made arrangements of are on the back page of this the piece for string quartet, for Newsletter. fortepiano and eventually also as an oratorio with SATB soloists and choir. The Revolutionary Drawing Room performs the string quartet arrange- ment with readings. TUESDAY 31st MARCH 7.00PM

HYDE PARK PLACE ESTATE CHARITY

CIVIL TRUSTEES

At their meeting on Wednesday 26th November, the Civil Trustees of the Hyde Park Place Estate Charity awarded grants totalling £50,435 to the following organisations working in the :

The Salvation Army Trinity Hospice London Music Masters Pimlico Toy Library

Action for Children Continued from page 2 Octavia Foundation Dates for diaries: Motability Eden Brunel Marriage Renewal on Sunday 12th July Crisis UK St John’s Hospice Baptism Renewal on Sunday 20th September Vital Regeneration The Food Chain The Royal Society of St George are invited to join us Cardinal Hume Centre for their Annual Parade Ser- St George’s School vice on Sunday 11th October

St George’s Hanover Square - Refreshment Coupons for the Homeless: Marriage Preparation Day for Engaged Couples arranged jointly with the Grosvenor The next meeting of the Civil Trustees will be held on Wednesday th th th Chapel on Saturday 20 June. 25 February. A further meeting will be held on Wednesday 27 May th (application deadline: Monday 11 May). There are daily prayers in

church, Monday – Friday at 12.10pm The Mid Day Office is said on most days, but with ECCLESIASTICAL TRUSTEES the Eucharist on Fridays and Saints Days. Please join us if you are in the area. A total of £43,385 was awarded in grants at the Ecclesiastical Trus- tees’ meeting held on Sunday 23rd November, for the benefit of the churches and clergy based in the original historic parish of St George’s Hanover Square. The next meeting will be held on Sunday 31st May (application deadline: Monday 18th May)

THE COMPLETE ORGAN WORKS OF J S BACH

On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 24th September and 31st October 2015, Margaret Phillips will perform the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach on St George’s Richards Fowkes organ. Full details of these recitals will be given in the July edition of this Newsletter. PARISH OF ST GEORGE, HANOVER SQUARE

St George’s Church The Vestry, 2A Mill Street, London W1S 1FX Tel: 020 7629 0874 Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.stgeorgeshanoversquare.org

St George’s Hanover Square Foundation Email: [email protected]

Hyde Park Place Estate Charity Email: [email protected]

Grosvenor Chapel 24 South Audley Street, London W1K 2PA Tel: 020 7499 1684 Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.grosvenorchapel.org.uk