the bulletin a monthly newsletter published by The Annunciation Marble Arch.

MayWelcome Editorial. to The Bulletin! The Centenary Concert. By Father Gerald Beauchamp. Saturday 7 June at 7.00pm (please be seated by 6.50pm)

June marks the centenary of the Music in Honour of Our Lady is the title chosen by Christopher Saward for the concert Annunciation Marble Arch. What a that he is organising to mark the Centenary. Besides members of our own choir the century it has been since the church was singers will include ExColl. ExColl is made up of former members of the Chapel Choirs consecrated. The world of 2014 is very of Jesus College, Cambridge and the present group spans some twenty years’ different to what it was in 1914. Our membership of those choirs. ExColl has sung extensively in cathedrals and has given forebears probably wouldn’t know where concerts in many parts of the UK and abroad. On 7 June ExColl will be under the to start with a smart phone. direction of Simon Lovell-Jones.

Yet for all the differences there are things The programme will feature music spanning 500 years from Thomas Tallis (1505 – 1585) that remain the same: one of these is to Henryk Górecki (1933 – 2010). The highlight of the evening will be Spem in alium by hope in the face of hubris. We can all get Tallis. This is a motet with parts for 40 voices (eight choirs of five voices each) and is above ourselves sometimes. Expectation generally recognised as one of the greatest choral pieces in English music. The text of exceeds reality. Fantasy takes over and the motet comes from the Book of Judith: we come crashing to the ground. I have never put my hope in any other but in You, O God of Israel Those who hurriedly finished off the who can show both anger and graciousness, church to make it watertight in 1914 and who absolves all the sins of suffering man. expected the war to be over by Christmas Lord God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, be mindful of our lowliness and for life to return to normal. No expense was spared on the original Tickets are £20 on the door and the evening will include a glass of wine. Please come to construction and you can still see those what will be a most memorable evening. parts of the church where the money ran out and the plans of Walter Tapper the This Year’s PCC. architect were not fully realised. This year the Parochial Church Council Yet it is this messy and provisional state (PCC) held its Annual Meeting on a that makes the church what it is and weekday evening instead of a Sunday where it is. Originally you could see the after mass. With many more children at church from the park but the building of church it is difficult to get through a the Cumberland Hotel obscured the view. business meeting easily but the downside was that fewer people came. Experience Tapper’s glorious conception shown in says however that Annual Meetings only this early water colour (right) of the usually draw a crowd when there is a exterior after a rain shower speaks of problem so the PCC hopes that the low hope beyond calamity. turnout indicates that most people are happy with the way in which life here is Human tragedy is never far from the progressing. Elected to Office to serve church’s doors. One visitor wrote in the for 2014/2015 are: visitors’ book recently: ‘Pray that I may resist suicide’. Churchwardens : Niel Pama and Vladka Thwaites; PCC Members : Jonathan That is why the church is here. For a Exten-Wright , Marielle Garland , Matthew century the Annunciation has stood for Hart, Brian Hilton, Laurie Laird, Gavin hope. It is my prayer that our generation Monk, Karen Naughton, Steve Philips , will make sure that it stands for a century Cynthia Ramsay, Sherry Robbins, Simon more. Thwaites; Deanery Synod : Tim Carnegie, Enrico Tassinari. Nigel Campbell (on St Yours in Christ Cyprian’s Electoral Roll) was co-opted to be a non-voting member and therefore eligible to represent the Annunciation on the governing body of Hampden Gurney School.

The Parish Church of The Annunciation Marble Arch, Bryanston St,, W1H 7AH | www.annunciationmarblearch.org.uk 1 TheWelcome Centenary to The Mass… Bulletin! Conversations with … Madeleine Ladell. Who is coming? Sunday 15 June,10.30am. I started singing in the Annunciation choir about twenty Presiding and preaching at the Mass on “years ago as a ‘Dep’ - a deputy for a singer who is ill or Sunday 15 June will be the of away. Over the years I returned regularly and now I London, the Rt Revd & Rt Hon Richard seem to have become a permanent member. We’re a Chartres DD KCVO. close-knit group of five voices, with a repertoire ranging became the 132nd in from reflective plainsong and exquisite 16 th -century November 1995. polyphonic motets to exciting contemporary settings; I think it reflects our dedication to keeping our rich Richard was educated at Hertford heritage of liturgical musical alive and yet constantly Grammar School and studied history at evolving. Everything is held together by the superb Trinity College Cambridge. Before musicianship and wonderful improvisations of ordination he taught Ancient History at the Christopher Saward, our Director of Music. International School in Seville. He was ordained in 1973 and served as a curate As the daughter of a church organist, I was seven when I (finally!) convinced my father I in St Andrew's Bedford. had sufficient maturity to join the parish choir. I went on to become Head Chorister, studied music in universities then started working in music publishing. After cutting my He moved to St Stephen's Rochester Row editorial teeth on the Grove Dictionary of Music , I edited books and scores (including in the in 1984. During the music in Common Worship – those chanted Eucharistic Prayers that Father Gerald eight years in the parish he also served as sings so elegantly), copied new music too complex (then) to be typeset by computer, Director of Ordinands for the Central Area transcribed pop songs from recordings and wrote about classical music for the BBC. and as Gresham Professor of Divinity. He was consecrated Bishop of on 22 But despite having a variety of work, I found offices stultifying and working freelance May 1992. from home isolating. I needed something more physical and creative, which is when I somehow discovered clay. I studied pottery at evening classes and soon morphed from After his move to the see of London, student to teacher. Now I pay my rent by heading the Ceramics Department at a busy RIchard was appointed Dean of HM inner-London college of further education where I’m privileged to teach adults ranging Chapels Royal in 1996 and a Privy from those with learning disabilities to advanced students. One day a week I teach Counsellor. This accounts for the curious pottery to young children in a school. Weekends tend to be packed with singing, much fact that the Bishop of London is the only of it in churches and synagogues. bishop who bears the title 'Right Honourable' in addition to the usual 'Right The Annunciation, and particularly its music, provides a much-needed contrast to the Reverend'. He is an ex officio member of noisy demands and clay-covered earthiness of my weekdays. I love the friendliness “ the House of Lords. and diversity to be found among regulars and visitors, the range of ages now present, and how so many are working hard to accommodate the varying needs of all who He is married to Caroline, a freelance attend. May it go from strength to strength! writer, and they have four children: Alexander, Sophie, Louis and Clio. “Who Else is Coming” cont…. Who Else Is Coming? of Marylebone that was increasingly carved up as the area was urbanised in the Among other clergy invitees are those who nineteenth century. have served at the Annunciation in the past including Fr Alan Moses, the Area Lay church representatives will include Penny Greenwood - Penny (Lay Chair Deanery Dean, Bishop Michael Marshall and Fr Synod), the Churchwardens of St Cyprian’s Clarence Gate, Mary Ashwin and Mary Soon Han Choi. Fr Soon was ordained as Lumetta. Previous members of the congregation Dilip and Helen Varma have said that a priest in New York when he was working they will be present. Patrick Walker has put the church in touch with John Winnington- at the Church of the Heavenly Rest with Ingram, a relative of the Bishop of London who consecrated the church in 1914. He and Bishop Michael. his wife will be with us. From local civic life it is hoped that the Mayor and some of the local councillors will be attending. Michael Gray, the General Manager of the Churchill Fr Stephen Evans, the Rector of Hotel is coming and so is Michael Bolt, Chair of the Marylebone Association. Marylebone will be in choir. Geographically the parish of the Those who have a strong interest in the church building itself including Colin Kerr, the Annunciation was part of the large parish current inspecting architect and John Whitworth of the Tapper Society will be present.

The Parish Church of The Annunciation Marble Arch, Bryanston St,, W1H 7AH | www.annunciationmarblearch.org.uk 2