Annual Review 2018 Southwell Minster Annual Review 2018 | 1 the Dean’S Welcome
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Southwell Minster The Cathedral and Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Annual Review 2018 Southwell Minster Annual Review 2018 | 1 The Dean’s Welcome ‘Cathedrals are spectacular and wonderful the uncertainty of current national and world expressions of the mission of God in His events. So much of our ministry is hidden and world… Cathedrals ‘do God’ in ways that rarely we know in what ways the Holy Spirit resonate uniquely with aspects of contemporary touches lives through a visit to the Minster. culture… Cathedrals bring something unique and wonderful to Church and nation’. Words Mrs Adele Poulson, Cathedral Administrator, from the opening paragraphs of the most arrived in March and quickly settled in to significant report on English Cathedrals in her new role, working energetically with over 25 years. The Cathedrals Working Group Chapter in our focus on sound management Report, published in June 2018, highlighted of resources, people as well as property and both the wonderful opportunities Cathedrals finance to support our mission and vison for have to make an impact for the Christian the future. Chapter said goodbye and thank faith in the public sphere, and yet also named you to Dr Hugh Middleton as an elected truthfully the challenges of ensuring financial Parish Representative, and in July welcomed sustainability, effective management, good Mr Andrew Corner to this role. Canon governance and visionary leadership. Jacqui Jones left in July to take up a new post in Chelmsford diocese and more of her As I reflect on 2018, I am confident that contribution over 15 years is celebrated in the Southwell Minster is travelling in the right Worship and Liturgy section. direction in addressing these issues while holding our primary calling as a place of As Dean, I enjoy being fully involved in the prayer, worship, hospitality, gathering, Diocese as a member of the Bishop’s Senior engagement and community at the very Staff, Bishop’s Council, Diocesan Synod and core of our mission. This Annual Report I am excited by the ways in which parishes celebrates the remarkable achievements of are responding to the vision of ‘Growing the Cathedral’s staff and volunteers who Disciples: wider, younger, deeper’. In my visits have ‘gone the extra mile’ to ensure that we to parish churches and Deanery Synods I find do all to the best of our ability. Memorable lively expressions of Christian faith, love and moments for me included saying “thank you service extending out of the church doors into for all you do” in hosting 300 volunteers over the community. The Cathedral is the heart of two tea parties in the Walled Garden on a a diverse and outward focused Diocese and glorious July afternoon. In contrast, it was the together we seek to work tirelessly to make year of deeply moving commemorations for Christ known in changing times. the town and county in November marking As you read through this Annual Review, the Centenary of the Armistice and later that we hope you will join us in being inspired, month preaching for the Vote 100 for Women encouraged and hopeful for the future. service, with beautiful music sung by the Girls’ Choir. Thank you for your support. Improved communication has also The Very Revd Nicola Sullivan, characterised our focus. Mr Glenn Formoy’s Dean of Southwell arrival as Head of Marketing and Events has Tel: 01636 817282 (Dean’s PA) channelled vital resources into more income Email: [email protected] generating events, a new website, an increased presence on social media and a higher quality and broader distribution of printed promotional material. Visitor numbers have increased by 7.9% to over 57,000, and with exciting progress during the development phase of the Chapter House Leaves Project, we are confident that we can attract many more visitors. Visitors frequently comment on the quality of welcome, the tranquillity of building and its environs, and the sense of the Minster being a place of prayer. One wrote after coming to the stunning Threads Through Revelation exhibition in the Autumn Artist Jacqui Parkinson introduces Threads Through Revelation Walk of Remembrance that she felt renewed in hope in the face of 2 | Southwell Minster Annual Review 2018 Worship and Liturgy Canon Jacqui Jones left in June to take up department over a few weeks of transition. her new post as priest in charge of Danbury The arrival of Mr Erik Sharman (also a Lay and Little Baddow, returning to her former Clerk) in September helped in bringing a diocese of Chelmsford after 15 years as fresh approach into the department and Canon Precentor. At her farewell service on together with the Rector Chori and Assistant Sunday 3 June we expressed our gratitude Director of Music we have worked hard to and affection for Jacqui’s ministry, which produce the services which characterise the touched not only the Minster’s congregations Cathedral’s rich liturgical year. In both the but reached far into the Diocese and across one off specials such as the County World the county, over the years working with War One Commemoration in November three Bishops and three Deans, many and in the ‘day in and day out’ of Cathedral changes of staff and countless choristers worship we seek to offer all to the praise and organ scholars. Tribute was paid to and glory of the living God, and we see lives the establishment of the Friday Lunchtime transformed and renewed as worshippers recitals, her encouragement of the creative touch something of the beauty and mystery arts in the Minster, the development of of the divine. the Advent Procession, Queen’s Birthday Service, the Animal Blessing Service and the In February we made a small change to Palm Sunday Procession jointly with Our the times of midweek services; Evensong Lady of Victories. Jacqui’s imaginative and 15 minutes earlier at 5.30pm (prompted by sensitive intercessions, poems and Pilgrim’s the change in the school day) and Morning Guide will be long remembered. A coach full Prayer on Tuesday – Friday at 7.30am and of supporters from Southwell travelled to Holy Communion at 8am. This has been Danbury to attend the memorable Licensing generally welcomed. Service on 12 July, conducted by the Bishop of Chelmsford. The Very Revd Nicola Sullivan, Ms Jasmine Oakes, Liturgy and Music Dean of Southwell Assistant, also left in June to take up a new Tel: 01636 817282 (Dean’s PA) appointment at St Martin in the Fields, Email: [email protected] London, so there was much pressure on the Remembrance Sunday poppy drop Southwell Minster Annual Review 2018 | 3 Cathedral Choirs Our musicians have been tremendously busy was the RSCM Festival Service and, for the throughout 2018, ensuring a high quality first time, the girl choristers took part in this of music-making within our rich pattern of uplifting occasion, having also travelled to liturgies. The boy and girl choristers continue Coventry for another Four Choirs Evensong. to thrive, as do the lay clerks. There have also been a few changes in personnel, moving us The autumn term of course saw the positively into the future. commemorations marking the centenary of the end of the First World War. It was excellent The second Saturday of February saw the to combine the Act of Remembrance on the boys and lay clerks make a trip to Derby to Burgage so well with our own remembrance sing with the choirs of Derby, Leicester, and service. Later in the day, the Requiem Coventry Cathedrals. This was particularly Eucharist in place of Evensong attracted a anticipated as we were to catch up with sizable number of people and felt like a fitting Edward Turner, onetime chorister and then way to round off our commemoration of those organ scholar at Southwell, now Assistant who lost their lives because of conflict. We are Director of Music at Derby. The opportunity particularly proud of the girl choristers, who to sing with our local cathedrals was enjoyed were invited to sing the children’s chorus parts by everyone, as was the excitement of a trip in a performance of Britten’s War Requiem in out and Derby Cathedral showed us great Nottingham with the Nottingham Harmonic hospitality. Society. This is challenging music and they acquitted themselves with real assuredness This term also, the girl choristers enjoyed a and confidence, not to mention musicality. workshop session with leading vocal coach Hilary Jones, in which they learned about The Advent Procession and Christmas vocal technique and health. These sorts of Services all worked exceptionally well, occasions are critical in the formation of despite the absence of a Precentor. This is in our young choristers as we afford them no small part down to the wonderful team the opportunity to develop their already with whom I am pleased to work, from the remarkable skills. smallest chorister to the Assistant Director of Music and everyone who contributes to As well as all the usual summer excitements liturgy in this place. of the Queen’s Birthday, Civic services, Ordinations and so on, it was also a pleasure There are challenges ahead, particularly in to welcome young singers from Sarzana to recruiting the choristers of the future, but perform in the Minster and to sing with our we remain optimistic about the direction girl choristers and lay clerks at Evensong. This in which we are travelling. We have said was both a musical triumph and a thoroughly farewell to numerous choristers, as well as cultural occasion, with parties and receptions. to Ben Mills (organ scholar from January, Everyone enjoyed making connections with bravely taking on the post at short notice), our twinned town in Italy.