The Arts Society East Herts
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The Arts Society East Herts Newsletter March 2021 Member Society of The Arts Society: Registered Charity 281752 Contents A Pilgrimage to St Albans ..................... 6 Young Arts .......................................... 1 Glittering Age of Glass ........................ 10 Chairman’s Report & Update ............. 2 Readers’ Pages ..................................... 12 Church Recorders’ Update ................... 3 The Pre-Raphaelites ............................ 13 Beginner’s guide to Heraldry ............... 3 Programme for 2021 ............................. 16 YOUNG ARTS same success story. Sandra Wallace, our Young Arts Coordinator, is thrilled to announce While Members are only too well aware of the that another three works have been selected many things that we haven’t been able to do this from Presdales; a remarkable achievement year, it’s heartening to know that the work of given that only 20 items are chosen nationwide. the Society has continued in other ways. One We have sent our congratulations to the three of our charitable aims is to promote young arts ladies concerned. and we were delighted that we were approached by two local schools for help in purchasing Split, below, was drawn by Anna Livingstone in equipment from our Young Arts Fund. The biro. Doggy, overleaf, also in biro by Amy current emphasis in all walks of life is very Lodge; the third piece, Camouflage, by Pippa much on outdoor activities so it was no surprise Gillingham, was painted in mixed media. to be asked to assist in the purchase of outdoor musical instruments for Bayford School and outdoor theatre equipment for Wheatcroft School. We were able to make grants in both cases and, needless to say, both schools are enormously grateful for the Society’s assistance. Over the years, members will be familiar with the ongoing support that TASEH has extended to Presdales School. Presdales is an enthusi- astic participant in the annual exhibition of Finally, the Society was also able to assist in the work by “A” level students sponsored by the provision of craft packs for children isolating at Royal Society of British Artists. Last year, home through the agency of Manic Ceramics. three canvases were chosen for hanging in the These are all fantastic causes which go to the “Rising Stars” exhibition at the Mall Galleries, heart of our promotion of artistic endeavours by London and this year they have chalked up the children in our area. It’s a source of immense 1 pleasure that TASEH Committee is able to assist in these meaningful initiatives on your Many thanks to you all. behalf. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT AND SOCIETY UPDATE My first three months as Chairman have proved reopening date. My best guess, and it is only a interesting….. guess, is that we will only be able to meet again in person in September. If we can get together I have been fortunate in that all the Committee safely before that we will, of course, endeavour have agreed to continue in post and a particular to do so. thank you to Julia who agreed to stay on as Vice Chairman for a year, cheerfully fielding On the plus side I have received very positive my never-ending stream of questions. feedback on our two lectures so far this year. The Arts Society has worked hard to ensure that The biggest initial challenge facing us has been all the accredited lecturers have the necessary recruitment, we have signed up 290 members Zoom skills and I think that there has been a for the current year which is 85% of last year’s noticeable improvement in the quality of the membership and we are hopeful that some of presentations. We have been delighted by the our previous members will rejoin once we are number of you who have logged on to our able to meet again in person. This, however, is lectures while recognising that not everyone is a long way short of the 400+ members we had comfortable with the technology or might find in 2015. As currently, we are not paying hall the lectures difficult to follow. hire charges, we are in a strong financial posi- tion but we will need to recruit new members. We all hope that the vaccination programme If anyone has suggestions how we might attract, will allow us to return to normal before too particularly, newly retired individuals, please let long. In the meantime stay safe and I hope you us know. will continue to enjoy our programme of lectures, special interest events and “virtual I had hoped to be able to let you know when we walks”. can meet again. At the moment we understand that Hertford theatre will open at the earliest on Colin Gordon 17th May but may be closing as early as mid Chairman June for rebuilding work. We are waiting to hear from The Spotlight confirmation of their 2 CHURCH RECORDERS’ UPDATE When the Arts Society concluded its review of volunteering activities in 2019, it was decided that Church Recording should no longer be supported by Guilford Street but should, wherever possible, continue under the umbrella of individual TAS societies. This was an unexpected outcome and caused enormous upheaval to the organisation of Church Recording groups. Here in East Herts, your Committee were prompt in assuring the Church Recording Team of its continued support which allows them to carry on the valuable heritage work which was started under the original remit of Decorative and Fine Arts. In the meantime, Church Recorders everywhere have been heartened by the news that both the Church Care Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum are keen to receive copies of completed Church Records, just as in the past. Now that the central oversight of Guilford Street has been removed, a new charity, the Church Recording Society, has been established which will ensure the gold standard for all future Church Records. The charity will be admin- istered by trustees who were formerly senior figures, or former Chairmen, of NADFAS Church Recorders. For the moment, the team is on standby but we have a completed record which we hope can be presented to St Mary the Virgin church in Stanstead St Margarets later this year. The front cover (on the right) features a collection of “heads” from the fine set of corbel carvings around the windows and doors. Rosemary Davis Group Leader, TASEH Church Recorders HERALDRY …and why Old French is still spoken throughout our land Wiser people than me have argued about the Somewhere in the middle of these events heral- birth of heraldry. The ancient Egyptians, the dry was born. Babylonians and the Mesopotamians all have recorded images of people following a device or We know that both Saxon and Norman decora- symbol. The standards, banners and ensigns of ted their shields to identify friend from foe. the children of Israel appear in the Bible in the Images from the Bayeux tapestry clearly show Book of Numbers when the Israelites were these symbols which were to become more commanded to gather beneath their emblems regimented as European nations gathered to and declare their pedigree. When I was a child defeat the “infidels” in the crusades in 1096. I wore a cap and blazer so people would know Different nations adopted their own unique which “tribe” I belonged to and later, in the armorial bearings. The English, as we all know, army, I marched under Regimental Colours. wore the red cross of St George on their 3 No Tournaments during Lent and never on a Friday or Sunday …. Tournaments always to commence with The Melée (a mock battle between two sides) …. The terms to be written in a language understood by all. And so it came about that all heraldic descrip- tions were recorded in Old French – which was the language of all our Anglo-Norman nobility and all of high birth throughout Europe. The Bayeux Tapestry shows both the English (left) and Normans have patterns on their shields Someone’s achievement (or armorial bearings) usually consists of a coat of arms on a shield, a shields and white surcoats. (The surcoat was helmet and crest, supporters (the lion and the created in the crusades to make chain mail unicorn alongside the Royal Arms are two such cooler to wear under a scorching sun.) Far supporters) and mottoes – usually on a ribbon away from Jerusalem and Acre the Norman with words of moment written in Latin or some Conquest brought new rules to England. later language. The colours that appear on a Official documents had to be “sealed”, that is, coat of arms are usually one or more of seven to carry a seal to authenticate them. main tinctures (colours). All have names which are either directly Old French or Latin Gradually the nobility used the seal in all their words adopted into the language. The Light communications and dealings and by the early Tinctures (Metals) are gold and silver with the 1100s these seals became more and more five remaining being red, blue, black, green and heraldic until, by 1155, France, Spain, Italy and purple. Translated into Old French these are: what is now Germany, all followed the heraldic Or, Argent, Gules (from a red cloth worn example. around the neck), Azure, Sable (from the black fur of a sable which is a species of marten), Vert and Purpure. Even these basic metals and colours have rules applied to them. “Never put a colour on a colour, or a metal on a metal” – a rule that was ignored in the exceptional case of a really holy city like The seal of Henry Percy Jerusalem (along- side) which has five With the advancement of the techniques of war, gold crosses on a military leaders added a helmet to their attire silver background which meant it was increasingly difficult for (silver is always soldiers to follow their leader.