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Newsletter September 2010 Remembering Anniversaries I recently spent a while soaking up the special atmosphere of the Ruins in late August sunshine. The Apse provides a stunning focal point to Our Story: the glorious pinnacles and tracery of the old building tooled by master craftsmen; the charred cross as a stark reminder of real pain and destruction; the hand-chiselled words ‘Father Forgive’ broadcasting an enduring message of hope for mankind through Christ. If you’ve been into the Ruins recently you may have shared my wonder at the enhanced haunting beauty of this space, newly revealed from beneath scaffolding, following an extensive restoration programme that lasted nearly a year. The Apse has been underpinned, cracks repaired, stonework replaced and lead flashing applied to slow the weathering process. It looks spectacular. I lingered awhile and joined the Friday noon Litany of Reconciliation - how good to have a properly designed and printed Litany leaflet, courtesy of the Friends, as a souvenir for visitors. The renovation work was essential. The final bill of £250,000 was only partly grant funded and was, inevitably, higher than estimates, as detailed work revealed further damage. Such is the crippling challenge of maintaining two cathedrals, one without the benefit of a roof! Cont. Page 3 Cathedral Inspiration Peter’s Kineton, and All Saint’s The Friends of Coventry Cathedral was formed in 1934, Sherbourne, as born of a strong desire to bind together parishes from well as at special across the Diocese with their Mother Church. events in the Cathedral, and is Through the intervening years of momentous history at the looking for more Cathedral some of that spirit and network of relationships venues and has inevitably declined. During 2009, our 75th Anniversary opportunities to year, the Friends Council decided it was time to begin meet new nurturing these links again. friends. One of the fruits of these endeavours has been the If you would like to invite AMICI to perform at your church for an formation of AMICI. This new ensemble comprises singers ‘Inspiration’ evening or other special occasion, please contact with links to Coventry Cathedral, under the direction of Kerry Beaumont on 07854 743136 or Peter Woodward on 07973 Kerry Beaumont, Director of Music at the Cathedral. The 157587 for an informal chat. We still have two dates available in choir aims to perform music that expresses something of October 2010! our great choral tradition as well as the living spirit of Coventry Cathedral. AMICI gives concerts, by invitation, in Comments received in appreciation of AMICI: the many wonderful churches across Coventry and The concert was absolutely first rate, and people round here were Warwickshire, hoping to create informal bonds of friendship wowed and are still talking about it through the gift of music, as well as providing an opportunity to raise funds for local projects and to support Thank you and all the others very much for a fantastic evening on the Cathedral’s own music ministry. Sunday AMICI’s main offering, ‘Inspiration from Coventry Cathedral’ Thank you and the Amici choir for the superb performance - there comes with an added twist: the music is accompanied by was a lovely atmosphere in the church. glorious projected images of the ruins and new Cathedral. It was great to see the church so full. We all hope you will come There are also some fascinating slides of the old Cathedral again. prior to the bombing, which were used by Provost Howard in his lecture tours. Thank you for the wonderful concert. The music was great, the singing superb and the images were stunning and so In recent months AMICI has been invited to perform at St. appropriate. Everyone I meet says how much they enjoyed it and Peter’s Wootton Wawen; St Mary Magdalen Great Alne, St. those who didn't come wish they had! 1 1 70th Anniversary The Destruction ~ th David Porter, Canon Director for November 14 1940 Reconciliation Ministry, outlines Extract from “The story of Destruction” written by how the City and Cathedral are Provost Howard a few days after the great raid coming together to commemorate this significant Anniversary. On the night of November 14th the Cathedral roof was slippery and shone white under our feet, for there was frost, th The 70 Anniversary of the bombing and the bright light of the full moon was reflected on the of the city will be the climax of this lead. year’s Annual Peace Festival. During the first two weeks of The guard for that night consisted of Mr Forbes, aged sixty November a range of events will be organised throughout the five, myself, fifty six, and two young men in their early city highlighting Coventry’s role as a city of Peace and twenties. Shortly after we had assembled at seven o’clock, the sirens sounded; and in little more than five minutes we Reconciliation. heard the raiders overhead. th th Over the weekend 12 to 14 the focus shifts to the Soon the bombs started, and the horizon ringed with a huge Cathedral where a ‘roof of light’ will be created over the ruins semicircle of light, showing that scores of incendiaries had and a series of events take place. There will be performances fallen. More and more were showered down, nearer and nearer the Cathedral. Within a minute of igniting they in the Cathedral of Jenkins’s The Armed Man (Friday) and exploded with a loud report. Britten’s War Requiem (Saturday) before what promises to be Then towards eight o’clock, the first incendiaries struck the a momentous day on the Sunday. Cathedral. One fell on the roof of the chancel towards the The 8 am service on BBC Radio 4 will be broadcast from the east end; another fell right through to the floor between the pews at the head of the nave, near the lectern; another Cathedral, the Dean preaching. Then we will join in the struck the roof of the south aisle above the organ. By Remembrance Day service at the War Memorial Park. shouting from the battlements to the police station the alarm for calling the fire brigade was given immediately. This year’s Coventry International Prize for Peace and Reconciliation will be presented at a special award ceremony The bomb on the chancel was smothered with sand and thrown over the battlements. The bomb on the pews was in the early afternoon. This marks the beginning of a new large, and took two full buckets of sand before it could be partnership between the Cathedral, Diocese, University and shovelled into a container. Lord Mayor with a new prize designed by Coventry artist, Rachel Sutton. The main focus of the day will be a civic service in the Cathedral at 6 pm at which our Canon for Reconciliation will be the preacher. The service will end in the ruins with a special act of remembrance at 7.20 pm, the time at which the bombers arrived over the city. We will be keeping the ruins and Cathedral open to midnight, inviting the city to come and spend a moment to reflect, light The bomb above the organ had done what we most feared - a candle or simply meet with others in thinking about the it had fallen through the lead, and was blazing on the oak significance of this night in our city’s story. During this period ceiling below. It took a long time to deal with. The lead was hacked open and sand poured through the hole, but the fire a series of local choirs and artists will be performing music had spread out of reach. We stirrup-pumped many buckets and poetry in the nave, including ‘Amici’ our own Friend’s of water before the fire ceased blazing. choir and A Postcolonial Requiem by Noises Off. Another shower of incendiaries now fell, penetrating the roofs Those who remember this night are getting fewer and how of the Capper’s Chapel on the south side and of the Smith’s Chapel on the north side. These were ultimately subdued. we remember these events is increasingly important in a By this time we had been working for a long time at extreme world that is still at war and in which civilians are still pressure, and we were all very tired. attacked, killed and traumatised. This weekend is Coventry Then another shower of incendiaries fell, four of them Cathedral’s opportunity to speak to the nation and the city appearing to strike the roof of the Girdlers’ Chapel above its about the human cost of war and violence as a way to east end. From below, a fire was seen blazing in the ceiling. resolve conflict. Providing space, music and words which Above on the roof smoke was pouring from three holes, and challenge us all to seek a better, more Christ-like way, has a fire was blazing through. These were tackled by all four of us at once, but, with the failing of our supplies of sand, water been at the heart of our life and ministry since the tragic and physical strength, we were unable to make an events of 1940. impression; the fire gained ground, and finally we had to give in. Keep up to date with all the goings on via the Cathedral web And the rest, as they say, is history…..our history. site. www.coventrycathedral.org.uk 2 2 Reconciliation Ministry Friends Funding Update A gift of £1,500. “We are grateful for The Friends continue to make gifts in support of a wide this generous gift variety of activities at the Cathedral.