Edington Music Festival Association Newsletter Summer 2006

Edington Music Festival 2006— On behalf of the festival committee, I voted on at the forthcoming AGM. The exact the Festival Director writes: would like to take this opportunity to thank wording of these changes has not yet been OLLOWING THE SUCCESS of last all Festival Association members for your finalized but will reflect the proposal agreed Fyear’s 50th festival (and the subsequent continued support and the financial backing at last year’s AGM and will be available for re-living of the week through the BBC that we now enjoy. As we begin our next 50 review and comment shortly before this documentary shown in April) our attention years it is wonderful that the festival is year’s meeting. is now firmly focused on the future, and I known and loved by so many people. I look Please direct any questions or queries look forward to welcoming as many of you as forward to seeing you all in August. regarding these changes to the Association possible to the 2006 festival, which begins on Treasurer. JUSTIN LOWE Sunday 20th August. Edington Music Festival Association Association Treasurer This year’s festival is based around St HE ANNUAL General Meeting of the John’s gospel, a theme which has been used TEdington Music Festival Association will Report on the Association’s before at previous festivals, but one which is be held in Edington Priory on Monday, 21 financial aims and status so rich a resource it seemed time to re-visit it. August 2006 commencing at 14.30 hrs. S I WAS preparing the accounts for the In his writings, John is keen to give distinct JOY L COOKE Ayear 2005/2006 it occurred to me that examples of Jesus’ life and mission such that Secretary a short report on the Association’s financial we have reliable evidence with which to AGENDA aims and status would be of interest to strengthen our own faith. In particular, there 1. Prayers members, particularly those who have not are Jesus’ seven great ‘I AM’ sayings (‘I AM 2. Apologies for absence been able to attend recent AGMs. the Bread of Life’, ‘… the True Vine’, ‘… the 3. Minutes of the 2005 Annual General First, I would like to pass on the thanks of Resurrection and the Life’, etc.), and these Meeting the Executive Committee for the generosity will form the daily themes throughout the 4. Matters Arising of the membership; without your support week. 5. Chairman’s Report we would not be in the good situation that I am delighted that once again, through 6. Treasurer’s Report: Financial Report we are. I am pleased to report that the the generosity of the Festival Association, we and Adoption of Accounts Association finances are very healthy indeed, have been able to commission a new work 7. Change to Governing Document with funds of around £24,000 in the bank. for this year’s festival. Antony Pitts has, over regarding Election of Officers These funds enable the Association to fund recent years, been writing a number of pieces 8. Election of Officers projects and initiatives to enhance the festival using these ‘I AM’ texts from St John’s 9. Plans for 2006/2007 and to ensure its future existence. gospel, so it is particularly good that he will 10. Any other business Back in the early days, soon after the be writing this final piece in the set for us, an 11. Date of next AGM Association was formally established, the introit on the text ‘Before Abraham was, I financial strategy was to fund small capital AM’. It will be sung by the Consort on Modification to the Association projects such as the purchase of robes and the BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong on Governing Document funding of commissions for the festival. A Wednesday. T LAST YEAR’S AGM we approved in secondary aim was to establish a nest egg During the course of the week we hope to Aprinciple a change to the way in which which would be able to underwrite the whole cover as wide a range of music as possible, officers are elected to the Association festival in the case of an emergency. For from the plainsong which underpins the Executive Committee. The change agreed example, an outbreak such as foot and mouth daily offices of Matins and Compline right was that each officer would now be elected which could cause the festival to be cancelled through to the present day. In particular, we for a term of up to three years. These terms at the last minute would be financially will be celebrating the 350th anniversary of of service will be staggered to ensure that the disastrous for the festival. Such a ‘reserves the death of Thomas Tomkins, the 250th minimum number of officers would change fund’ is recommended as good financial anniversary of the birth of Mozart, and the at any one AGM. (Previously all officers were practice by the Charity Commission. I am 50th anniversary of the death of Gerald Finzi. re-elected each year which could mean that pleased to report that we achieved this Other highlights include John Sheppard’s the Association might face a situation where reserves fund a few years ago and the future magnificent Verbum caro factum est on all officers would change at the same time, existence of the festival is protected (at least Tuesday evening (a service which will be thus risking loss of knowledge and the from a financial point of view). recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast on continued smooth operation of the Executive Over recent years I am pleased to report the Feast of St John the Evangelist, Committee.) that we have maintained and even increased December 27th), James MacMillan’s Mass, The new process is supported by the our income through membership fees, written for Westminster Cathedral, to be Charity Commission (the government body donations, legacies and CD sales. This has sung by the Nave Choir on Friday evening, which oversees registered charities) and will enabled us to undertake more substantial and Giles Swayne’s uplifting Magnificat at require a minor change to the Association’s commissions (such as the Bingham canticles Evensong on Saturday. governing document which will need to be in 2005), fund projects like the Schola CD and, more recently, the Festival website and Ted Bates who used to live in Erlestoke PETER WILLS exercised a friendly pastoral (www.edingtonfestival.org). and were enthusiastic supporters of the ministry at Edington from 1972, coming to Last year presented a slight change in festival for many years. They moved to East the festival most years until 1986. He spent direction where the Association ran an Yorkshire a few years ago. Sadly at the a great deal of his life as a university-type envelope scheme so that gift aid could be beginning of June Ted died after a long Chaplain, both at St Matthias Training claimed on donations made during festival illness. Our thoughts and prayers are with College in Bristol and at Sheffield University. week. This resulted in an increased level of Mary and the family. He related very well to a number of the donations and possibly an extra £2,500 from participants, both young and older. Perhaps the gift aid which we can now claim. The A Retrospective by Paul Rose PA RT I I slightly nervous and unsure of himself he Executive Committee would like to extend HE CLERGY continued … We turn to kept in touch with some of the young people their thanks to Allan Edwards (the festival Tthose who have regularly helped among with whom contact was made when he was Honorary Treasurer) who administered the the Clergy in the first fifty years. When a at the festival. collection and banking of these donations on regular Eucharist was introduced as a festival Still large as life and now embarking on a behalf of the Association. service the first two recruits were a young new life at Canterbury, BROTHER REGINALD- Looking to the future, the Association Curate from Torquay, wooed on a Tuesday BOX, of the Society of St Francis came in is likely to take on more and more of the morning in church by the offer of a Melton 1987, stayed until 1996 and still appears for financial burden of funding the festival. This Mowbray pie from David Calcutt visiting for a day or so when he gets the chance. The will allow the Festival Committee to focus its a simple Communion service, who seems to festival has appreciated his influence and efforts on the design and smooth running have survived; and the current Chaplain at steadiness. He has been involved in writing of the week. Also the Association will have a King’s Cambridge at that time. some simple plainsong versions of offices, for greater capability to fund more substantial PETER CAMERON was Chaplain at King’s use one imagines at Hillfield, which has been projects which will add to the reputation of from 1960 to 1963. The team of three the headquarters of the Anglican Franciscans the festival and continue to ensure its including the Vicar worked well together for many years. He was in their house longevity. in 1962 and 1963, and were drilled by a attached to St Benet’s in Cambridge when he Once again I would like to thank the server from All Saints Margaret Street. Peter first came to Edington and at that time was members for their continued support and subsequently went to Davyhulme near sometimes in demand to sing Evensong in generosity. Your support has already done a Manchester, and then back to the Cambridge King’s College Chapel. As part of the former lot to enhance the festival and ensure its district at Waterbeach and Landbeach, and team many of us have missed his genial longevity and I look forward to your finally to Chesterton in Cambridge itself in friarly presence at the festival as a Priest. ongoing support into the future. 1979. His experience and wisdom derived partly, JUSTIN LOWE DAVID STANCLIFFE, the current Bishop like Ralph Dudley, from 15 years in New Association Treasurer of Salisbury, assisted in 1968 and 1970. Zealand, Australia and Melanesia from 1969 He had been at the great Church of St to 1984. PAUL ROSE Edington Parish News Bartholomew’s Armley in Leeds: he was Peterborough. October 2005 T WAS WITH REGRET that we heard chaplain at Clifton College before becoming In the next issue, Paul will turn to those more Iof the death of The Reverend Jean Hall Provost of Portsmouth Cathedral, and recent members of the ‘visiting Clergy’. earlier this year. Jean was a retired assistant became Bishop of Salisbury in 1993. He at Edington living in the new Vicarage is the only Bishop I have ever met who Compact disc offer from 2001 to 2004, having previously been sings his way right through the ordination UR ‘CD OFFER’ THIS ISSUE is The associated with Kent NHS Trust as well as service—including the parts other Bishops OFeast of St Edward, King and Confessor, parish appointments in Bath and Wells. do not reach. Perhaps his appearances at at Westminster Abbey. This disc, which will The village of Edington was once again Edington helped to rear a unique not be available in the shops until September, an entrant in the Village of the Year precedence! presents Matins, Eucharist and Evensong competition. As the Southern Region and CANON PIERS NASH-W ILLIAMS, at the as they might be heard on the Feast of Saint Joint National winner of 1999 Edington had time Assistant Chaplain at Eton College from Edward (13 October) at the Abbey. been invited to enter again to celebrate the 1964 to1966, and a former scholar of Trinity Matins is centred around Stanford’s 10th year of the competition. Edington was Hall Cambridge, came to help in 1965 and Service in C (the Nunc dimittis from which now in the West Region, however despite a 1966. will be sung at the opening Compline of this first class presentation demonstrating a great CANON DAVID EVANS had been seen at year’s festival), Evensong around Purcell’s deal of effort and enthusiasm Edington was Edington in shorts when a lay person. A Evening Service in G minor. The Evensong unsuccessful in winning the regional section former Minor Canon of Brecon Cathedral he anthem is The King and the Robin, with music of the competition. emerged at the festival in 1969, and then by Philip Moore (organist at Durham) and Earlier in the year the Bishop of Salisbury began a long reign at the festival from 1973 words by Andrew Motion. The Eucharist brought his choir to Edington Priory to to 1985. Now retired he has appeared in a setting is Jonathan Harvey’s Missa brevis, sing the Bach St John Passion. To everyone’s minor supportive role in 2003 and 2005, but composed for the Abbey choir in 1995. Both surprise one of the choir members was when he was a regular presence he fulfilled in new works are here recorded for the first Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. his quiet way an important place, offering a time. Organ accompaniment is provided by In the last newsletter I mentioned the hand in anything liturgical for which he saw our very own Robert Quinney. departure of Peter Hullah, Bishop of a need. Latterly an incumbent and Rural If you would like a copy, please send a Ramsbury. His successor is Stephen Conway, Dean in the Diocese of Peterborough, he cheque for £12 (per CD) payable to Edington formerly Archdeacon of Durham, who was was for 18 years an administrator of the Music Festival Association to the Honorary ordained as Bishop of Ramsbury by the Samaritan movement and lived at Henley on Treasurer: Justin Lowe, 192a Bravington Archbishop of Canterbury in St Paul’s Thames. Many years ago he used to bring his Road, London W9 3AP. Discs will be sent as Cathedral in June. family—Jennie and three boys—to be at soon as possible, but please allow two weeks Finally many of you will remember Mary Edington with him. for delivery (in case the Treasurer is abroad).