News www.manchestercathedral.org October 2014 Prayer / Worship / Music / Arts / Education / Heritage / Welcoming Cecil Wray & Manchester Organ The Sock Tree! Literature Festival Project Page 2 Page 9 Page 11 Sub-Dean’s Corner In Hallowed Footsteps Our current Sub-Dean looks back to a benevolent predecessor… Wray was certainly an eccentric, turning where ‘God’s glory’ dwells. Cecil Wray up at the Cathedral in a ‘carriage and was committed to that throughout his four’ with liveried footmen. Getting ministry. To make it a living reality in 2014 down from his carriage he would bow we must retain this vision of our Cathedral In August we were delighted, to the Dean, shake his fellow Canons as a place of prayer and worship, before by the hand, then proceed to shake the anything else. Our prayers throughout once again, to be involved in the hands of the Minor Canons with two each day and our daily celebration of Manchester Dig the City festival. fingers – or a single finger for curates. the Holy Eucharist are the framework We were surrounded by great around which the rest of our life as a exhibits in all shapes and sizes. On the occasion of his 88th birthday, vibrant Cathedral in a vibrant city is built. Amongst other things at the he set up a fund for the provision of Cathedral there was a ‘sock tree’, socks for the poor on his birthday each For Cecil Wray, being a place of prayer which stood elegantly by the tomb year, 21 January. There were to be two meant engaging with the people who of Canon Cecil Wray. It reminded pairs of ‘good Worsted stockings’ given came through the door, and trying to me that I walk past that tomb to eight men and eight women in need. meet their needs. Caring for the needs The charity fund was, at Wray’s request, of anyone who steps through those daily to go into the Dean’s Door called ‘Canon Wray’s Birthday Gift’. Our same doors in 2014 is still a huge part without really thinking about the quirky sock tree brought back the story of of what we do, and underpins the remarkable and wildly eccentric this eccentric benefactor, now long gone. amazing work of the Cathedral Volunteer priest who is buried there. Programme and the newly re-housed If you look at his tomb you will Booth Centre Charity, amongst many Cecil Daniel Wray was a very popular see verses from Psalm 26: other things. This November, the priest at the Cathedral, serving for an Cathedral will again host the Booth Centre astonishing 56 years. He started off O LORD, I love the habitation of thy house, Sleepout, which sees hundreds giving as a Chaplain, a contemporary of the and the place where thine honor dwelleth. up their beds for a night in the cold to famous Joshua Brookes and one who raise funds for the charity. Somehow could rival the latter’s claim to be the As we reflect on his life, we also reflect I think Cecil Wray would approve! most prolific conductor of marriages on our own ministry in what is now a and baptisms in history. Later he was very different city, nearly 130 years later. Perhaps the time has come for a elected to a Fellowship; and when the Those words around his tomb tell us new annual ‘sock day’, around 21 Collegiate Church became a Cathedral that this house of God in which we serve January… Watch this space! in 1847 Wray was one of the Canons, and minister is truly amazing, not just eventually becoming Sub-Dean. because of its history or its beauty, but By Canon Philip Barratt I clearly follow in hallowed footsteps! first and foremost because it is the place Cover image: Detail from the historical archives, on display Page 2 Cathedral News for Heritage Open Day in September – see page 8. Page 3 Cathedral News Page 5 Cathedral News Demeter I had not dreamt the world could scale and flake, fall inward like a face stripped of teeth, my breath foul as a dog’s The 2014 I had not meant the pomegranates to decay on the tree, seeds withering, children rotting in the womb But we are all dust or hide or bone born to be buried under soil, like her, the one who’d loosened my tongue, Friday 7th November who’d moistened my lips with song Earth crushes us, makes fossils Manchester Cathedral of your flesh and mine, squeezes till we are slick, black as night, fuel for myths, nature’s spoil. Rachel Mann For one night only we’re sleeping out to highlight some of the hardships that homeless people have to face every single night. We’re inviting you to join us and raise vital funds for the Booth Centre, a charity that provides activities, advice and support to homeless people in Manchester. Are you up to the challenge? #McrSleepout The Booth Centre 0161 835 2499 Edward Holt House [email protected] Pimblett Street @BoothCentre To find out more and register, Manchester M3 1FU /boothcentre visit boothcentre.org.uk The Booth Centre, Registered Charity No. 1062674 Summer Coming Up… Highlights Thursday 9 October, 8.00 pm Manchester Camerata We had a brilliant summer at the Cathedral Asia Triennial this year, trying an array of new guided tours, & Bill Ryder-Jones ‘MLF and Manchester Camerata running workshops and trails for the Dig the Manchester 2014 are proud to present the first live City, hosting the Cristina Rodrigues and Monica The Asia Triennial is now in full swing, performance of Bill Ryder-Jones’s Thornton art exhibitions, and staging the first and the Cathedral will be hosting the two of the Cathedral’s rebooted history plays: ‘Harmonious Society’ art installations landmark solo album, If…, composed ‘Joshua Brookes and the Missing Grooms’ by Zheng Guogu and Li Wei until 23 and recorded as a tribute to Italo r e t Calvino’s playful postmodern novel If On and ‘The Alchemist’s Daughter’, written by h November. All Cathedral art exhibitions g u A Winter’s Night a Traveller’. TICKETS David Coggins, directed by Daisy Black and a are free entry, and can be visited d s ’ AT: www.manchesterliteraturefestival.org performed by John Hickey and Rachel Mann. e anytime during normal opening hours. e D r D s a Wednesday 15 October, 2.30 pm n Joshua Brookes was an el M famous for his eccentricity. Rach Manchester During his chaplaincy the Cathedral Manchester workforce grew from 17,000 to Manchester Literature 180,000, and the Revd Brookes conducted Poetry Prize more baptisms, marriages and funerals Festival 2014 A celebration of poetry than any other clergyman in England. One There is an exciting line-up of events featuring the wide- audience member, Alan Maude, brought throughout the Autumn and run-up ranging work of the along a marriage certificate of a relative to Christmas, and we are especially winners and runners-up married by Brookes in 1791! be pleased to be hosting a number of this year’s competition, of Manchester Literature Festival with Cathedral Poet Rachel events again this October. On 13 September there were four Mann and 2014 judge Helen Tookey. special Heritage Open Day tours that FREE event – book on 0843 208 0500 Tuesday 7 October, 7.30 pm included a behind-the-scenes trip into the Cathedral Library to see some of our Simon Armitage Thursday 16 October, 7.30 pm oldest documents and records. Pictured The Manchester here is the charter from Elizabeth I. These in conversation tours were inspired by the success of the with Rachel Cooke Sermon first ‘backstage tour’ of the Cathedral for ‘The best-selling poet will be talking with Audrey Niffenegger Manchester Histories Festival in March. about his engaging, darkly comic and ‘Author of international bestseller irreverent work with author and Observer The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey writer Rachel Cooke, on the eve of his Niffenegger is one of our most The Cristina Rodrigues exhibition latest collection Paper Aeroplanes: imaginative authors, exploring dreams, during Dig the City was a great Selected Poems 1989-2014’. desire, love, death, myths, fables and success with visitors and attracted TICKETS AT: storytelling in her work’. TICKETS AT: international press attention. www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk www.manchestercathedral.org Look out for the forthcoming Autumn/Winter brochure for full season listings. Page 8 Cathedral News Page 9 Cathedral News John Gillibrand Campaign Corner ‘Celebration of Theology Event’ – Disabled Church: Be a part of it Disabled Society Tickell Organ Builders. We would like Corn Exchange to take this opportunity to express our Developments deepest sympathies to Ken’s family, on behalf of the Cathedral community. The If you have been to the Cathedral or programme of works for Manchester around Exchange Square recently you Cathedral’s new organ has remained will have seen that work on the Corn unchanged despite this sad event, and Exchange redevelopment has begun. it is thanks to both Ken’s hard work The Cathedral has been working closely and the dedication of his family and with Interserve and Queensberry, who are closest colleagues, Tom Jansky and managing the project, to ensure that the Simon Brown, who will continue to redevelopments complement Cathedral lead the project to its completion – the activity and fabric development plans. last and biggest that Ken worked on. The Corn Exchange is set to re-open in Easter 2015. Organ Project Update We can now confirm the key dates for the organ project works, which will begin with the refurbishment of the Jesus Chapel pipes in January and February 2015 and end with the voicing of the new instrument, hopefully in September/ November 2016.