AN OBSERVANCE FOR COMMONWEALTH DAY 2012 In the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall Monday 12th March 2012 at 3.15pm Founded in 1868, today the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) is a modern charity working to promote international understanding. Its programmes range from creative writing, film and photography competitions to an innovative international youth leadership programme. Headquartered at London’s Commonwealth Club, the RCS has some 4,000 members in the UK and a presence in over 40 Commonwealth countries through a network of branches and Commonwealth societies. The RCS organises the Observance on behalf of the Council of Commonwealth Societies (CCS), and in consultation with the Dean of Westminster. www.thercs.org. To find out more, visit www.commonwealththeme.org Photographs from this event are available from www.picturepartnership.co.uk/events It is my great pleasure, as Chairman of the Council of Commonwealth Societies, to welcome you to this very special event. Each year, on the second Monday in March, the Council and the Royal Commonwealth Society are responsible for this occasion. The Observance marks Commonwealth Day, when people across the world celebrate the special partnership of nations, peoples, and ideals which constitutes the modern Commonwealth. The Observance is the UK’s largest annual multi-faith gathering, and today we are honoured by the presence of Head of the Commonwealth Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, the High Commissioners, and faith leaders of each major religion. We are joined by more than 1,000 young people representing the bright future of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Day Observance takes a different theme each year. In 2012, we are celebrating ‘Connecting Cultures’. Through a thrilling mix of music, dance, and personal testimonies, this event will celebrate the threads that tie together people from every continent, faith, and ethnicity. In this special year the Observance will also be celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and her sixty years as Head of the Commonwealth. I can think of no better way to demonstrate the relevance of ‘Connecting Cultures’ than by honouring Her Majesty, whose unifying power has played such an important role in connecting all corners of the Commonwealth. To honour this special occasion, today you will hear music especially composed for the Diamond Jubilee, Stronger as One. I hope you enjoy this remarkable event in a truly exciting year. As ever, the Council of Commonwealth Societies is The Abbey is served by a hearing loop. deeply grateful to the Dean of Westminster Users should turn their hearing aid to the and his staff for their support. setting marked T. Members of the congregation are kindly requested to refrain from using private cameras, video, or sound recording equipment. Please ensure that mobile The Lord Watson of Richmond CBE phones, pagers, and other electronic devices are switched off. 1 CONNECTING CULTURES: Our Commonwealth theme for 2012 WHAT IS THE COMMONWEALTH THEME? Every year the Commonwealth chooses a theme to provide a focus for its activities. The theme is celebrated throughout the year, with special events taking place during Commonwealth Week, including the Commonwealth Day Observance and the Commonwealth Lecture. WHAT DOES ‘CONNECTING CULTURES’ MEAN? ‘Connecting Cultures’ celebrates the diversity of the 54 countries in the Commonwealth and recognises the role the association plays in bringing together many different peoples around shared values. It also recognises the contribution Commonwealth citizens have made to global excellence in cultural expression, whether through art, fashion, literature, food, architecture, music, theatre, or sport. Through a series of events and programmes in 2012, the Commonwealth will celebrate and explore new ways the Commonwealth connects its global citizens. To find out more about the theme and how you can get involved throughout the year, visit: www.commonwealththeme.org. 3 Order of the Observance A Message from our Supporters Before the Observance Music before the start of the Observance is performed by the Commonwealth Youth Jaguar Land Rover is delighted to be supporting the Orchestra under the direction of Paul Carroll. Commonwealth and its efforts to connect cultures. We are a business built around two iconic British car brands that The Procession of Flags design, engineer and manufacture in the UK. As the procession of Commonwealth flags moves through the Abbey, the musical “ accompaniment The Commonwealth Anthem is performed by the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra. The flags of the member countries of the Commonwealth are carried in the Innovation and technical excellence are at the heart of Jaguar order determined by the date of membership (when read from right to left): Land Rover’s business, but we also recognise the important Canada United Kingdom role we have to play with our local communities around the New Zealand Australia world. It runs well beyond technological advances. It’s also India South Africa about community and about connecting different cultures. Sri Lanka Pakistan Malaysia Ghana Cyprus Nigeria Our work varies from community programmes around our Tanzania Sierra Leone plants to major international projects and humanitarian Trinidad and Tobago Jamaica initiatives. Our co-operation with the International Kenya Uganda Federation of the Red Cross, for instance, concentrates Malta Malawi The Gambia Zambia on helping vulnerable people in 15 countries. Guyana Singapore Lesotho Botswana Giving opportunities to young people is a priority. Last year, Mauritius Barbados we took on more graduates than ever and this year will take Nauru Swaziland on a record number of apprentices. Our educational Samoa Tonga programmes reached 13,000 school children. The Bahamas Bangladesh Papua New Guinea Grenada Solomon Islands Seychelles Such initiatives help the vulnerable, and the promising. They Dominica Tuvalu are also crucial for the future prosperity of our company. Kiribati Saint Lucia Vanuatu Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Antigua and Barbuda Belize Saint Christopher and Nevis Maldives Namibia Brunei Darussalam Mozambique Cameroon ” Rwanda 4 5 All stand. The Procession of Honoured Guests and Participants The Representatives of the Christian Churches An Honorary Steward A Verger The Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society Mr Peter Kellner Westminster Cathedral Methodist Central Hall Canon Christopher Tuckwell The Reverend Martin Turner The Chairman of the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship Mr Lyn Hopkins Church of Scotland Free Churches in England The Very Reverend Dr John Cairns The Reverend Michael Heaney The Chairman of the Royal Over-Seas League Sir Anthony Figgis Presbyterian Church in Ireland Free Churches in Wales The Right Reverend Dr Ivan Patterson The Reverend Gareth Morgan Jones The Deputy Chairman of the English-Speaking Union Mr Jonathan Dye Action of Churches Together in Scotland Roman Catholic, Wales Mrs Helen Wood TSSF The Most Reverend George Stack The Representatives of the Faith Communities Church of England Roman Catholic, Scotland A Verger The Right Reverend Timothy His Eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal Stevens O’Brien The Representative of the The Representative of the Scottish Episcopal Church Lutheran Church in Great Britain Shia Muslim Community Hindu Community The Right Reverend The Right Reverend Jana Maulana Raza Shabbar Mr Anil Bhanot OBE Bruce Cameron Jeruma-Grinberga The Representative of The Representative of the Church in Wales Roman Catholic, England the Bahá'í Community Buddhist Community The Most Reverend Dr Barry Morgan The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols Mrs Zarin Hainsworth-Fadaei The Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala The Representative of the Chief Orthodox Rabbi and the Orthodox Jewish Community His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios Rabbi Alan Plancey The Representative of the The Representative of the Jain Community Sikh Community Dr Natubhai Shah The Lord Singh of Wimbledon The Representative of the The Representative of the Zoroastrian Community Jewish Reformed Synagogues Mr Malcolm Deboo Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner The Representative of The Representative of the Liberal Judaism Sunni Muslim Community Rabbi Danny Rich Imam Mohammed Raza OBE 6 7 The Observance Stronger as One Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex is received at the Great West Door by the Dean ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ and Chapter of Westminster. From Echo Bay to Kanye, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are received. Bartica to Bairiki, Flowing as one, All stand. Where any dream can live on Presentations are made. With old and with new, It is the voice that rings true (Oh-Oh), Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh are received. Calling us, making us one. Presentations are made. Heart and a soul Shining as gold All sing Under one Sun We’re stronger as one. The National Anthem Montego Bay to Savai’i, God save our gracious Queen, Sullum Voe to Kalahari, long live our noble Queen, Oceans may part God save The Queen. But every river must start Send her victorious, In valley and hill, happy and glorious, We are people who will (Oh-Oh) long to reign over us: Come now, joining as one. God save The Queen. From Kabwe to Bangalore, The procession forms and moves through the Nave and the South Quire Aisle, into the Lantern, To the rivers of Virginia Sacrarium, and Quire. Nations may dawn, But it is we who are born All equal and free With the power to see (Oh-Oh) Robert Hartshorne (b 1956) specially commissioned for Commonwealth Day 2012 8 9 All remain standing to sing The Order of the Procession The Hymn The Beadle The Choir of Westminster Abbey The Minor Canon The Canons’ Verger The Canons of Westminster All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice; The Dean’s Verger him serve with fear, his praise forth tell, come ye before him, and rejoice.