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Cathedral Choir
St Nicholas Cathedral Choir Summer Holidays will commence after services on Sunday 6th July 2008 and shall return 7th September 2008. The Choir Tour will be taking place this year in Sweden from 21st-28th July. Mr Scott Farrell, Master of the Music at St Nicholas Cathedral will be taking up a new appointment in August 2008, he is moving to Rochester Cathedral to be Director of Music there. Scott will be greatly missed and everyone at St Nicholas Cathedral wish him well. We shall be saying goodbye to Scott on Sunday 6th July. A bring and share lunch will follow the morning service and Evensong will be sung at 3.30pm on that day. If you would like to join us to say goodbye to Scott please do. Further details regarding the position of Director of Music will be available in the near future.
Cathedral Notes May 2008 FROM THE DEAN... Dear Friends On May Festivals and being “Engaged” Mission statements such as these are easy to adopt but harder to live by. They sometimes call for a re-evaluation of our assumptions and a shift of culture. For example, we might think the diocese’s three words are unexceptional; but just how generous are we – in our judgements, in the sharing of our time and talents, in our welcome and use of resources? How engaged are we in the mission of the Cathedral to the diocese and the city? Do we see this as an imperative or is the Cathedral merely a place of retreat and refuge from the real world? (I well remember my first “ordinary” Sunday here at St Nicholas. Dave Elkington began his sermon with a reference to the then forthcoming rugby World Cup. And a member of that morning’s congregation stood up and walked from the church shouting “I came here to get away from the world not to have it thrust down my throat?”! Is it possible that we sometimes feel that the church exists to help us escape from rather then to engage with complexities of our everyday existence?) Then again, how open are we to the prompting of God’s Spirit, to the future into which he calls us, to the changes he invites us to make? Are we ready to be challenged? Or do we feel content in our “comfort zones”? May is a month full of festivals, all of which, in their own way, ask us to explore these questions and invite us to risk taking on behalf of the Kingdom of God.
At Corpus Christi we shall recall and give thanks for the great gift of the Eucharist; not first and foremost, a source of private devotion but rather, food for our shared pilgrimage as a church and the pre-eminent sign of our identity as Christ’s body: “we being many are one body because we all share in the one bread”. (In all our thinking about the way we celebrate the Eucharist Sunday by Sunday we need to recognise just what the Eucharist is for us and how what we do expresses that). And earlier in May (9th) we mark that other feast of St Nicholas our patron, the translation of his relics, which can perhaps remind us that it is in real lives, offered in the service of God and humanity, that God’s work is fulfilled. Our religion is a religion of the incarnation (a truth at the heart of Nicholas’ own teaching as a Bishop) – as such it is in commitment to the context, the community in which we are set that Christ’s Kingdom is realised. Against that background I am delighted to share with you news of a significant response to the club culture of the city in which we find ourselves and of the emergence and development of a network of Street Pastors to address the needs of the young people who throng the streets around the Cathedral especially at week-ends. Over the past couple of years representatives of a wide range of Newcastle churches have been meeting our invitation to consider the most appropriate Christian response to what, to be honest, we can easily see as the “problem” of the city’s night life. While not all its manifestations are attractive and while binge drinking certainly can lead to violence and real concerns about the health implications for young people, it’s not helpful to turn our backs on the issue or stand critically aloof. Rather, as one suspects Jesus would have done, we need to find appropriate ways for Christian people to be available, “engaged”, out on the streets. Street pastors is an effective and now nationwide initiative, which has shown the benefit to both individuals and to communities of a caring Christian “presence “ on the streets of our city. In essence it consists of groups of properly trained and equipped volunteers of all ages and backgrounds mingling amongst the crowds, being available for counsel, support and friendship for any and all who need it. It is not an exercise in evangelism, but a sign of God’s unconditional love for all his children. It depends on the support and encouragement of the civic authorities and the police (both of which we have secured) and of course the wholehearted co-operation and support of the churches. The ecumenical management group which is piloting the project has already secured £10,000 towards the recruitment of a Co-ordinator so we are hopeful this scheme can be properly launched in the autumn. For the time being we would value your prayers for what we hope will come in due course to make a
Christopher Dalliston * * * * * * * Alan Hughes Vicar of Berwick upon Tweed We look forward to welcoming them as members of the College of Canons at Evensong on Sunday 28th September. * * * * * * * * * Cathedral Flower Fellowship
This charity which is co-ordinated by the Reverend Malcolm Jones gives practical and much-needed help to children in need in Palestine. It is a small charity with many demands on its purse strings and ALL money raised goes to support the children. Over the years I have help to sponsor several children and when my last boy ‘Rasheed’ left school I was asked to help sponsor Waiel Shaheen and later learned that he is one of a family of four. He has a younger brother Shaheen and two elder sisters Sally and Sandy. Waiel will be 14 on July 1st and when he was only 8 he and his sister were forced to watch their mother and baby brother being hacked to death. Malcolm first met up with him in 2003 shortly after this traumatic event and pcdc has since given these children support by sponsoring their school and medical fees. Malcolm, with the team has, seen the children every six months and has just recently returned from his latest visit. If you would like to help and know more about these children and the work of pcdc please support our Coffee Morning on Saturday 17th May 10.30 – 12.30. Contributions for the Cake Stall will be most welcome, they can either be left in the vestry or brought on the Saturday morning. If you are unable to join us but would like to make a donation please give your donation to Joan Marrs or Elspeth Robertson. Cheques should be made payable to “Saint Nicholas Cathedral.” Sneaton Castle 2008 Floating boats and building bridges The congregation that saw the participants in the recent Floating Boats and Building Bridges “retreat” sent on their way with a moist blessing might be forgiven for wondering what were the cares, stresses, strains, conflicts and hurly burly from which they were retreating. It is probably the case that there were only two or three who were not on the godly side of seventy! … and for most, life is now one long holiday. Not only that, in the pre-retreat meeting, it was stressed that the retreat should be ‘relaxed’. I wonder then why it was that on the return to the real world, fatigue sent me climbing onto the perch to tuck my head under my wing before 9 p.m.? Could it be that I am just getting old? … or did we really pack a lot into that ‘relaxing’ time? To the latter the answer is an undoubted YES! I’ll say nothing about the former. The locale for the retreat, Sneaton Castle, is a conference centre owned by the sisters of the Order of the Holy Paraclete, whose Priory occupies part of the buildings and grounds. The group’s motto, bestowed by Father David, was YOGOWYPI. You only get out what you put in. And happily, considering how little time we members of the Cathedral congregation spend with each other, the group quickly gelled with one another and thoroughly embraced the YOGOWYPI sentiment. The ice-breaking and team-building activities did not extend to Outward Bound expeditions. Instead, being based around childhood photos and childhood books brought by each of the participants, they rapidly dispelled any reserve and opened the way to friendship and, dare I say that most abused word (?), love. Adoption, anonymously, of the role of Guardian Angel by each member of one of their fellows, gave focus to that agapeistic love – and on the last day was given expression in a gift made during free time by each Guardian Angel for his or her adopted. All of the activities generated heaps of fun and laughter. As well as the group’s own worship that marked the start, the way points and the ending of the retreat, retreaters were able to join in the round of worship enjoyed by the sisters … Lauds (7:15 a.m.), the Eucharist (7:45 a.m. or 12:30 p.m.) and Compline (9 p.m.). Between times, discussions stimulated by rather strange pictures led to personal assessments of where each of us stood in relation to the retreat, and to God. Meditations, indoors and during a walk in the grounds provided further food for reflection. In quite a different mood, the group members were invited to speak of their perceptions of where the Cathedral stands, what are its strengths and weaknesses, and to give voice to their ‘dreams’ for the Cathedral. These sessions followed an earlier one in which Father Elko whipped the group into a bubbling cauldron of grey power! Some of these deliberations will be passed on to ‘the authorities’. So, watch out Saint Nicholas’! The wrinklies are on the march. And finally the basics: as a veteran of PFA camps (Presbyterian Fellowship of Australia) in the 1950s I expected to have to rough it a little. But how far that was from the actual circs. – the rooms were better than those encountered on a recent holiday abroad – mind you, that was in Morocco. From the grounds of Sneaton Castle there were views out across Whitby to the North Sea. And, essential to the success of any such venture, the food was copious and good. Organisation, meditations, activities and worship were excellent, thanks to the efforts of (in alphabetical order) James Adams, Pat Bell, Dave Elkington and Marjorie Wood. If there is one next year, take my advice and get in early. Ron Smithard The Sneaton Castle Retreat was a wonderful and enriching experience in every way possible. Top of the list came the deep spirituality engendered by the inspired leadership from Dave Elkington, Marjorie Wood and last but by no means least, James Adams; then there was also a lot of fun and laughter and a bonding between all who were there. This, coupled with good food, wine and good accommodation made a very successful recipe indeed. Many thanks and congratulations are due to those whose hard work made these things possible. Pat Lewis
One of our sessions together involved looking at pictures of Christ and finding the one which most suggested the way each of us saw our Christ. I picked one of a black family traveling together. It showed the rear view of a woman carrying a child on her back and a man beside her carrying her burdens. That is how I see Christ as one who walks beside me and bears my burdens. Well, I was wrong about the picture as it really was depicting the Flight into Egypt and it was the baby who was the Christ. I loved the picture so much that I plan to copy it. Sneaton Castle’s together time did this for me and much more. Marjorie Canham
THANKYOU *********** Have you come across a New Testament in your room at a hotel or a B&B where you have stayed, or perhaps in the locker next to a hospital bed? If so you may be interested to learn more about ‘Gideons International’ who almost certainly put it there. These examples of the work of Gideons and notes about them are provided by Mohammad Farsi, a member of Tyne North Gideons in the North East, whom some of us at St Nicholas Cathedral know through his help with our group of Iranian friends. Paul was a normal young man living on Tyneside until his best friend was fatally wounded in a motor accident; he found help and solace in that little red New Testament that the Gideons had given him at school. His life was put back together again by reading God’s Word. Callum is a 17 year old in Maidstone prison. He wrote “I came to prison and have started reading the Bible, it has helped me a lot, I never used to believe in it but now I have been reading it I found a lot of hope” John’s life was in a downward spiral of drugs dependency and stealing to feed that habit. But then he read a Bible and he now walks the roads of Britain carrying a cross; written on that cross: “Jesus is Love”. He says “I’ve made a promise to God that I will walk around Great Britain telling people of what Jesus has done for me” The Gideons on North Tyneside have access to all secondary schools to place God’s Word, the Holy Bible, into the hands of young people in Year 7. Worldwide, Gideons are giving away God’s Word at the rate of 2 copies every second. - But there are more people alive today on the face of the earth than have ever died, As the Bible tells us: ‘the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12) and: ‘So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it’ (Isaiah 55:11) Motivated by verses like this, Gideons International has been, for 110 years, an organisation of Christian Business and Professional Men and their wives whose aim is to place God’s Word into the hands of every one on the face of the earth. If you are interested in learning how they set about doing this, do contact David Harte on 0191 2816355 or by e-mail at j.d.c.harte@ncl.ac.uk David Harte Some Friends are Welcomers, Refectory or Shop helpers, Flower Arrangers, and so on; for those who live at a distance or are restricted by age or Membership of the Friends is only £5 per person per year, but the Friends have been able to give considerable financial support to Chapter over the years. During the month of May you may find Friends of St Nicholas membership application forms with your service leaflet, or in your copy of Cathedral Notes, or lying in your pew or on your lunch table. If you are not a Friend yet, we look forward to welcoming you, and if you are already a Friend we'd be delighted if you'd pass the forms on to your own friends. No one can ever have too many friends, and St Nicholas is no exception. Lesley Wright, Secretary Making the Grade... Some of you will have heard my pupil Ryan Sheppard play the organ – perhaps at our recent Taizé-style service, or on a summer Saturday morning, or providing voluntaries when my choir has been to sing a service here. At the end of March, thanks to the kind help of Scott and other Cathedral staff, Ryan was back here to take his Grade 5 organ exam, which he duly passed with merit. Ryan began playing at Whalton church, near Morpeth, in 2003. It was the late Rector, the popular and respected Canon Graham Revett, who had approached me to ask whether his need for an organist could be met by a young ‘trainee’ or ‘apprentice’ player. It was an interesting idea. Normally we like organ pupils to reach Grade 5 on the piano before they start, but in recent years there have been several good (and necessary) initiatives to encourage learners, including new Grade 2 and 3 organ exams which don’t require the pedals. While teaching Ryan piano to Grade 5, I used the new organ grades at the same time and provided simplified hymn accompaniments so that he could start playing for services immediately. Someone once said that the Seven Last Words of the Church of England will be ‘We never did it like that before’. Graham and I were surprised and disappointed at the obstacles we faced when we tried (with Scott’s strong support) the get funding for the new experiment. However, to cut a long story short the Coates Educational Foundation, based in the village where Ryan and I both live, provided scholarship funding two years ago and I have given them annual reports on his work. The support of an energetic local councillor, Peter Charleton, has been particularly encouraging. Last year, besides passing Grade 4, Ryan won his class in the Ryton Music Festival (the adjudicator was one Scott Farrell); sadly, this year the organ class was cancelled when Ryan was the only entrant – we hope this is just a ‘blip’. The small instrument at Whalton was OK for the Grade 2 and 3 organ exams, and (just about) for Grade 4, but it couldn’t have coped with the variety of sounds needed in the Grade 5 pieces. It was therefore a big relief when we were welcomed, as ever, at the Cathedral. I applied for the exam to be in Easter Week, when things are relatively quiet. As luck would have it, the exam board gave us a 12.30pm slot on the Thursday of that week – all the rest of the day was free, but they chose the one time when there would be a service! After some frantic negotiating, the examiner arranged to zoom down from his morning in Jesmond and squeeze in Ryan’s exam shortly after mid-day, just before the service. I acted as ‘steward’, to prevent any interruptions from well-meaning visitors, and we got everything done on a wing and a prayer. Special thanks are due to Canon Strange for his patience! Our examiner was delighted to be able to take lunch (and finish his paperwork) in the Refectory before heading home. That’s one more distinguished musician who now knows about our friendly Cathedral and its facilities… that’s also one Easter Week I won’t forget. Kieran Fitzsimons Newcastle 900 Way back in the dark ages of the twentieth century, when the porches were refurbished, where do you think they stowed the old doors? And whenever any architectural changes have taken place, what do you think has happened to the chairs, pews, screens, and even windows? Well these and many other Cathedral relics have all ended up in the dark and mysterious places beneath the Cathedral. During a recent rummage in these depths, Gordon Scott unearthed an ancient Ampex Umatic videotape made by TyneTees in April 1980 of the one hour broadcast of the Newcastle 900 service at the Cathedral Church of Saint Nicholas. Does anyone have a player for the elephantine Ampex Umatic cassette? Not likely! Just think for a moment about the changes in the relevant technology that have taken place over the last 28 years. Did home video recorders or players exist in 1980? I was persuaded against my better judgement to get a VHS recorder in 1986, so maybe they were around, just. But they are quite different from the professional machine needed to play our archival recording and in any case the technology of the professionals also has moved on. So when we approached TyneTees even they were unable to make the programme accessible. As it stood, the tape was neither use nor ornament. To the rescue … a small Tyneside company called Instel Media. Although the company has been going for about 15 years, it is not the sort of organisation that the layman even imagines might exist. Their business is media duplication and conversion. Even had I known what that meant, it would never have occurred to me that they could help. In fact such jobs are all in a day’s work for them. But there would not be much bread and butter to be gained from the odd lost archive item such as ours. So, what else do they do? There are lots of old films whose owners can no longer view them (old family cine films found in the attic; historical 16 mm film footage needed by producers of TV programmes for BBC and commercial TV companies) and there are old video formats (Betamax, Video2000 and outdated camcorder footage); all these are Instel’s bread and butter. So, for them our old tape was a piece of cake. And now we have for the Cathedral Archive a DVD of the historic service, courtesy of The Friends of Saint Nicholas. Perhaps at some time in the near future we may have the opportunity to screen the programme in the Thomlinson Room. Older members of the Cathedral community may be interested to spot some of those whom they know took part; perhaps you might spot Ron Mark as Churchwarden and Stan Entwistle in the choir, and Alan Harkness, John Bell or Alan Bell as servers and one of Alan and Pat Bell’s son (Andrew) carrying the Hexham Bible. The sermon was preached by Cardinal Basil Hume and even for that piece of history the programme is worth preserving. There might even be some members of the Cathedral community who would value a copy of their own; if so, The Friends would be delighted to help out; the price (which includes a contribution to this year’s major Friends’ project, the refurbishing of the Saint George’s Chapel) is £5 … or if you want to haggle we will let you have one for a tenner! Please let me know if you would be interested to see the programme or if you might wish to buy a copy.
Sunday 4th May 8.00am Holy Communion: President: Canon Robert Gage Friday 9th May – Monday 12th May Sunday 11th May 8.00am Holy Communion: President Canon Peter Strange Monday 12th May 1.00pm Lunchtime Recital, Saturday 17th May 10.30 – 12.30 pcdc Coffee Morning. All welcome. Sunday 18th May 8.00am Holy Communion: President Canon Peter Strange Sunday 25th May 8.00am Holy Communion: President Canon Robert Gage Friday 30th May 12.00 noon Archdeacon’s Visitation Sunday 1st June 8.00am Holy Communion: WORSHIP AT THE CATHEDRAL IN MAY GIRLS CHOIR
NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
England's most northerly Cathedral is starting a new choir for girls aged 10-16 in the Newcastle area. George Richford, Director of the Girls Choir will be holding auditions on Saturday May 31st to track down the brightest and most talented young female singers from the North-East. Audition Day Saturday 31st May 10.00am - 5.00pm ( FREE Admission) St Nicholas Cathedral, Mosley Street, Newcastle More details and application form are available from Mr George Richford, Director of the Girls Choir or Ms Ellie Robertson Cathedral Secretary on 0191 232 1939. St Nicholas Cathedral is within 5 minutes walk from Monument and Central Metro Stations. The Cathedral Choir is always on the look out for boys ages 7-11 to join the choir as well as children of all ages to join the Lantern Singers, Saturday morning choir.
Godly Play
Godly Play @The St Nicholas Centre 2007-8
Plus! Special themed days for teachers, children’s workers, clergy and readers:
‘Godly Play as a resource for Advent and Christmas’
November 17th November 17th
Saturday Saturday 10am-2pm 10am-2pm
'Godly Play as a resource for Lent and Easter'
January 23rd January 24th
Wednesday Thursday 9.30am-2.30pm 7-9.30pm Newcastle Durham
'Godly Play for Pentecost and Baptism'
April 23rd
Wednesday 7-9.30pm Newcastle
'Godly Play exploring Baptism'
June 11th Wednesday 9.30am-2.30pm Newcastle
'Godly Play exploring the Eucharist'
June 21st Saturday 10am–2pm
'Resource Day for Teachers'
July 9th
Wednesday 10.00am-3.00pm
Durham
Plus! Something New! 'Make & Do' Sessions:
For most of the above sessions we are running associated 'Make & Do' sessions in Newcastle. Here's a chance to come and make your own materials for these stories and then have a go at telling them. All cost of the materials will be included in the session price.
'Make & Do' Advent
November 29th
Thursday 9.30am-2.30pm
'Make & Do' Lent
January 26th
Saturday 10am–2pm
'Make & Do' Pentecost & Baptism
April 26th Saturday 10am-2pm
‘Make & Do’ Parables
July 12th
Saturday 10am-2pm
For further details or to make a booking (whole day sessions cost £30 per person (inc lunch), evening sessions are £20 per person (inc refreshments), ‘Make & Do sessions –( price still to be confirmed as it will depend on materials provided but will include lunch and all materials), please contact:
Michelle Dalliston 26 Mitchell Avenue Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3LA
0191 281 6554
mitchACD@aol.com
SPECIAL NOTICE!!!
National Launch of Godly Play UK happening on Thursday 6th December at Westminster Abbey. Followed by a special Godly Play Celebration on our Patronal Festival at Newcastle Cathedral - Saturday 8th December 2007 at midday. All welcome! Peter Privett will be preaching and we are hoping Jerome Berryman will be with us too! See the Cathedral noticeboards and webiste for further details.
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