Lent at St Michael’s

is perhaps the busiest time of the Christian year, but, as Fr David Walford said in a recent Sermon, it is activity that should lead us deeper into prayer, love of Jesus, and the silence and restraint that were our Lord’s strength in his Passion. As Fr David Hastings preached, in our secular world we need to reclaim time and space for the sacred and holy, and that is what St Michael’s offers.

Shrove Tuesday, 17th February, 6pm Vespers & Meditation, 7pm Choir Practice, 8.30pm Pancakes in church.

Ash Wednesday, 18th February, is marked with Matins at 9.30am and Low Mass with Ashes at 10am, and in the evening at 7.30pm by Sung Mass with Imposition of Ashes.
Setting: Mass for Four Voices by William Byrd and Anthem: Versa est in luctum by Alonso Lobo, My harp is tuned for lamentation, and my flute to the voice of weeping. Spare me, O Lord, for my days are as nothing.

Sunday 22nd February, Lent 1, 10.45am. Mass features Cranmer’s Litany of 1544 sung in procession, Plainsong Sarum Mass and Farrant’s Hide not thou thy face from me O Lord.

Tuesday 24th February at 6pm, in place of Vespers, Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass for St Matthias’ Day sung with Plainsong Propers and Hymns. All welcome.

A reminder that Stations of the Cross are prayed on Wednesdays in Lent at 6pm (except 25 Mar, Annunciation), and Vespers continue to be sung on other Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6pm.

Wednesday 25th Feb at 7.30pm, the St Michael’s Lectures welcome Dr Clare Bryden (Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter) to talk about Particulart: Or the art of knitting, chemistry, meditation and gentle protest.

Sunday 1st March, Lent 2, 10.45am. Mass. The full Anglican Folk Mass by Martin Shaw and O Nata Lux by Thomas Tallis.

Sunday 1st March, 6pm. Evensong and Benediction will be more penitential, with Tallis Responses & Canticles, Allegri’s sublime Miserere and Plainsong Benediction Hymns.

The nest box camera should also be back online on the Peregrine Falcons page of the website at the beginning of March, hoping for egg laying around the Spring equinox.

Sunday 8th March, Lent 3, 10.45am. Plainsong Missa de Angelis and Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, by Henry Purcell.

Friday 13th March at 7.30pm, the Recital@StMichael’s is a Schools’ Recital. A programme of chamber music performed by young musicians from Exeter School and the Maynard School. Tickets: £5/£3.50, please support.

Sunday 15th March, Lent 4 is Laetare or Mothering Sunday using the Rose Vestments, 10.45am. Missa “O quam gloriosum” by Victoria and Ave Maria by Parsons.

Tuesday 17th March at 6pm, in place of Vespers, Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass for St Patrick’s Day sung with Plainsong Propers and Hymns. All Welcome.

Wednesday 18th March at 7.30pm. St Michael’s Lecture by Dr Morwenna Ludlow (Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter). On Theological Writing as Art & Craft; Is Writing a Theology Book a bit like Making a Pot?

Sunday 22nd March, Passion Sunday when the Crosses and Statues are covered. 10.45am. Mass in A minor, by Casciolini and the Anthem, Crucifixus etiam pro nobis, by Lotti.

Annunciation Window – St Michael’s Mount Dinham

Wednesday 25th March please try and come to the Feast of the Annunciation. Sung Mass at 7.30pm. Missa “Dixit Maria” by Hans Leo Hassler. Anthem: Hymn to the Virgin, by Benjamin Britten.

Sunday 29th March, Palm Sunday, 10.30am (N.B. earlier start and the clocks will have gone forward an hour overnight!) Sung Mass with Blessing and Procession of Palms. Sung Passion Gospel. Mass in D by Leighton. Anthem: Pueri Hebraeorum, by Victoria.

As Canon John Thurmer often said, homo sapiens is primarily a story-telling species, so it is always good for us to re-tell and re-enact the story of salvation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Mirrored here may our lives tell your story, one might say.

The website already has details of services for Holy Week and Easter at the start of April.
RB

Funeral of Canon John Thurmer

St Michael’s Mount Dinham saw its largest congregation in many a year for the Funeral Mass for Canon John Thurmer on Monday 9th February. The church was filled with well over 250 mourners who came to give thanks for John’s long and fruitful life of 89 years and priestly ministry for 61 years. Indeed, for half a century he had served Exeter, first as the University’s Lazenby Chaplain, then as a Canon and Chancellor of the Cathedral, and in retirement as a wise and witty friend and counsellor to many as he served the Parish of St David’s with St Michael & All Angels.

During the service, great shafts of light from the rose window cut through the clouds of incense to illuminate the scene, giving the chancel and sanctuary a heavenly glow.

The singing of the hymns chosen by John, “Jerusalem the golden”, “O what their joy and their glory must be” and “Ye watchers and ye holy ones”, full of imagery and doctrine, was tremendous. The choir of nearly 30 sang the Plainsong Missa de profunctis and Propers for the Departed, Stanford’s Beati quorum via integra est, and the Russian Kontakion.

Fr Trevor Jones SSC of St Peter’s Wapping read the Lesson from Wisdom 3 with clarity and insight, and the Gospel was the Resurrection narrative from Mark 16. Solemn Mass was celebrated with simple dignity by Fr David Hastings, assisted by half a dozen servers and Frs Tom Honey and John Henton, the present and former incumbents of this Parish where Canon Thurmer served as Honorary Assistant Priest throughout his 24 years of retirement. There was no Sermon, but a biography was printed (and is linked here).

The Commendation and Committal were prayed with evident emotion by Fr David on behalf of us all. Then John Thurmer’s coffin was borne from the church through the great west doors in clouds of incense into the afternoon sunshine in a blaze of glory. O friends, in gladness let us sing.

Again on John’s instructions, there were copious amounts of sandwiches, cakes and champagne provided, in memory of a great and humble priest who taught and influenced so many. Here we acknowledge the huge debt owed to Canon John Thurmer in maintaining and shaping the worship, intellectual life and hospitality of St Michael’s during many years; his presence is greatly missed.

The words of Gerald Bray, reviewing John Thurmer’s 1987 book “The Son in the Bible and the Church”, were true to the end. “The [then] Chancellor of Exeter Cathedral is one of that vanishing breed of Anglican churchmen – intellectual without being incomprehensible, conservative without being stuffy, and pastorally-minded without being sentimental. It is a combination which was once the glory of …”

Thankyou

As the @StMikes_Exeter tweet said after the Requiem for John Hughes, “Even on the saddest occasions it is lovely to see old friends. Thank you to all who came tonight, whether from near or far.”

Flowers by Stephanie

Thank you to well over 100 in the congregation at St Michael’s representing also St David’s, former clergy colleagues, and John’s family and many friends. Welcome visitors augmented the choir to 30, with Jason, Emily and Fiona as soloists, Neil working the large new pipe organ to great effect and Erika returning to conduct fine performances of the Fauré Requiem and Bainton’s anthem “And I saw a new heaven … And I John saw the holy city”. (We wish Erika well and every blessing as she takes up a teaching post in Cheltenham in September.)

The bell was tolled 35 times by Olive. The beautiful and moving service was presided over by Fr David Hastings with Fr David Walford and our Servers. Fr John Henton’s excellent and personal address will be printed in the September Parish Magazine. But there is space here for Canon John Thurmer’s insightful tribute which was printed in the Service booklet.

“John Mark David Hughes was a Devonian, from Kenton where he is buried. But he rejoiced in his Welsh ancestry and in the dedication of the parish church to St David, his own third name.

This Requiem at St Michael’s recalls not only his memorable ministry here, but also those rather eccentric weekday evening masses of the 1990s, to one of which he came as a schoolboy and reckoned it a turning point in his life.

At his death he was Fellow, Dean and Chaplain of Jesus College Cambridge, where Thomas Cranmer was a Fellow when he was called in 1533 to be Archbishop of Canterbury with momentous results.

John’s chaplaincy at Jesus embraced the whole College, Fellows, undergraduates, college servants and their families, and he had heavy teaching commitments in the Faculty of Divinity. His doctorate thesis on the theology of work was the basis of his book with the teasing title “The End of Work”.

He combined with unforgettable grace the work of the scholar and the loving kindness of the pastor. To each and every one according to need he was son, friend, father and teacher.

Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy Saints where sorrows are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.”

It seems that the love of God first touched John, not through a book or an evangelist, but through the warm welcome of those cleaning and arranging flowers when a curious schoolboy made a detour into Kenton Church on his way home.

We now look forward to Friday 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated at St Michael’s with a Sung Mass at 7.30pm. Music will include the Setting Missa “Dixit Maria” by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) and the Motet Ave Maria by Jacques Arcadelt (1505-1568).

Please join us; whatever your view on the theology of this Feast, the unique place of Mary in the Christian story of salvation is a cause for celebration.

Also Sunday 17th August, 6.30pm Evensong at St Martin’s in the Cathedral Close, EX1 1EZ.
Canticles: Gibbons Short Service. Anthem: Ave Maria, by Arcadelt.

In Memoriam John Hughes

Dear Friends,

We at St Michael’s are shocked and devastated at the death of Rev Dr John Hughes, Dean of Chapel at Jesus College, Cambridge, aged 35, in a car accident last Sunday.

We extend our prayers and sympathy to John’s family and many friends at this tragic loss. We shall sing Vespers for the Dead in memory of Fr John Hughes at 6pm tonight 1st July in St Michael’s.

(Over two dozen attended at short notice and Psalms 116, 120, 121, 138 & 146 were sung.)

John Hughes came to the Parish of St David with St Michael & All Angels, Exeter, as our Curate in 2005. He was ordained Priest on this day eight years ago in Ottery St Mary and celebrated his first Mass here in St Michael’s.

Hugely loved and admired as a pastor and preacher, John had a mind that could think and articulate the deep issues in theology and society, and also a heart with time and love for each person he met, as so many of us know and remember. John was one of the most Christ-like people I have known. Leaving for Cambridge in 2009, he returned to Exeter to take Weddings, and to give a St Michael’s Lecture in September 2012 entitled ‘What do the Pope and the Archbishop say about the Economic Crisis?’

David Beadle writes, “During his time as Curate he coordinated the St Michael’s Lectures. He was a huge gift to the Parish, to which he devoted great time and energy, to his very wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and to his field in academia.”

Richard Parker, Warden at St Michael’s, says, “I am devastated to have to report the death, in a motoring accident, of our beloved friend and priest Fr. John Hughes. He was one of the kindest and loveliest men I have ever met, and one of the brightest hopes of our church. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Among the many reports and tributes, here is a Cambridge link “Jesus mourn”  and locally “Express&Echo”  “Mid Devon Gazette”

And if I may re-post two more that speak for all of us. Jana Howlett said: “John was a born pastor: enquiring, understanding, compassionate. He communicated this, as well as his enormous enjoyment of life, to all who met him. This is such a shock to all of us who knew him and worked with him.”  Tom Bradshaw added: “The premature death of a person as kind, thoughtful, intelligent, modest and warm as John is hugely sad and I am deeply shocked.”

John Hughes taught philosophy, ethics, doctrine, and social thought in the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. He had studied Theology in Cambridge and Oxford, completing his PhD on nineteenth and twentieth century Romantic and Marxist philosophies of labour, published as ‘The End of Work: Theological Critiques of Capitalism’ (Blackwell, 2007). He trained for ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge. He edited a collection of sermons ‘The Unknown God: Responding to the New Atheists’ (SCM Press, 2013), and had recently written and spoken about the renewed interest in Civil Society and Roman Catholic and Anglican Social Teaching, particularly in relation to the Economic Crisis. He was part of a project on Anglican Social Thought organised by the Mission and Public Affairs Division of the Archbishops’ Council.

The whole Church has tragically lost one of its brightest and best teachers and priests. Requiescat in pace.

Young Organists’ Competition Update

With just a fortnight till the Competition. thanks to organiser Alex West for this update.

As a final flourish of our Music & Heritage Festival, celebrating 150 years of the legacy of Exeter philanthropist John Dinham, we are holding a competition for young organists at St Michael’s at 7.30pm on Monday 14^th July, first publicised back in March. We are delighted to announce that nine people have entered the competition.

Advanced category:-  Ralf Ayling-Millar, 19, Devon;  Rory Moules, 18, Somerset;  Jack Oades, 19, Devon.

Open category:-  Joseph Gooddy, 17, Devon;  Josh Hughes, 15, Cornwall;  Laurie Kirkcaldy, 18, Devon;  Eleanor Little, 16, Somerset;  Nick Tall, 16, Devon;  Katherine Whitcher, 11, Somerset.

The contestants will each play for 15 minutes (Advanced) or 10 minutes (Open) in an open, public event that will last around two hours. The judges of the competition are:-

Andrew Daldorph FRCO, director of East Devon Choral Society and Exeter Chamber Choir

Neil Page ARCM, LRAM, Director of Music at St Michael’s, and St Boniface, Sarasota, Florida, USA

Jonathan Watts, artistic director of Devon Baroque, Music Director of Devon Opera and Dartington Community Choir

We thank the judges and the contestants for taking part in this event, which promises to offer a rich variety of music for the organ, and which it is hoped will prove an exciting and memorable experience for participants and audience alike.

The winners of the respective categories will each be offered a date in the St Michael’s Recital Series as part of their prize. It is intended that the new HLF funded St Michael’s instrument (click that link for specification and brief history) should be used for the benefit of all, but especially by young musicians and for the advancement of the organ in musical education.

We would also like to take the opportunity to thank again our sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible:

Exeter Festival Chorus

 

“EFC has a reputation as one of the liveliest and most adventurous choirs in the South West. Our programmes aim to offer a stimulating mix of works from the established choral repertoire together with music from the less well-known and the contemporary choral scene. Our repertoire ranges from renaissance to present-day choral music and covers a variety of genres.”  www.exeterfestivalchorus.org.uk

“Exeter School is an independent day school for boys and girls aged 7-18 set in beautiful grounds in the heart of Exeter. With our newly refurbished music school, 500 individual instrumental music lessons each week and over 30 choirs, ensembles and orchestras, music flourishes at Exeter School. Well-established pastoral care systems and excellent teaching enable us to get the best out of our pupils; our balanced programme of subjects, cultural pursuits and outdoor activities is designed to challenge and inspire our young people.”

June Festival Final Week

The warm mid-June Monday evening past, about 120 of us heard the technical brilliance, musicality and sheer joy of David Briggs (www.david-briggs.org) in his spectacular Inaugural Recital on our new Organ. I think every pipe, pedal, key and stop was played, individually and all together!

Neil Page introduces David Briggs

Starting with a Fanfare by Graham Keitch, the Bach Prelude & Fugue showed the new Organ’s clarity in the classical repertoire, while the delicate Haydn pieces for musical clock showed its gentler colours. Briggs’ own variations on Greensleeves illustrated a different palette again, while the familiar Cocker Tuba Tune did what it said and the MacDowell Sea Pieces touched the romantic notes.

The words of Star Trek’s Chief Engineer Scotty, “She cannae take any more, Captain!”, came to my mind as David Briggs reached the climax of his transcription of Dukas’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (made famous by Disney’s Fantasia) to end the first half of his tremendous Opening Recital. Thankfully it could, and after the interval David returned to talk about his training in France in the art of improvisation. In response to ideas from the audience, he created an Organ Symphony from “I got rhythm”, “We’ll meet again” and “Westminster Chimes”. Bach’s Air on a G string provided a calming encore to conclude a wonderful evening celebrating what can now properly be called the St Michael’s Organ.

David Briggs at St Michael’s

Many thanks to Tim Trenchard, our organ builder, for a year-long labour of love cleaning, renewing, reconfiguring, installing, voicing and tuning, to Nigel Browne for overseeing the project, to Neil Page for arranging such a fitting opening Recital, and to all who have encouraged and supported us in this task. David spoke movingly about the history of this organ in Birmingham, much of it played over 5 decades by his grandfather, and his pleasure at seeing it rebuilt in our beautiful church to be used in liturgy, recitals, concerts and teaching. Our HLF guest, Evelyn Stacey, was impressed with what we have achieved.

Richard Barnes, David Briggs & Tim Trenchard

Please now support:-

Sunday 22nd June, Music Sunday, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Little Organ Mass. Motet: Insanae et Vanae Curae. (Unhealthy and vain cares invade our minds; What profit, O Mortal, in worldly things, if you neglect the heavens? But all things are favourable to you, if God is for you.) Both by Franz Joseph Haydn.

Sunday 22nd June, 6pm Evensong & Dedication of the new Organ. With Bishop Richard Hawkins – special order of service, preceded by a 20 minute mini Organ recital. Much of the choir’s music will feature bold organ accompaniments in Balfour-Gardner’s Evening Hymn and a Stanfordfest of Psalm 150 and the Canticles in C. We are grateful to Heritage Lottery Fund, Viridor Credits and our many generous donors.

Wednesday 25th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Paul Morgan (Exeter Cathedral Organist Emeritus) on the Life and Achievements of Samuel Sebastian Wesley. Hear about the eccentric SSWesley, who was Organist of Exeter Cathedral in the 1830s and, as well as composing well-known hymns and anthems, set about improving the musical life of the CofE. He is buried just below the Catacombs in the cemetery across the valley from St Michael’s.

John Dinham, died June 27th 1864

Friday 27th June, 7.30pm Requiem Mass. In memory of the 150th Anniversary of the death of John Dinham, Exeter Tea Merchant, Philanthropist and Founder of the Mount Dinham development. Weather permitting, after the service, Richard Parker & I hope to lead a procession to the tomb of John Dinham, and his wife Susannah, in the cemetery above Exe Street.

Tomb of Susannah and John Dinham

Wednesday 2nd July, 7.30 pm St Michael’s Lecture.  The regular programme of lectures returns with Professor Emma Loosely speaking on “Christianity in Syria: Glorious Past, Uncertain Future.” Emma Loosely is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter.  After graduating from a PhD in Late Antique Syria at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), she spent three years living and working as an archaeologist, fund-raiser, secretary and potato-peeler for the Community of Al-Khalil at Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi in Syria. The Community is dedicated to hospitality and Christian-Islamic dialogue.  She spent the summers directing an archaeological excavation for the Community at their other monastery, Deir Mar Elian in Qaryatayn. She also worked for the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Information as an archaeologist studying the artefacts found at a sixth-century monastery on the island of Sir Bani Yas. She has taught Oriental Christian and Islamic Art at the University of Manchester, where she was appointed Senior Lecturer.  Since 2012, she  has been working on a five-year European Research Council funded project entitled Architecture and Asceticism: Cultural Interaction between Syria and Georgia in Late Antiquity.

Please remember also to support a new generation of organists at our Young Organists’ Competition on Monday 14th July at 7.30pm. We have 9 applicants who will each play a short selection of pieces to our panel of three judges; Devon organists Jonathan Watts, Andrew Daldorph and Neil Page. Prizes include the opportunity to perform in Exeter Cathedral, in our St Michael’s Recital series, and lessons with Cathedral organists Andrew Millington and David Davies. We thank Exeter School, Exeter Festival Chorus and Budleigh Music Festival for sponsorship.

Organ Console

Fledging & Festival Updates

By midday on Sunday 8th June both the female Peregrine chicks (HeBe & HeiDi) had fledged and flown too. With no need for monitoring from us on the ground this year, it’s been hard to keep track of their first movements, but it seems all 3 are already able to fly to high points around the spire to roost and be fed.

Many took the opportunity to observe the Peregrines before attending Nick Dixon’s talk. A cameraman from the BBC’s One Show has been on hand too, so we hope there will be a feature on St Michael’s Peregrines in due course.

However, on Thursday 12th, the young male was found down, with some damage to his primary feathers; he has been taken to an RSPCA unit for treatment and rehabilitation, and we are still hopeful for a good recovery.

Heritage & Music Festival 2014

The Music & Heritage Festival is in full swing with choral concerts on Wed 11th and Fri 13th; please pull out all the stops to come and hear David Briggs, exciting player and entertaining speaker, performing on our new pipe Organ on Monday 16th June – all these at 7.30pm.

David Briggs – International Organ Virtuoso

If you need to park at the church, please get a pink parking permit when you arrive. Otherwise, the closest Exeter City car parks are Harlequins – free after 6pm, open till 11pm; Mary Arches Street – £2 after 6pm, staffed until 12pm; but NOT Guildhall, which closes at 9pm.

Meanwhile on Sunday 15th June, again at 7.30pm, we can learn more about the fascinating history of the part of Exeter we now call Mount Dinham, from Roman Camp and virtuous Victorians to melodious musicians and eloquent educators, from archaeologist and historian, Richard Parker.

Church and Episcopal School

It’s also great that the number of applicants for our Young Organists’ Competition, organised by Alex West, had swelled from a couple to 9, by the time entries closed last weekend. We look forward to an entertaining evening with our competitors and judges on Monday 14th July.

Organ Rebuilt

Finally, a reminder of Trinity Sunday 15th June, 10.45am Mass. Setting: now Mass in F by Charles Wood. Motet: Duo Seraphim by Guerrero. (Two Seraphim, from Isaiah 6, with 3 intertwining 4-part choirs representing the Holy Trinity)

Heritage & Music Month – June 2014

Hopefully you’ve seen the Posters in the recent News Update blog. This is the same information in Diary form combined with the Music List for June. We have now had a myriad (10,000) views of the blog, from 65 different countries – thank you.

Meanwhile, keep watching our Peregrine chicks, live on the internet at our website thanks to generous sponsorship of the streaming costs by Devon Birds ( http://www.devonbirds.org ). The 4-week old juveniles are quite mobile around the nest box, starting to feed for themselves on what the adults bring in, and looking rather untidy as they grow their proper feathers; they are due to fledge in the second week of June.

Heritage & Music Festival 2014

So, this is when we bring most of the Project together with a wonderful variety of entertainment, education and worship. Please come and enjoy this exciting month with us at St Michael’s. We will also shortly be launching a new, enhanced website at http://www.stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk . Don’t miss David Briggs on Monday 16th June; he is one of the world’s most exciting concert organists.

Thursday 29th May, Ascension Day N.B. 7.30am Matins. Plainsong sung from the West Gallery; followed by Breakfast.

Thursday 29th May, Ascension Day 7.30pm Mass. Setting: Mass in C & F. Motet: Coelos Ascendit Hodie, both by C V Stanford.

Sunday 1st June, Easter VII 10.45am Mass. Setting: Missa Dixit Maria, Hassler. Motet: God is gone up with a merry noise, Hutchings (1906–1989)[Ascendit Deus, Philips]

Sunday 1st June, 6pm Evensong and Benediction. Responses: Sumsion. Psalm 47. Canticles: Stanford in G. Anthem: To My Request and Earnest Cry, by S S Wesley. (A substantial Bach-like piece, written in Exeter in 1836, setting the last 8 verses of Psalm 119 from Tate & Brady’s metrical “New Version”.) O Salutaris Hostia & Tantum Ergo: Plainsong.

Wednesday 4th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Dr David Oates on the Colourful Arms of Devon’s colourful Gentry.

Sunday 8th June, Pentecost, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Missa Brevis Laetatus Sum by Browne. Motet: Exultate Deo by Palestrina.

Sunday 8th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Nick Dixon (Raptor expert) on 20 years with Exeter’s Peregrine Falcons at St Michael’s, including new video footage from the nest box camera. Indeed, the young Peregrines should be on the threshold of fledging.

Juveniles at 3 weeks

Wednesday 11th June, 7.30pm Charity Concert. Exeter Rotary presents Torbay Police Male Voice Choir in a programme of Gilbert & Sullivan and popular songs. (Admission £6.50 on the door.)

Friday 13th June, 7.30pm St Michael’s Recital. Exeter Chorale, conducted by Dr Nigel Browne and accompanied by Dr Paul Evans & Alex West (piano duet), return with a summer programme of Madrigals, Partsongs & Glees. (Admission £7.50/£4 on the door, children free.)

Sunday 15th June, Trinity Sunday, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Spatzenmesse (Sparrow Mass) by Mozart. Motet: Duo Seraphim by Guerrero. (Two Seraphim, from Isaiah 6, with 3 intertwining 4-part choirs representing the Holy Trinity)

Sunday 15th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Richard W Parker (our own Architectural Historian) on the long History of Mount Dinham and St Michael’s.

Monday 16th June, 7.30pm Inaugural Organ Recital. David Briggs (International Organ Virtuoso, Artist-in-Residence at Toronto Cathedral, and Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral) will perform a varied programme on our newly installed, restored pipe organ. David will include 3 pieces played by his grandfather when the organ was re-dedicated after a re-build in 1952 at St Jude’s Church, Birmingham. Don’t miss this exciting Concert; see organrecitals.com for details. (Admission £10/£8 on the door.) David’s Finale will be an improvised Symphony, from themes suggested by the audience!

Click here for “Organ Specification”

David Briggs – International Organ Virtuoso

Thursday 19th June, Corpus Christi, 7.30pm Mass with Procession around Mount Dinham. Setting: Mass in F by Rheinberger. Motet: Panis Angelicus, Cavalli/Leppard

Sunday 22nd June, Music Sunday, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Little Organ Mass. Motet: Insanae et Vanae Curae. (Unhealthy and vain cares invade our minds; What profit, O Mortal, in worldly things, if you neglect the heavens? But all things are favourable to you, if God is for you.) Both by Franz Joseph Haydn.

Sunday 22nd June, 6pm Evensong & Dedication of the new Organ. With Bishop Richard Hawkins – special order of service, preceded by a 20 minute mini Organ recital. Much of the choir’s music will feature bold organ accompaniments in Balfour-Gardner’s Evening Hymn and a Stanfordfest of Psalm 150 and the Canticles in C.

We hope also to include prayers used by Bishop Ernest Barnes from the 1952 Organ Re-dedication Service at St Jude’s, Birmingham. We are grateful to Heritage Lottery Fund, Viridor Credits and our many generous donors.

Wednesday 25th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Paul Morgan (Exeter Cathedral Organist Emeritus) on the Life and Achievements of Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

Friday 27th June, 7.30pm Requiem Mass. In memory of the 150th Anniversary of the death of John Dinham, Exeter Tea Merchant, Philanthropist and Founder of the Mount Dinham development.

Sunday 29th June, SS Peter & Paul, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Anglican Folk Mass by Martin Shaw. Motet: Tu Es Petrus, Palestrina.

As usual at St Michael’s, virtually every event will have Refreshments afterwards, with voluntary donations.  Unless otherwise stated, entrance is free with a voluntary collection as you leave.  This celebratory month of diverse events is the climax of our 18-month Heritage Lottery Funded project (with other donors) to make Heritage, Music, Education, and indeed Religion, lively on Mount Dinham, now and for the future, in the spirit of our Victorian forbears, John Dinham, Rev Theophilus Toye and William Gibbs.

Northernhay Gardens – John Dinham statue (1866)

I’m not sure what John Dinham would make of a Requiem in his memory; he seems to have been of a more puritan, evangelical persuasion than those who built this church to his memory. What all had in common, though, was a fervent Christian faith demonstrated in the worship of God and the welfare of their fellow citizens.

Richard Barnes.

News Update

A quick update on exciting current and forthcoming events.

Church and Episcopal School

Tonight! Wednesday 21st May, 7.30pm. St Michael’s Recital. Alex West (Organ). See Organ Recitals for details.

Application date for Young Organists’ Competition extended to Sat 7th June. See details here

Peregrine chicks weighed, measured and ringed, all three are healthy, developing well and getting around the nest box. See website and click Peregrine link. And yes, I’ve unofficially named them after their leg-rings HeCtor, HeBe & HeiDi!

Poster now available for Celebrity Recital by David Briggs, International Organ Virtuoso, to launch the our new Organ, on Monday 16th June at 7.30pm.

Opening organ concert on reconstructed organ formally in St Jude’s Church, Birmingham, where David’s grandfather was Organist, inspiring him as a child to learn to play and to improvise.

David Briggs – International Organ Virtuoso

Click image to enlarge.

It is a real coup for St Michael’s to have David Briggs come and formally open our newly installed pipe organ next month. It will be a thrilling opportunity to hear one of the world’s foremost organists perform pieces from J S Bach to Dukas’ the Sorcerer’s Apprentice (from Disney’s Fantasia), and to improvise a Symphony from themes suggested by the audience!

And a beautiful poster for the whole of our busy Festival Season.

Heritage & Music Festival 2014

Click image to enlarge.

We hope to see those who live near enough at St Michael’s as we celebrate.

Best regards, Richard.

Week Three Rings

Yes, it’s week 3 for our Peregrine chicks, rapidly becoming juveniles, growing well thanks to good parental hunting, with Mum making sure all get their fair share of pigeon etc.

Female peregrine feeding 3 young chicks

They have started to move around the nest box, if rather ungainly, flex their young wings, spend a lot of time unattended and at least some time not all huddled together. Also preening and projectile excretion have been observed.

The adults have started using the top of the spire as a lookout and are patrolling their airspace, so buzzards and other aerial passers-by watch out.

This Saturday, as licensed ringers, Jason and Nick plan to measure, weigh and leg-ring our 3 young, 3 week old eyases. This should also confirm the expectation of 2 female and 1 male again this year. (The 4th, unhatched egg is still there, but now ignored by the adults.)

Accessing the Nest Box at St Michael’s

Advanced notice of Nick Dixon’s talk here in St Michael’s Mount Dinham on Sunday 8th June at 7.30pm, illustrated by recorded (and live) footage from 6 weeks in the nest box. That is unless any juveniles have just decided to fledge the nest, in which case we may all adjourn outside for a view of their first tentative flights.

Enjoy the next 3 weeks of growth and development at close quarters on the Devon Birds’ sponsored live stream available on St Michael’s website.