NEWS BRIEFS

San Diego Presbyterian Chorale in Belfast

San Diego Presbyterian Chorale sang at the Choral Eucharist service in Belfast Cathedral on Sunday past. (Photo above) Their Director, Elizabeth Virkler, is shown on the left of Dean Stephen Forde.

Stranmillis Parish buries time capsule

On St Bartholomew’s Day, the Saturday of the late August Bank Holiday weekend, the church family at Stranmillis joined for a fun packed afternoon in the Rectory and grounds of St Bartholomew’s Church. There were activities for the children including a bouncy castle, balloon modelling and others games. For the senior, but still young at heart members, there was cake and coffee. All enjoyed the BBQ and candy floss. As part of the parish’s centenary celebrations, a time capsule was buried by the children in the grounds of the church to be opened on St Bartholomew’s Day, August 24 2044. The capsule contains photos of the Sunday School and Tots’ Church, and other artefacts, as well as messages written by the children to themselves to be read in 25 years’ time.

 New Armagh Cathedral Recital Series

Following the 2019 Charles Wood Festival and Summer School, Dr Stephen Timpany will begin a new recital series in St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh. On Sunday 8 September 2019 at 4.15pm, Stephen will give a forty-minute organ recital, to which all are welcome. Admission is free, with donations to the Choir Fund greatly appreciated.

Stephen is the Director of Music and Master of the Choristers at the Cathedral. This year he will play music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Henri Mulet, César Franck, Ad Wammes and Jean-Marie Plum. In talking about his choice of programme, Stephen said, “I very much enjoy playing French organ music and my programme is bookended by two toccata-style pieces by early twentieth-century French composer, Mulet and Belgian composer, Plum. Mulet’s ‘Carillion-Sortie’ is a very exuberant piece and Plum’s ‘Big Ben’ is based on the Westminster chimes.”

Stephen continued, “No recital would be complete without a work by J S Bach, and on this occasion, I am playing the composer’s ‘Toccata and Fugue in D minor’, often referred to as the Dorian Toccata and Fugue. I will play ‘Cantabile’ a piece by Belgian-French composer Franck, from the nineteenth century. The recital concludes with a piece by a modern Dutch composer, Ad Wammes, entitled ‘The Messenger on the Hill’, which is a minimalist style piece, written in 2014.”

As Director of Music at Armagh Cathedral, Stephen has invited organists, choirs and soloists to take part in the new recital series which will run until June 2020. The next recital will be given by the choir of King’s College School, Wimbledon, on Sunday 20 October 2019.

The Dean of Armagh, the Very Revd Gregory Dunstan, said, “We are really looking forward to the new series of Sunday afternoon recitals, beginning with Stephen’s in September. In the Cathedral a fortnight ago, he was practising French music with obvious enjoyment. His playing is always marked by its sensitivity, as well as by his love of the music.”

Clogher Diocese European Heritage Open Days

Two church buildings in Clogher Diocese will be opening their doors to visitors during the European Heritage Open Days on 14 and 15 September. Rossorry Parish Church, located at 162 Ballaghmore Road, Enniskillen BT74 7HB will be opening on Sunday afternoon, 15 September only from 2pm-5pm. The church has an interesting history and recently marked its 175th anniversary. St.Macartan’s Cathedral, Clogher will be opening during the Heritage Weekend on Saturday from 10am-1.30pm and on Sunday from 10am-4pm. The Cathedral which sits at the top of the hill in Clogher, has a fine archive of records. All buildings are open during the weekend free of charge.

Dublin Service for new academic year

A service of choral evensong for the opening of the academic year in schools will take place in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, on Thursday, 19th September. Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, Minister for State at the Department of Education and Skills, is due to attend along with young people from the 27 Church of Ireland and Protestant second level schools. This year, the Board of Education (Republic of Ireland) has partnered with Gaisce, the President’s Award, and recent recipients of the gold award will speak at the service on personal achievement and self–development.

Obit – Wife of former Armagh rector

The following family announcement has been published –
Combe, June Olivia (nee Woods). 27th August 2019. Peacefully at Oakmont Lodge, Bangor. Beloved wife and unfailing friend of Charlie, cherished mother of Frederick, Jonathan, Timothy, Stephen and Margaret, much loved by Aideen, Caroline, Cathy, Claire and Gordon, adored by her grandchildren. Service in Bangor Abbey on Saturday 31st August at 10.30 a.m., followed by interment in Clandeboye Cemetery. Donations in lieu of floral tributes may be sent if desired to Marie Curie, c/o S Clarke & Son, Funeral Directors, 64 Newtownards Road, Bangor, BT20 4DR. ‘In heavenly love abiding.’

Food for thought

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” CS Lewis