Unveiled: Open Mic Night and Simon Law in Concert

Unveiled
A new, regular Friday night arts and performance event
at St Andrew’s Church, 7.00 – 9.00 pm
11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN
Exhibitions, open mic nights, performances, talks and more!

• Unveiled – a wide range of artist and performers from Essex and wider, including Open Mic nights (come and have a go!).
• Unveiled – view our hidden painting by acclaimed artist David Folley, plus a range of other exhibitions.

*** Please that tonight's 'Unveiled' event has been cancelled in order to hold a Commemoration Service for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The 'Unveiled' programme recommences on Friday 23 September (see below for more information).

Initial Autumn Programme

• 23 September – Open Mic Night (come along and have a go at performing) including artist-poet Tim Harrold (see below).
• 30 September - Simon Law in concert. Simon has fronted the rock bands Fresh Claim, Sea Stone and Intransit, as well as being a founder of Plankton Records and becoming an Anglican Vicar (see below).
• 7 October – Conversing with composers – Hear Classical composer Ho Wai-On speak about her work and view videos of her work - https://www.howaion.co.uk/aboutme.html.
• 14 October – Visit to Luke Jerram’s ‘Gaia’ installation at Chelmsford Cathedral. Measuring seven metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface the artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet, floating in three dimensions. Tickets cost £4.00.
• 21 October – ‘Wickford Famous’ – a talk by Ken Porter (Basildon Heritage).

Unveiled’s Autumn Programme will continue to 25 November.

Advance notice: 18 November – Matt Simpkins in concert. Sinner songster, guttural gospeller & pop-poet-priest, the Rev’d Matt Simpkins’s music is an unholy brew of bruising freak blues, string-snapping finger-twanged folk, and sanctified psychedelia.

With the exception of the Gaia trip, these events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs.

See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for fuller information.

mudcubs… touching earth, bringing peace
5 September – 31 December 2022
St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN

Nicola Ravenscroft’s mudcubs are children intimately connected to the earth – reminding us of our duty of care to life, to love, to planet Earth.

This exhibition is complemented by a heritage display on Wickford’s children from Basildon Heritage (Web: http://www.basildonheritage.org.uk/) from 18 September – 22 October (followed by a display on Wickford’s shops) and an exhibition by members of Runwell Art Club (https://community.saa.co.uk/art-clubs/runwell-art-club/) featuring animals, children and nature. All their works are for sale.

St Andrew’s Church is usually open: Saturdays from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm; Sundays from 9.30 am to 12.00 noon; Mondays from 1.30 to 3.45 pm; Tuesdays from 1.00 to 4.30 pm; Wednesdays from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon; and Fridays from 10.00 am to 1.30 pm.

See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for fuller information.

Unveiled Open Mic Night - Friday 23 September, 7.30 pm

There is an open mic waiting for you this evening. Are you a poet, writer, musician, dancer, actor ... ? Would you like to perform? Come along for 7.30 pm and we'll give you a slot. Hear from members of the Scribblers Group that meets in the St Andrew's Centre on Monday afternoons and from Tim Harrold - poetry, photography, assemblage - the author of Verses versus Viruses.  

Unveiled: Simon Law in Concert - Friday 30 October, 7.30 pm

Prior to Ordination in 1996, Simon had spent 20+ years playing in Christian bands and working for an evangelistic charity, “The Wavelength Trust” mainly doing outreach in secondary schools; colleges & universities; youth clubs; and prisons.

In 1975 Simon played in the British Youth for Christ band, “Really Free” (with Cliff Bergdahl) and then fronted: “Sea Stone”, “INTRANSIT” and “Fresh Claim”; doing hundreds of gigs across the UK and Europe. All of his musical output is published by Sea Dream Music and released through Plankton Records.

Simon’s first full-time ‘Vicar’s job’ was in Dagenham in 1998 (just after getting married to Sarah!) before moving to be Rector of Pitsea with Nevendon in 2010.

Currently, Simon is able to play guitar and sing (a lot) in Church (as the Churches do not have a regular organist), and (prior to the pandemic) was very active in four primary schools in the Parish. (These opportunities are just starting to re-emerge now).

However, one very positive result of the pandemic was the coming together of the “Law Family Band”. Simon’s children Isaac (drums) and Reuben & Salomë (guitars) started playing with Simon for all the recorded services that were put out on YouTube when our Churches were closed. (All the filming was done by another daughter – Lydia – graduate in Film & TV Studies!) The band’s debut gig was at the Greenbelt Festival (Prospect Farm) in 2021, when the band was renamed “The Law Family Banned” (owing to the ‘protest’ and ‘Christian’ content of some of the songs). Elements of the band have just played at Greenbelt 2022.

Recently, a long-lost uncle: the Revd. Dr. Jeremy Law has joined on bass guitar, and the first gig is in Canterbury in September.

To begin with, Simon will be playing solo in Wickford (maybe being joined by his son on a few songs) and then, if it all goes down well, he may return with “The Law Family Banned” later in the year (or next year) and be a lot louder!

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 Fresh Claim - Enough Is Enough.