Discover & explore: New service series

Discover & explore was a service series at St Stephen Walbrook in June and July 2015 of musical discovery exploring themes of beauty, faith, home, imagination, leisure, love and work with the Choral Scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Feedback for this series was overwhelmingly positive and included the following:

• Perfect service of peace in our busy lives.
• Spiritual food in the middle of the day.
• Each part elided into the next, giving a warm whole.
• The music was wonderful. The service was also thoughtful.
• It was like a little jewel with a number of facets drawing us in and lighting our path.
• Beautifully and intelligently done.

The series also included a well-attended and very interesting guided tour of the Victorian Collection at the Guildhall Art Gallery. Our thanks to Sonia Solicari, Principal Curator, for giving us such a wonderful tour and facilitating the partnership with St Stephen Walbrook for this service series.

The next services in the Discover & explore series will be:

• Monday 2nd November, 1.10 - 1.50pm – Bereavement (All Souls).
• Monday 9th November, 1.10 - 1.50pm – Charity.
• Monday 16th November, 1.10 - 1.50pm – Hope.
• Monday 23rd November, 1.10 - 1.50pm – Faith.

The Choral Scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields have an essential musical role at this great church. Every year twelve scholars are appointed to sing regular services while also gaining concert experience, benefiting from an extensive training in all aspects of sacred and secular choral music. They are led by the Director of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Andrew Earis.

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St Martin-in-the-Fields - Choral Evensong.

Discover & explore: Original & peaceful

Here is a selection of the feedback we have received on the 'Discover & explore' service series at St Stephen Walbrook, which has been organised in partnership with St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Guildhall Art Gallery:

• Both the songs and the reflection were excellent;
• Beautiful music; the readings were long and meaty! The whole liturgy was good;
• Everything about the service;
• Many things – clear and relevant theme, lively pace & variety & beautiful music. Also friendly welcome; 
• Very inspiring message and hymns;
• It was like a little jewel with a number of facets drawing us in and lighting our path;
• I enjoyed the Taize. The music was beautiful. Everything was so carefully chosen for theme of today;
• Focus combined with brevity – effective and to the point;
• Thought provoking. Enjoyed the musical part of the service very much and the reflection;
• The theme and the length and the timing;
• Spiritual food in the middle of the day. Lovely choir;
• Beautiful music, as ever, and wonderful readings. I feel strengthened by it. Thank you;
• Good music and sermon; 
• Readings – especially enjoyed the first reading, and the involvement of the excellent readers. Music. Reflection. Opportunity to think/engage with the topic;
• It’s originality;
• Each part elided into the next, giving a warm whole;
• That it had a unifying theme. The choir – especially the Rutter piece. The thoughtprovoking sermon.
• · All the settings;
• The Choral Scholars and the music and singing;
• The music was wonderful. The service was also thoughtful; 
• All of it - peacefulness;
• The relevance and resonance of the intercessions.

Thanks to Sonia Solicari we also explored the themes through an excellent guided tour of the Guildhall Art Gallery's Victorian Collection.

All are welcome for the final service in the series which is on Monday (1.10pm - 1.50pm) and is on the theme of Beauty. Click here, here, here, here, here and here for reflections from previous services on the themes of faith, home, love, work, imagination and leisure.

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John Rutter - The Lord Bless You And Keep You.