Pearls of Polyphony

In their programme of radiant choral polyphony, St Martin's Voices took us on a musical tour of sixteenth century Europe. This selection of sacred works by the leading composers of the age demonstrates the expressive beauty and dexterity of the polphonic style, bridging the gap from the Late Renaissance to the Early Baroque.

Polyphony is defined as a musical texture with two or more melodic lines and, when applied to vocal writing, means that the text is performed independently by each voice apart, according to the rhythm and phrasing of their individual melodic line. Stylistically, this results in waves of sound with soaring peaks, ever-shifting harmonies, and powerful moments of unity when the voices come together.

The programme tonight at St Andrew's Wickford included Orlande de Lassus, Peter Phillips, Francisco Guerrero, Richard Dering, Jan Pieterszoon Sweenlinck, Heinrich Schutz and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. The texts explored in their programme spanned the liturgical year, from All Saints to Ascension, in settings by composers from across Europe.

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St Martin's Voices - Love Divine.

St Martin's Voices in concert

 

St Martin's Voices, Friday 17 March, 7.00 pm, St Andrew's Wickford.

St Martin’s Voices are one of the UK’s most versatile professional vocal ensembles, performing concerts on the international stage as well as giving regular BBC broadcasts and special services at London’s iconic St Martin-in-the-Fields. The ensemble performs regularly alongside the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London Mozart Players and is featured in the Church of England’s online worship resources that have attracted over 4 million downloads.

No ticket required - just turn up. A collection will be taken during the concert.

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St Martin's Voices - Gloria.

We Pray and St Andrew's Wickford

The latest edition of We Pray is here! Take a look at news and stories from across the Diocese of Chelmsford along with our cycle of prayer for March - May 2023 - https://mailchi.mp/chelmsford/wepray-mar-may-23. This edition includes a piece on St Andrew’s Wickford, connecting with community through heritage, arts & culture.

The next Unveiled evening at St Andrew's Wickford is on Friday 17 March at 7.00 pm and sees St Martin's Voices in concert. St Martin’s Voices are one of the UK’s most versatile professional vocal ensembles, performing concerts on the international stage as well as giving regular BBC broadcasts and special services at London’s iconic St Martin-in-the-Fields. The ensemble performs regularly alongside the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London Mozart Players and is featured in the Church of England’s online worship resources that have attracted over 4 million downloads. No ticket required - just turn up. A collection will be taken during the concert.

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St Martin's Voices - Sanctus.

Open Mic Night and Quiet Day

We had a great time last night at our Unveiled Open Mic Night in St Andrew's Wickford with a large number of performers taking part. There was spoken word and song, poetry and music. The poets included Tim Harrold, who also read at our first Open Mic Night, and whose practice includes poetry, photography and assemblage. Among the musicians was Dave Crawford, who often plays with Kev Butler, and who played a stunning new song entitled 'Revelations'. Tim Harrold rightly described Dave as a revelation and a fellow ‘channeller’ of the Zimmer Man vibe with the rich expansive tone of his 12 string and the folky minstrel voice of one who’s just emerged from the great north woods. 

Our thanks to John and Liz Rogers for all their work in organising this Open Mic Night. Click here for more information on their Open Mic Nights. 

Our next Unveiled event is St Martins Voices in concert on Friday 17 March, 7.00 PM, St Andrew's Wickford.

We enjoyed a lovely Quiet Day on Christian Mindfulness today at St Mary's Runwell led by Emma Doe. Christian mindfulness is the art of embracing all moments of life with acceptance and curiosity. We explored the beauty of being present to God, to ourselves, and to others through a series of Christian mindfulness exercises. Among the exercises we used was a colouring exercise reminding us to be strong and courageous for the Lord, your God, is with you.

Our next Quiet Days at St Mary's will be on Wednesday 31 May (Creation) and Saturday 1 July (Poetry and Prayer). To book: Phone 07803 562329 or email jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

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Kev Butler and Dave Crawford - Revelations.

Upcoming events: Unveiled, Quiet Day and Rumatica

 

Upcoming events in the Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry include the following:

Our second Open Mic Night, on Friday 3 March from 7.30 pm at St Andrew's Wickford. We're doing this event with John Rogers, a regular organiser of Open Mic Nights around the area. All are welcome to come along and play, sing, perform or just spectate. Hope to see you there for a great evening of live performance!

Saturday 4 March, 10.30 am – 3.30 pm, at St Mary’s Runwell, we have a Quiet Day on Christian Mindfulness. Christian mindfulness is the art of embracing all moments of life with acceptance and curiosity. Explore the beauty of being present to God, to ourselves, and to others through a series of Christian mindfulness exercises. Reflect in the magnificent mediaeval building that is St Mary’s Runwell, and relax in its beautiful churchyard. St. Mary’s itself is often described by visitors and by regular worshippers as a powerful sacred space to which they have been drawn. Experience this yourself, while also exploring its art and heritage. Led by Emma Doe, Licensed Lay Minister for Wickford and Runwell. Cost: £8.00 per person, including sandwich lunch (pay on the day). To book: Phone 07803 562329 or email jonathan.evens@btinternet.com .

Rumatica Ukulele Group: Saturday 11 March, 3.00 pm, St Catherine’s Church (120 Southend Road, Wickford SS11 8EB). A local band playing and singing a wide range of popular songs including rock, pop, country, swing, rock and roll. Enjoy a cream tea afterwards in the church hall. Elsa (from Frozen) will be making an appearance at the cream tea and children will be able to meet her and have a photograph taken. This event is raising funds for essential repair works at St Catherine's Church, where we need to raise £23,000 for phase 1 of a project to underpin the building (donations to the campaign can be made online using the QR code above).

Friday 17 March, 7.00 pm, St Andrew's Wickford – St Martin’s Voices, one of the UK’s most versatile professional vocal ensembles, performing concerts on the international stage as well as giving regular BBC broadcasts and special services at London’s iconic St Martin-in-the-Fields. The ensemble performs regularly alongside the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London Mozart Players and is featured in the Church of England’s online worship resources that have attracted over 4 million downloads.

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St Martin's Voices - Praise To The Holiest.

HeartEdge in Brussels

Azariah France-Williams has written a reflection on the recent HeartEdge weekend in Brussels. His full reflection can be read here. In it he says:

'We were based at Holy Trinity in Brussels, where Paul Volijk had invited several churches of the region to send representatives to gather and consider HeartEdge for their setting. Jonathan delivered a presentation which was undoing old formulas as much as it was creating head and heart space for other approaches. Approaches where people are fundamentally beautiful assets, not burdensome activities, where commerce is one of God’s ways of founding and furnishing God’s own home within the wider world. A minister called Scott Rennie gave examples from his own context in Aberdeen on how this ideology could be expressed.

The full discussion and desire to flood the room with resonant stories demonstrated Jonathan and Scott had hit the right notes. And talking about notes St Martin’s Voices arrived late morning to whisk the company away with Great Sacred Music, an evening concert, and bolstering the church choir on the Sunday morning. I loved the weekend. Jonathan preached a message on Sunday which was simple but not easy. He urged us to take seriously ‘that we were enough.’ There is so much striving and little arriving with much of Christianity. Yet Jonathan was saying that on the first Sunday of Lent ‘we were enough’ Jesus identity of ‘enoughness’ meant the temptations could not snare him. As he was full of love, so he was able to give from abundance to those in the margins. He had a full Heart so could live on the Edge.'

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Sufjan Stevens - The Transfiguration.

Within: Everyday Faith

Within was a day exploring a breadth of different approaches to spirituality that was organised by HeartEdge with the Watling Valley Partnership and the Diocese of Oxford. The day promoted the Oxford Diocesan priority of deepening spirituality via #EveryDayFaith, harnessed and promoted the approach to mission of HeartEdge, an international ecumenical movement for renewal, and encouraged confidence amongst God’s people, as we live out our faith in the world.

Values

• We are called to be a Christ-like church for the sake of God’s world
• We are called to be disciples and ‘make a difference in the world’
• We seek to ‘be with’ God, (alone and corporately), our neighbours (near and far), and creation

Presentations, workshops and worship included: Sam Wells (Vicar, St Martin-in-the-Fields); St Martin’s Voices; TesTamenT; Tina Molyneux (Discipleship Enabler, Diocese of Oxford); Sharon Grenham-Thompson (Watling Valley Ecumenical Partnership); Ruth Maxey (Forest Church); Jonathan Evens (HeartEdge); Catherine Duce (HeartEdge), among others. Being With; Great Sacred Music; Art Oasis; Personal Discipleship Plans; Contemplative Toolkit; Listening Groups; Faith in Work; ‘The Christ We Share’; Forest Church, among others.

The Watling Valley Partnership are HeartEdge members and Revd Sharon Grenham-Thompson, who led the event for the Watling Valley Partnership writes:

‘We were so thrilled to have such wonderful support from St Martin’s and from the HeartEdge team for the event. Developing a partnership with HeartEdge has been such a positive move for us here in the Watling Valley, and has really helped us to move forward in an energetic and hopeful way. Sam’s talk was inspiring, and has been taken deeply to heart by many who attended. I have received numerous messages of thanks and appreciation for Sam’s part in the day – and I would like to add those of the Watling Valley staff team as well. And as for the music! I knew how fab Andrew and the Voices were, but for most folk there it was a new experience that blew them away! The workshops were perfectly judged, practical and very helpful. The friendliness and openness of the St Martin’s team contributed greatly to the day, and we are so grateful for them giving up their time, and expending their energy, on our little patch of the kingdom.’

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St Martin's Voices - What Sweeter Music.