Unveiled Spring 2023 Programme

The regular Friday night Unveiled arts and performance event at St Andrew’s Church, 7.00 – 9.00 pm, (11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN), begins again from Friday 13 January, with 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.

Spring Programme 2023

• 13 January – 'From Rettendon Turnpike to Halls Corner: A Journey in Time'. A talk by Geoff Whiter of Wickford Community Archive.
• 27 January – 'The Blind Jesus (No-one belongs here more than you)': Exhibition viewing evening. See this exhibition of Last Supper images and works about belonging or feeling welcomed. Hear from artist Alan Stewart, project lead Celia Webster (co-founder of WAVE), and Revd John Beauchamp, Disability Ministry Enabler for the Diocese of London.
• 10 February – An evening with composer Silvio Bartoli. Numerous performances of his pieces have been done during the last years in London, by The Hermes Project, The Explore Ensemble, different solo pieces, and the RCM Philarmonia. In addition to his career as a composer, he teaches composition, harmony, piano, theory and solfege.
• 17 February – 'God Gave Rock and Roll to You': a talk by Jonathan Evens about the religious influences in Rock, Pop, and Soul music.
• 3 March – Open Mic Night with John Rogers. Everybody is welcome to come along and play, sing or just spectate. Hope to see you there for a great evening of live music!
• 17 March – 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.

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.

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Silvio Bartoli - After, for String Quartet.

A Memorial Service for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Ambassador Lindiwe Mabusa

 

A Memorial Service for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Ambassador Lindiwe Mabusa will be held at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Monday 21 February, 2.00pm. The service, which is being organised with the South African High Commission, will include tributes to the Archbishop Emeritus and the Ambassador from those who knew them, an Address from Revd Dr Sam Wells, and music from St Martin’s Voices. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to events@southafricahouse.uk, the service will also be livestreamed on stmartins.digital and the St Martin's Facebook page.

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James Whitbourn - A Prayer of Desmond Tutu.

Resourcing Innovative Mission in Brussels

Today's North West Europe Mission Working Party Day at Holy Trinity Brussels featured HeartEdge.

'Resourcing Innovative Mission' was a day which explored key HeartEdge concepts including the 4Cs – commerce, culture, compassion and congregation – as a model for mission. We experienced Great Sacred Music - a 35-minute sequence of words and music speaking to heart, head and soul - with St Martin's Voices Fellows and myself, while reflecting on the use of culture to share faith insights with secular audiences. In addition to Great Sacred Music, we also heard about Humanitarian Corridors at St John's Anglican Church in Ghent and the Community Kitchen at Holy Trinity Brussels. The day also provided opportunities to share ideas, identify key challenges and assets for future initiatives. The day ended with 'Sing Joyfully', an evening concert by St Martin's Voice Fellows. 

In the GSM on the theme of HeartEdge I said:

'Overflowing joy, gratitude and thankfulness have been the threads running through this performance. We bring this Great Sacred Music towards its end by thanking God with all we have; heart and hands and voices. The 4Cs of HeartEdge bring together the essential ingredients to human flourishing – culture, commerce, compassion, congregation - in ‘a vision of a civil economy, of what work and play, friendship and worship, social concern and evangelism, diversity and identity might look like’ when we live God’s future now. This holistic vision means that the 4Cs are not there solely for you or me. They are not instrumental and God is not encountered through them as an instrument to use to solve problems or gain security. Instead, we encounter God as a mystery to be entered and in so doing find true life.'

Tomorrow I will preach at the 9.00am and 10.30am service at Holy Trinity Brussels. St Martin's Voices will sing at the 10.30am service before giving a second concert at Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon (Rue des Sablons, 1000 Bruxelles) at 3.30pm.

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Moses Hogan - God's Gonna Set This World On Fire.

The Bridge: Exhibition launch

Last night the official launch and reception for The Bridge, a ground-breaking interfaith exhibition of premier and emerging visual artists, was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Speakers included: The Hon Nasser Kamel, Ambassador of Egypt, Revd Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler, Founder & President of CARAVAN, Most Revd Dr Bishop Mouneer Anis, Bishop of Egypt and Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. The St Martins Voices and Sami Yusuf sang.

The Bridge is an East-West travelling art exhibition organised and curated by CARAVAN, an interreligious and intercultural peacebuilding NGO. It showcases the work of 47 premier contemporary visual artists from 15 countries. Each artist has submitted one original work (created specifically for the exhibition) addressing the theme. The Bridge is an unparalleled gathering of international artists focusing on what they hold in common through their cultures and creeds: Christian, Muslim and Jewish.

The Bridge is at St Martin-in-the-Fields until 31 July.

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Sami Yusuf - The Gift Of Love. 

In recognition of the beauty and the value of people with intellectual disabilities

Jean Vanier began his remarks at tonight's Templeton Prize ceremony in St Martin-in-the-Fields by saying:

"Thank you for this magnificent award that you have given in recognition of the beauty and the value of people with intellectual disabilities. This beauty has been revealed as we have lived together in L’Arche and accompanied each other in Faith and Light. People with intellectual disabilities are the ones who are the heart of our communities, they are the ones who have revealed to so many people - families, assistants and friends - their human and spiritual gifts, and they are the ones who have inspired the fruitful growth of Faith and Light and L’Arche throughout the world. It is to them this prize will be given, so that many more people with intellectual disabilities throughout the world may grow in greater inner freedom, discover their fundamental value as human beings and children of God. They in turn will be able to help many so-called “normal” people, imprisoned by our cultures orientated towards power, winning, and individual success, to discover what it means to be human."

His remarks can be read in full by clicking here, while the ceremony, including St Martin's Voices and a L'Arche performance and song, can be viewed by clicking here (from 19th May).

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Sydney Carter - I Come Like A Beggar.

Art & music: exhibitions & recitals

The latest exhibition in the Crypt Gallery at St Martin-in-the-Fields includes embroidered and patchwork hangings, printed textiles, puppets and other three dimensional textile works, and garments made from fabrics created on the project. Entitled 'Crossing Borders' the exhibition features work by East London Textile Arts which was set up by local people of different faiths and ethnicities to make textiles that reflect the cultural diversity of East London. Craftspeople work in partnership with local community centres and have an outreach programme aimed at people who cannot access mainstream creative opportunities for reasons of health, family ties or economic constraints.

The National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers is a society that offers a challenge to all creative artists of the highest ability from any school of thought. By its very nature it strives to communicate with the widest possible audience, to excite interest and involve the public by showing a broad spectrum of contemporary and innovative painting, sculpture and printmaking. The Society will be holding their next exhibition at St Stephen Walbrook from Tuesday 10th - Friday 20th March, with a Private View on Wednesday 11th March from 6.30 - 9.00pm.

St Martin’s Chamber Music Competition embodies St Martin’s commitment to the discovery, nurture and promotion of new and emerging musical talent. With the support of Making Music, the competition is able to offer winners the opportunity to develop a performance profile across the UK. The semi-finals of the competition are currently taking place with the final being held on Tuesday 24 March, 7:00 pm. Those attending will join the panel of expert judges as the three winners of the Semi-Finals come together to fight for the 2015 Prize. With every ticket you will also receive an audience voting slip for the Audience Prize.

Every Thursday at 1.00pm, St Martin-in-the-Fields presents Great Sacred Music, a 35-minute lunchtime sequence to speak to heart, head and soul. Usually led by Revd Dr Sam Wells with St Martin’s Voices, it explores through song and readings the great classical music of our religious heritage. This Thursday's Great Sacred Music is a choral celebration of the Gospel according to St John, including Stainer’s God so loved the world and Tallis’ If ye love me. It is a 35-minute sequence which will speak to heart, head and soul, with Revd David Jackson exploring through songs and readings the great classical music of our religious heritage.

The Walbrook Music Trust creates and shares music of the highest quality. The Trust aims to:

• provide free access to high quality performances of the music of Handel and his contemporaries within the City of London;
• give exposure, and create performance opportunities, for young, aspiring and highly talented professional musicians to assist in the development of their careers; and
• promote St Stephen Walbrook as a concert venue in the City of London.

Its weekly recitals take place at St Stephen Walbrook at 1.00pm each Tuesday.

Organ recitals are also given by visiting organists at St Stephen Walbrook. These Friday lunchtime recitals (12.30 - 1.30pm) have a varied programme of works, often taking into account the season of the church in the programme. They are free, with a retiring collection, and are organised by Joseph Sentance who is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and was until 2007 Director of Music at Sherborne Abbey in Dorset. From 1978-1995 Joe was closely involved with the music at the Chapels Royal, H.M.Tower of London, first as Assistant Organist and latterly as Master of the Music. 

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John Stainer - God So Loved The World.