Historic Exeter Book inspires songwriting choir
EXETER CATHEDRAL is recruiting a new adult community choir to write and perform songs inspired by the cathedral library’s famous Exeter Book — a tenth-century codex containing mainly Old English poetry, in a range of genres, including almost 100 riddles, and regarded by UNESCO as the foundation volume of English literature. The Book of Riddles Community Choir, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is being formed in partnership with the Devon-based band and artistic collective Jack Dean and Company, who have written a new musical, The Book of Riddles. The choir will help to write songs for the musical, before performing their songs at the cathedral. Jack Dean said: “It is a really rich starting point. We want to offer people a friendly, welcoming space to come together to sing, be creative, and make some music.”
Trust calls for support to celebrate Patronal Festivals
THE Choral Evensong Trust is calling for further donations to support its inaugural Patronal Festival Grants awards for 2025. The grants are to fund the celebration of patronal festivals — held on the feast day of a church’s patron saint, or on the nearest Sunday — in churches where they are not usually celebrated. This includes a visiting choir to sing choral evensong, followed by a reception and other festivities. The Trust had initially planned to award grants to five applicants, but 87 applications were received by the closing date of Candlemas, last Sunday, exceeding expectations. Dr Rupert Sheldrake, one of the trustees, said: “Thanks to generous donations from trustees and friends, we have already raised enough to cover most of these applications. However, to ensure that every eligible church receives support, we need to raise an additional £14,000.” nowdonate.com/checkout/the-choral-evensong-trust
Lampeter humanities to close in September
THE Humanities department at the Lampeter Campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), formerly St David’s University College, will close in September, it was announced last month. The Chief Operating Officer, Peter Mannion, said in a letter to students: “The university has . . . approved the proposal to relocate its humanities provision from Lampeter to Carmarthen.” Current students are to transfer to Carmarthen, and redundancy notices have been issued. St David’s was founded as a theological college, in 1822 for Welsh men unable to afford a university education at Oxford and Cambridge. Anne Lloyd Pönisch, whose father was the Revd Dr John Roland Lloyd Thomas, the college’s Principal from 1952 to 1975, has described the loss of the university in Lampeter as “a form of cultural and national vandalism”. Letter
Salisbury Cathedral commissions Tutu statue
THE Dean and Chapter of Salisbury Cathedral have commissioned a new stone statue of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu to fill a vacant niche on the west front of the cathedral, subject to approval by the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England. Archbishop Tutu was installed as a Sarum Canon of the cathedral in 2008, when he also preached and visited the Cathedral School. The new statue, approximately two metres high, is to be carved from Chicksgrove limestone by a local sculptor, Jay Battle. The Dean, the Very Revd Nicholas Papadopulos, said: “To honour Archbishop Tutu is to honour a holy and courageous leader whose faith compelled him to speak truth to the powerful and call them to account. . . Since his death, the Chapter have sought a way to pay tribute to his life’s work and celebrate our connection in a visible and lasting way.”
Climate protester released under curfew
A CLIMATE protester and Quaker, Gaie Delap, 78, who was recalled to prison because her wrists were too small to fit an electronic monitoring tag (News, 20 December 2024), was released under Home Detention Curfew, last Friday, after being fitted with a tag of the same size, a statement from her family said. The tags are fitted by the Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS), through Serco Plc. “The failings of Serco have resulted in an additional 42 days spent in prison and an extended 20 days for being so called ‘unlawfully at large’,” her family said. “Gaie is overjoyed to be back at home. She is enormously grateful for the support she has received.”
Pensions Board agrees £50m facility with NatWest
THE Church of England Pensions Board has agreed a £50-million revolving credit facility with NatWest in order to increase its retirement-housing portfolio. The Pensions Board manages pension schemes for about 43,000 people across 700 church organisations, and provides retirement housing for retired clergy. The facility is a flexible funding option allowing the Board to withdraw credit, when required, to purchase retirement housing. The new agreement with NatWest came after a previous debt facility with another bank came up for refinancing. The Pensions Board, advised by Newbridge Associates, worked with NatWest to secure this new facility “on more favourable terms”, a statement from the Board said. The provision of retirement housing is funded by the Archbishops’ Council and the Church Commissioners.
Jack Hemmings, MAF co-founder, dies, aged 103
THE former RAF Squadron Leader and co-founder of the Mission Aviation Fellowship, Jack Hemmings, has died, aged 103, last Friday. He was among the early British pioneers to take a light aircraft from London to the remotest parts of Central Africa in 1948, where he launched the charity, which has grown to become the world’s largest humanitarian air service. During his service, Hemmings was awarded the Air Force Cross for exemplary gallantry. He received the RAF’s Master Air Pilot award in 2017. Last year, he became the oldest British pilot to perform aerobatics and take control of a Spitfire (News, 14 June 2024). He is survived by his wife, Kate, his son, Adrian, and grandchildren William, Beatrice, and Olivia.
Applications open for £5m conservation fund
PARISHES are being encouraged to apply for grants for the conservation of historical and cultural heritage through the Church of England’s expanded conservation grants scheme, which is supported by £4.68 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Applications open today. The five-year scheme will also make grants towards building repairs of up to £25,000 which are linked to the conservation of an object, such as mending guttering if a leak is affecting wall paintings. Bids for specialist surveys and help for existing recipients’ conservation projects to reach completion will also be considered for funding. Applications can be made at the churchofengland.org online portal.
Dean of York defends heavy-metal concert
THE Dean of York has defended the decision to host a concert in York Minster by the heavy metal band Plague of Angels, accompanied by the cathedral’s grand organ. The concert, “Organic Metal: Two Worlds Collide”, will feature David Pipe, a former assistant director of music at the Minster, and performances of works by the rock bands Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. One churchgoer, however, complained to The Yorkshire Post: “The idea that such a band should be allowed to perform within a consecrated church is both outrageous and sacrilegious.” A spokesperson for the Minster said: “We have worked closely with the organisers to ensure that this sacred space is respected, and our core purpose as a church of God, offering daily worship, prayer, and sacred music continues unabated.” The Dean, the Very Revd Dominic Barrington, told The Guardian that it was “regrettable” that two Plague of Angels musicians previously performed with a band that “espoused anti-Christian sentiments”, but that this “in no way reflects the contents of the concert we are planning for York Minster; this will be entirely suitable for a cathedral church.”