First, on the evening of Saturday 9th November, the de Merc Chamber Choir from Harlow are planning to sing a programme including works by Stanford and Duruflé. This year sees the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Villiers Stanford who had many associations with Cambridge. St Andrew‘s Choir itself is planning to sing a Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Stanford at this year‘s Harvest Festival evensongs.
A further concert to be given by the Cambridge String Players is planned for Sunday 23rd February 2003, beginning at 7.30pm. The programme is planned to include Introduction and Allegro by Edward Elgar, Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis by R. Vaughan Williams and Les Illuminiations by Benjamin Britten. Watch the Vicarage Website for further details as they become known.
Just a few notes from the letter I have received from the Society thanking us for our efforts: 'We really appreciate the concern shown for children and young people. Through over 100 projects in England and Wales we work with children in schools, in prisons, in care homes, in poor communities and on the rescue of young runaways, The Society makes a real difference in the lives of over 40,000 children every year.'
One final word about our money raising this year: our total for this year is £498.46 - £393.40 from the boxes and £105.06 from the Christingle service. Thank you to all who have given.
There are magazines about the work of the Society, called Bright Futures, on the table at the back of St Andrew‘s Church in Swavesey - and they are free. If you arrive to find that all have been taken, I can always obtain more - just let me know.
Dorothy Gilbert
N.B. - the sums mentioned above do not include contributions to the work of the Children‘s Society sent in by other parishes in the benefice.
Please note that the usual service of Holy Communion at 9.30am that morning will not take place.
Last year cyclists from over 140 churches across the county raised £29,000. Half of this is returned to the cyclists' home churches and half is offered in loans to churches needing repairs. If you would like to take part in this year‘s cycle ride (or you can walk from church to church if you prefer), please contact your local organiser - Jon Reed (Swavesey), Lilian Ashley (Conington), or The Vicar/Rector for Fen Drayton and Lolworth.
Particularly at Swavesey, these books are wearing out and it is proposed to replace them with the latest incarnation of Hymns Ancient and Modern. This is called Common Praise and contains the majority of hymns that we use from Ancient and Modern Revised together with many from Mission Praise. There are still a number of hymns (particularly children‘s songs) for which we will have to continue to dip into other collections, but it is hoped that the majority of our worship can be sourced from this one book.
If anyone would like to purchase a personal copy of Common Praise in either Full Music, Words and Melody, Words only or Large Print Words editions at a small discount, please contact the Vicar.
Alternatively you may like to join the regular monthly communion service in the Community Room at Thistle Green, Swavesey. This usually takes place on the first Monday of a month, but please check the Diary pages (pp. 2-3) for details of planned dates.
The Vicar is also always ready to talk with parishioners, whether regular churchgoers or not, about arranging weddings, baptisms, funerals, services of thanksgiving, etc.
There is also to be a Concert in St Mary‘s Church on the evening of Saturday 21st September at 7.30pm. The programme is to include performances by the staff and pupils of Swavesey Village College, featuring excerpts from the recent highly successful production of Grease together with items from Fen Drayton‘s own John Stephens and Margaret Copestake and their pupils. There will also be a second slice of 'Ocean Pie', performed this year by members of the Vicarage Ensemble. Tickets will be available from the Vicar and others from mid July.
The Fen Drayton Festival Service will take place on Sunday 22nd September at 3.30pm in St Mary‘s Church and include items by the children of Fen Drayton Primary School. The service will be followed by Tea in the Village Pound (next to the church).
For full details of the appeal or other bell-ringing matters, please contact, Andrew Stevens, 27 Over Road. Telephone 01954 231433 or email - andrew@overroad.co.uk