New Chief Executive starts work

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011
New Chief Executive starts work
Chief Executive Alan Wallace hails
from Northern Ireland and ventured
to England in 1979 to train as a
Church Army Officer.
After his commissioning he worked as a
youth worker in various dioceses before
training as a
professional
youth and
community
worker
eventually
leading to
the position
of National
Youth Officer
for the
Church
Mission
Society. At
Partnership House, the base for CMS, he
met and married Liz. A few years later
they decided to set up an Event
Management company called Affinity
Events. They worked on many events for
a variety of denominations and had the
privilege of event managing the 2008
Lambeth Conference for the Bishops and
their spouses from around the world.
In 2008, along with their son , Finlay (5
at the time), they moved to New
Zealand. Alan worked for the
Diocese of Christchurch in the
Anglican Parish of Sumner Redcliffs as
the Associate Pastor and Church
Manager while Liz was the Children’s
Ministry Co-Ordinator.
They loved New Zealand and the
work they were involved with.
However as we all know, Christchurch
suffered major earthquakes last year
and after the 3rd major one and over
8000 aftershocks which happened
daily they decided, as a family, to
return to the UK and Alan applied for
and was appointed by the Chapter of
Truro Cathedral in August.
Alan says, “We are looking forward
to getting to know as many of you as
possible and getting to know Cornwall
which is such a beautiful county and
similar to NZ in many ways. I am
excited about the role of Chief
Executive and working closely with the
Chapter and staff and hope that the
skills and gifts that I bring will help to
enhance the work of the Cathedral
and enable us to keep moving
forward.”
NEWS
2
FROM CANON
PERRAN
3
BISHOP ROY TO
RETIRE
4
WILL MAKING
5
INSPIRE CORNWALL
8
REMEMBRANCE
10
BENSON LECTURE
12
BELLS OPEN DAY
14
ROYAL CORNWALL
CHAPLAINS
16
CORNWALL FLOOD
FUND
19
BORN TO SHINE
20
MOTHERS’ UNION
22
FRIENDS OF TRURO
CATHEDRAL
24
IN THE WORLD
26
PEARL OF AFRICA
28
“the need
to lobby
OWEN
BLATCHLEY
the32
richest to repay their
HIGHLIGHTS
carbon debt – part of 34
the Countdown to
WHAT’S
ON
35
Copenhagen”
ORGANORAK
36
NEWS
from the Cathedral
Steve and Cat’s Wedding
The Cathedral Community’s love and best wishes go to
Cat and Stephen as they prepare for their very special
day early in October. The whole community has rallied
round to help make the day as memorable as possible.
These have been testing and trying times for the verging
department and for Steve and Cat in particular. We hope
that everything will go well on the day and that it will be a
day and an occasion that will be long remembered.
All Soul’s Day
Please contact Kirsten Norfolk (Worship Administrator) in
the Cathedral Office if you would like people remembered
at this service. Please submit names by Friday 28th
October.
Stamps
Thank you to everyone who hands used stamps into the
Cathedral Office. The proceeds are still needed for
Church charity work in Albania.
N.B.The ordinary blue and gold U.K letter stamps and
British Christmas issues are not required.
The Royal Mail has altered the design so they cannot be
removed from paper and therefore are of no collector
interest.
Nine Lessons and Carols
Application Forms are now available from the front office
for tickets for Nine Lessons and Carols Services. There is
an individual limit of 6 tickets per application. Remember
to get your application in early as tickets will go very
quickly, once on general release. All Tickets will be
distributed on Friday 25 November.
Christmas Shop in full swing
If you haven’t yet visited the Christmas Shop in the North
Transept then you are in for a great treat.
If you need Christmas cards, wrapping paper, nativity
sets, Advent calendars, tree decorations, gifts and many
other delightful surprises then the Christmas Shop is the
place to go. In the North Transept.
Christmas lunches
Christmas lunches in the Cathedral Restaurant will start
on Monday 14th November. The Restaurant will be
stocking a range of ‘stocking fillers’ from Cornish fodd
speciality suppliers.. Delicious Christmas Puddings will
again be available.
Can You Help?
The Pearl of Africa Children’s Choir are appealing for
volunteer drivers to help with transporting the choir
around when they are in the Truro area from oct 24,
they travel in 2 crew vans which take 8 passengers with
luggage space in the back. hoping you may be able to
publicise this in your newsletter
Kind Regards Eric Rowland (transport coordinator)
01566773962 / 07881572173
St Petroc’s cold weather provision
St Petroc’s are currently recruiting volunteers to assist
with the cold weather provision for this winter. This year
the time periods for volunteers to help has changed and
there are two slots for which assistance will be sought,
namely:
• In the evening from 8.00 pm – 11.00 pm &
• Early morning from 6.00 am – 8.00 am
Duties will include assisting and supporting the staff,
help with teas & coffees, etc.
If would like to help in this area of work please contact
Richard Bryant [email protected] or tel. 01872
264153.
Learning Volunteer Club
Coracle
Would you like to help devise and create craft activities
for our messy table and education work? Why not join us
for a cup of tea, a chat and some creative fun!
Fridays 10-12 in the Pearson Room. Contact Sarah
The Coracles are no longer available through the shop.
Please let Anne Marie your name and she will reserve a
copy for you in the Cathedral Office.
Hughes on 01872 276782 for details.
2
From
Canon Perran...
Every autumn brings change to the Cathedral as we
install a new group of choral and organ scholars, and
as we welcome new probationers to the choir. This
autumn, change has come not only among our
musicians, but in several key roles at the heart of the
Cathedral's life. Elsewhere in this newsletter you can
read more about Alan Wallace, our new Chief
Executive, who is responsible to the Chapter for all the
business and administrative life of the Cathedral. We
have already enjoyed getting to know Alan, and we do
hope that you will all make a special effort to be with us
at the Sung Eucharist on October 30th, when Alan will
be officially invested in his Chief Executive's gown, and
installed in his seat in the Quire. We are also looking
forward to welcoming Prebendary Lynda Barley as our
new Canon Pastor at Evensong on November 20th,
when the Bishop will also be rededicating the bell tower
following the installation of our four new bells.
And in the midst of all this change, there begins the
search for the next Dean of Truro, following Dean
Christopher Hardwick's move to pastures new. The
process of appointing a new Dean is quite complex. The
final responsibility for the choice of candidate lies with a
panel of five people: a Chair appointed by the
Archbishop with experience of occupying a senior role
within the region; the Diocesan Bishop; a member of the
Bishop's Council of the Diocese; a member of the
Cathedral's College of Canons (but specifically not a
member of Chapter); and a Dean or Canon from
another cathedral appointed by the Archbishop. There
are two non-voting members who are there to facilitate
the process: the Archbishops' Secretary for
Appointments; and the Prime Minister's Appointments
Secretary. In most cases these days, the vacancy is
advertised, and the panel then shortlist and interview the
candidates before sending their recommendation to
Downing Street.
As the first part of the process, the two Appointments
Secretaries will be visiting us in early October and
meeting all kinds of people within the life of the
Cathedral, Diocese and wider community. In the fewer
than 24 hours available to them, they can see only a
small cross-section of people, and they would very much
welcome written submissions from others about what
they would be looking for in a new Dean. So you might
like to consider whether you should write to them over
the next couple of weeks with your views.
There is of course nothing to stop you writing in with
names of potential candidates for the position of Dean,
but it would probably be equally helpful if you were to
say in more general terms what you saw as the greatest
challenges and opportunities for a new Dean, and the
kind of qualities that a successful candidate would
possess. In short, what kind of priest as Dean does Truro
Cathedral need at this particular stage of its life?
If you would like to write, it is probably best if you
contact the Archbishops' Secretary for Appointments:
Caroline Boddington,
Archbishops' Secretary for Appointments
The Wash House
Lambeth Palace
London
SE1 7JU
or by email at
[email protected]
You could also write to Bishop Tim, as he is the only
member of the Appointment Group whose identity is
known at this stage:
The Bishop of Truro
Lis Escop,
Truro,
TR3 6QQ
or by email at [email protected]
Change is very exciting: it can sometimes be threatening
and destructive; it can sometimes be liberating and lifeenhancing. But it is a reality of life. It was Blessed
Cardinal Newman who wrote that "to grow is to
change, and to have changed often is to have grown
much." At the same time, we believe in a God whose
mercies never change, and in his Son Jesus Christ who is
'the same yesterday, today and for ever.' At this time of
transition and change, we commit ourselves and the
Cathedral that we love afresh into his hands, as we
continue to pray for one another.
With my best wishes
Perran Gay
Acting Dean
3
Bishop Roy to retire
The Right Reverend Royden Screech,
the Bishop of St Germans, has
announced that he is to retire at the
end of this year.
He has recently returned to work following a
period of recuperation from stress-related
illnesses and is currently fulfilling light duties and
engagements across the diocese. However, in
view of his experiences earlier in the year, he is
heeding medical advice and taking the
opportunity to retire after a total of 35 years in
ordained ministry.
Bishop Roy’s retirement will take effect from 31
December 2011. There will be a service in Truro
Cathedral at 4pm on 19 November to celebrate
his 12 years as a bishop in Cornwall – during
which period of his ministry he has sought to be
an inspiration, not only to clergy colleagues and
congregations, but also to different organisations
set up to support people who are homeless or
drug-dependent. He has also promoted the
Church’s ministry among deaf people in
Cornwall, and has been a driving force behind
the establishment of the close links between the
Diocese of Truro and its sister diocese in
Umzimvubu, South Africa.
Making his announcement, Bishop Roy said:
4
Bishop Roy has been Bishop of St Germans since 2000
“While I shall be sorry to retire from my post as
a bishop in Cornwall – a role which has been a
great joy and privilege – my retirement will, I
hope, provide me with new opportunities for
service.”
Responding, the Bishop of Truro, the Right
Reverend Tim Thornton, said: “I am sorry that
Bishop Roy has decided to retire but quite
understand his reasons and wish him well as he
continues to follow medical advice. Bishop Roy
has made a very big contribution to the life of the
diocese over the time he has been here. Roy and
Anji will be missed and I ask everyone to keep
them in their prayers, especially over the next
few months.”
A service of celebration
to mark the ministry of
Bishop Roy Screech
will take place on
Saturday 19th November
at 4pm
in Truro Cathedral.
The importance of
making a Will
David Mead reports
on legacies
The idea of making a Will is something of a taboo
topic for many UK households, stemming from the
general perception that planning for one’s death is
a somewhat morbid and gloomy subject and best
avoided. However, the importance of making a
Will cannot be stressed enough, as. dying without
a Will (intestate) can cause a whole host of
problems for those loved ones you leave behind.
Surprisingly, some might say shockingly, the BBC
programme ‘Heir Hunters’ stated that 60% of our
population dies intestate. This often produces a
state of chaos and can means assets go to
unintended beneficiaries or even to the Crown.
By having a Will in place you can ensure that
assets and belongings pass to those intended,
without causing further problems for the bereaved
friends and family.
Some four years ago
the decision was taken
to produce a specific
leaflet to attract legacies. I was asked by the
Dean to help with this
process by contacting a
large number of Solicitors in and around the
Diocese to ask whether
or not they would be
happy to display these
leaflets in their reception areas. Today these
leaflets are on display
with 35 different firms
of solicitors and in some
60 offices. Regular
calls are made and the leaflets are topped up
when necessary. In addition to this I regularly
have calls from Solicitors to help and advise with
the correct wording regarding legacies to the
Cathedral.
You can never tell when legacies will appear.
The timeframe is quite long but in recent months
there have been at least two legacies which
could have come from these sources.
If you are not married or in a registered civil
partnership, then you run the risk of leaving your
spouse or partner with nothing if you have not
executed a valid Will. Unfortunately and
controversially, the law does not protect cohabitants
in the same way as those in legal relationships.
Additionally if you have children, who are unable
to care for themselves, potential ambiguity could
arise as to whose care they should be in upon the
death of their parents. Also you or your spouse
may not receive all of the estate, a chunk of which
may pass under the intestacy rules to the children in
trust at they will automatically be entitled to it at the
tender age of 18. This can cause a very difficult
situation. As a result, it is vital for one to have
made a Will in order to protect not only one’s
estate but family and friends as well.
David is available to talk to anyone who may be
interested in including the Cathedral in their will.
Contact the Cathedral Office to make an appointment.
Seize the moment and make a Will, you will feel
much better once you have done it and it is not as
costly as you think!
For more information please see Robin Pender of
Chris Harrison Law, 11 High Cross, Truro TR1 2AJ
5
My name is Kirsten Gordon,
and I have recently achieved a
first class honours degree in
Theatre Arts. I have been
looking to apply my knowledge of the Arts to other settings, and the internship at
Truro Cathedral has presented
me with a wide range of experiences. For example, I have
been involved in the HLF film project, helping to arrange
shot lists and schedule filming days. I have also had the
opportunity to work with children on the crafts table. I am
hoping to incorporate my specialist knowledge of the voice
and drama into a children’s workshop or trail around the
Cathedral.
We will be sharing the work of our interns with you in the
next issue of the newsletter.
If you would like to take part in an unpaid internship, focussing on delivering informal learning, please contact
Sarah through the office.
Would you like to help
devise and create craft
activities for our messy
table and education
work? Why not join us for
a cup of tea, a chat and
some creative fun!
Fridays 10-12 in the
Pearson Room
Contact Sarah Hughes in
the Cathedral Office
01872 276782
6
What’s the story?
What does it mean?
What does it tell us to do?
Children’s Church has resumed for the
Michaelmas Term.
2nd Oct.
Harvest
Thanksgiving
Abundant gifts
Receiving and
sharing
God’s
Goodness
Sensory
Exploration of
the things we
need
9th Oct.
Proper 23
An open
invitation
God calls
everyone to
his kingdom
Party clothes
robes, cloaks,
party hats etc
party food
16th Oct.
Proper 24
The maker’s
mark
Giving to
God the
things that
are God’s
Balloon
Prayers. Make
clay tokens
with your mark
on them
23rd Oct.
Proper 25
All you need is
love
The Greatest
Commandme
nts
Make circlet of
love mobile
30th Oct.
ALL SAINTS
DAY
Blessed
The Saints
and the
Beatitudes
Find 8 hidden
signs of
sainthood.
6th Nov.
The third
Sunday
before
Advent
This little light
Keeping our
lamps
burning
Make clay
lamps
13th Nov.
The second
Sunday
before
Advent
REMEMBERE
NCE
SUNDAY
20th Nov.
Christ the
king
We will
remember
Remembering
the fallen:
Christ’s
sacrifice
Passover food
and paper
poppies
The servant
King
Serving Christ
and his
kingdom
Play king/
servant game.
Make crowns.
snippets
Short pieces of news from BibleWatch
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX TO OPEN
IN CHURCHES
Citizens Advice wants more churches to host
advice centres and has produced a guide to help
set them up. The charity hopes churches will
provide more access points for advice,
especially in remote areas where people have to
travel long distances to reach a bureau. The
Chair of Citizens Advice, Rt Revd John Gladwin,
said that ‘demand for advice services is
increasing’ but many centres were facing
closure. ‘By working with faith organisations,
Citizens Advice Bureaux have already
established partnerships which enable them to
reach out and provide advice services to some
of the most vulnerable and disengaged sections
of our communities.’ The Faithful Action guide
was drawn up with the help of the Church of
England, the Church Urban Fund, and Methodist
and United Reformed Churches.
COMEDIAN WARNS OF ATHEISM
THREAT
Catholic comedian Frank Skinner has called for
the Church to go on the offensive against atheism. In an interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral, Skinner criticised atheists for ‘looking down their nose’ at
Christians, compared atheists with global warming deniers and warned that secularism is ‘a
threat to the salvation of millions’. He encouraged believers to join together to counter the
threat and to stop ‘making concessions on the
virgin birth or the resurrection’. He said that
‘there's too much apologising’ by the Church of
England. The comedian added that atheism was
‘cool’ amongst comedians, and Dr Williams
agreed that the Church was finding it difficult to
counter the trendiness of atheism, although he
questioned how successful Dawkins had been at
creating atheist converts.
SONGS OF PRAISE MIGHT GO
MULTI-FAITH
The executive producer of Songs of Praise has
suggested that the TV series ‘could explore non-
Christian faiths’. Tommy Nagra mooted the idea in
an interview celebrating the 50th anniversary of the
BBC's long-running religious programme. Mr Nagra, a Sikh, said it would continue to be ‘a Christian
show’ but saw no reason why other religions could
not be featured ‘through the Christian prism’. And
he defended the BBC's decision to appoint two non
-Christians to senior positions in religious broadcasting - himself and Aaqil Ahmed, the channel's
head of religious programming. A BBC spokesman
insisted that ‘there are absolutely no plans to
change the format’ and the series would remain
‘our flagship Christian worship strand’. Mr Nagra
added that he was ‘happy to keep our older audience key to what we do’.
GOVERNMENT SENDS HUNGRY TO
CHRISTIAN FOOD BANKS
Job centres are referring thousands of hungry
benefit claimants to a network of Christian food
banks. From this week, job centres in England and
Wales have begun sending the needy to over 70
food banks run by Christian charity Trussell Trust.
It is the first time for decades that the government
has enlisted the help of a charity to feed those hit
by unemployment and high food prices. The Trust
is to open another 60 food banks to cope with rising demand. They expect to feed up to 100,000
people in this financial year. Meanwhile, the National Lottery has granted £425,000 to another
Christian charity to start a food bank in Birmingham. Narthex Sparkhill, based at St John's Church
in Sparkhill, say they have been overwhelmed with
requests for food.
NUNS AND CATHEDRAL GO GREEN
Europe’s biggest new monastery will harvest rainwater and plant 1,500 trees, while Bradford Cathedral becomes the first UK cathedral to be solar
powered. A new £3m Carmelite monastery for 30
nuns will be built in Allerton, Liverpool, with a wildflower meadow, solar panels and ground source
heating. The new building will restore a peaceful
atmosphere for the nuns, who are currently surrounded by two growing schools in west Derby.
Sister Mary said: ‘The new monastery will allow us
to be much more energy efficient and the gardens
will also enable us to be self-sufficient.’ Meanwhile,
Bradford Cathedral will be the first in the world to
install solar panels to provide its electricity. Costing
£50,000, the panels will be fitted on the r
7
TRELAWNY’S MEN
SING FOR
CORNWALL’S
CATHEDRAL
“What an experience! To call it a concert is an understatement.” This is how one member of a packed Cathedral audience summed up the concert presented by
the Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs that raised
£3,300 in aid of Truro Cathedral’s Inspire Cornwall
Appeal on the 3rd September.
Four choirs represented the Federation, Launceston
Male Voice Choir, Pelynt Male Voice Choir, City of
Truro Male Choir and Wadebridge Male Voice Choir.
Each choir was at the ‘top of their game’ when individually presenting a selection of pieces of their own choice
which took full advantage of the variety and vitality of
the contemporary male voice choir repertoire; every
piece being received with spontaneous and deafening
applause from the audience.
The evening was so full of highlights that it is difficult to
select those that stand out. However, sensitive choral
singing was shown off at its best by Launceston’s performance of the Charles Aznavour classic ‘She’ and
Pelynt’s rendition of Anton Dvorak’s ‘Goin’ Home’, both
pieces on the soon to be available compilation CD celebrating Cornish male Voice Choir singing available
from the Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs. For
sheer power and a depth of tone that rang around the
Cathedral one would have to pick out City of Truro’s
opening number, Bizet’s ‘Divine Brahma’ and Wadebridge’s interpretation of Sicher’s, ‘The Creation’. Foot
tapping gospel numbers included ‘The Gospel Train’
from Launceston MVC and ‘Sinner Man’ from Wadebridge MVC. There was, of course, music from the musical theatre with Roger Philp of Pelynt MVC using his
rich bass voice to great effect when taking the solo part
in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Music of the Night’.
Launceston MVC sang Puccini’s ‘Nessun Dorma’ with all
the passion they could muster and City of Truro MC
gave a haunting performance of ‘My Heart will go
on’ (the now famous Titanic love theme). There was
8
even some Abba. ‘Something for everyone’ is a well
used cliché but for this evening it was clearly an accurate description.
Between the choir performances, the audience had
the treat of listening to guest artistes, William and
Tricia Thomas who have recently returned to their
home town, St Ives, after living on the Isles of Scilly for
a while. They captivated the audience with their solos
and duets. Again it is difficult to pick out highlight
pieces but William’s performance of his own piece,
Onen Agoll (One and All) stands out as does their
duet interpretation of a piece made famous by Charlie
Landsborough, ‘What Colour is the Wind’.
As if all this was not enough, the first half of the concert included an organ solo by Jonathan Delbridge.
Jonathan needs no introduction as his reputation goes
before him and he certainly did not disappoint with
his virtuoso performance of Vidor’s Toccata. For
many in the audience the performance was enhanced
by being able to watch Jonathan’s gymnastics on television monitors as he coordinated hands and feet to
produce the inspiring sound that is so characteristic of
the wonderful Cathedral instrument.
There were celebrations. City of Truro introduced
their new musical director, Hannah Stephenson, who
conducted the choir for the first time in public. She is
clearly going to achieve great things, really drawing
the best out of the choir in their performances of ‘The
Water is Wide’ and ‘Where Could I go but to the
Lord’. And Terry Hodge, Chairman of the Cornish
Federation of Male Voice Choirs, was presented with
a certificate recognising his 50 years of male voice
choir singing with ECC Eastern Area MVC, St Dennis
MVC and St Columba Celtic MVC.
The concert concluded with all four choirs combining
to create that famous male voice choir wall of sound
which must have been audible all over Truro. Firstly,
and very appropriately, they sang ‘Jesus Shall Reign’
to the Goff Richards arrangement, Truro. John Beare,
MD of Launceston MVC, took the choirs for this piece
and he was followed by John Trethewey, MD of Pelynt
MVC, for ‘American Trilogy, and John Harris, Assistant MD of City of Truro MC, for ‘Speed your Journey’. The evening was then brought to a close by
Paul Mitchell, MD of Wadebridge MVC, who took the
choirs, and then the audience too, through ‘Morte
Christe’ and ‘Trelawny’. What a climax to a tremendous evening!
For many, however, the ‘star of the show’ was Bishop
Tim, making his debut as a male voice choir concert
compere. His lively and entertaining interjections kept
everything moving at a brisk pace. He is going to be
in great demand to carry out this function again in the
near future. Look out for him at a comedy club near
you.
Fundraising Dinner
Truro Cathedral Restaurant was the setting for a
wonderful evening of gourmet food, fine wine
and entertainment where the acting Dean,
Canon Perran Gay, and celebrity chef, Rick Stein
were joined by over a hundred hungry diners.
This was the second time that Rick Stein has very
generously agreed to host a Fund Raising Dinner
to help raise
funds for the Cathedral’s Inspire
Cornwall appeal.
The first phase of
vanilla vinaigrette.
Entertainment was provided by Ben Comeau. Nine
prizes donated from the local business community
were raffled to help boost the funds. The guests
commented on how wonderful the restaurant looked
and how much they enjoyed the superb food and
wine. The evening raised over £7,000 towards the
Inspire Cornwall project with Canon Gay comment-
Inspire Cornwall
raised nearly
£2m for the sucAndy Stephens (right) helps prepare one
cessful restoraof the dishes
tion of the central
tower and spire, and now the second phase is
underway raising funds for an Education Centre
for the cathedral.
Rick Stein’s catering team was led by Stephane
Delourme, assisted by Andy Stephens the Head
Chef from the Truro Cathedral Restaurant. They
prepared a delicious four course menu including
Seared Scallops, Fish and Shellfish Soup and
char-grilled Sea Bass with a tomato, butter and
Seared scallops with iberico ham with pimento and pardina lentils
ing, “It was a great privilege to sit with Rick Stein
and engage in conversation about food, drink and
travel with a real master. And we all learnt a lot
from Rick’s introductions to each course, as he explained how the distinctive flavours were produced,
and how the wine was chosen to complement the
food, and so on. It was a real education for us all.
Jane Hook (Restaurant Manager, Stephane Delourme, Rick Stein,
Canon Perran Gay, Andy Stephens (Restaurant Head Chef)
9
It comes as a shock to realise that the well-known
phrase ‘To the Glory of God and in loving
memory of…’ first appeared in inscriptions in
stained glass windows in Cornwall after 1845,
and the practice of donating a window in memory
of a loved one is barely 150 years old. It was
encouraged by the followers of the Oxford
Movement as a reaction against the intrusion of
stone monuments, and through their desire to add
colour and imagery to the celebration of the
sacraments.
Some years ago I was surprised to find that the
UK National Inventory of War Memorials listed
only fifteen war memorial windows for Cornwall,
whilst my own records had over fifty. They
covered memorials to those who had fallen in the
service of their country from the Indian Mutiny of
1857 right through to modern times. Of course
the greatest response was to the appalling losses
of the First World War, but there were examples
from all of the 19th century African Wars together
with a significant number after 1939-45.
Little research has been done generally on war
memorial windows, and Cornish churches seemed
to provide a large enough sample to test various
theories about subjects, imagery and patronage.
Viewing the windows chronologically, there are
some striking differences between the biblical and
figurative images that were selected in the
nineteenth century compared to the twentieth. The
Great War saw a marked increase in the way in
which servicemen were personalised by using
photographic images. Most windows were to
10
individual soldiers, but there were also some
groups either from a parish or even ex-pupils or
ex-choirboys.
A more subtle change occurred in the choice of
subject-matter, particularly after the searing
impact of the enormous losses of the Great War.
Through the windows one senses families trying
to cope both with their loss, and with an
understanding of the purpose of the conflict and
the justification for the war. The windows
therefore became not just a mirror of family and
community grief but also of a questioning of
purpose.
These then are some of the themes that will be
explored through an examination of a selection
of the Cornish war memorial stained glass
windows in this lecture, on the one day in the
year when we all stop, remember and reflect on
the sacrifices, loss and grief that have been
borne over the past one hundred and fifty years.
Michael G Swift is the Stained glass adviser to
the Diocese of Truro. His lecture takes place on
Friday 11th November in the Chapter House.
7pm for 7.30pm start.
Tickets £4.00 include a glass of wine or soft
drink and are available from the Truro Cathedral Office. A fund-raising event for the Inspire
Cornwall appeal.
41
2
This is a sculpture by Bob Dawson to raise the issue of the
wounded service personnel from areas such as Afghanistan
and earlier Iraq. It is called “Four to One” because for every
dead service person there are four wounded. This sculpture has
been touring the UK raising funds for “Headley Court” the
Defence Medical Rehabilitation
Centre and its “Patient Welfare
Fund”. On Remembrance Sunday
we rightly remember and give
thanks for those who have lost their
lives as result of war. We also
remember those who still bear in
their minds and their bodies its
wounds. As a mark of practical
support you might like to give a
donation to Headley Court or find
out some further details. The contact
details are: Defence Medical
Rehabilitation Centre, Headley
Court, Epsom, Surrey. KT18 6JW.
4 21 will be located in the Cathedral from 5-14 November.
The MOD’s Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC)
at Headley Court is the premier facility for the rehabilitation
of injured Service personnel. The Headley Court estate is
owned by a charitable trust, which since World War 2 has
generously allowed its use for the care of injured Service
personnel, initially those who had served as aircrew but
now drawn from all ranks of all three Services. The Centre is
now part of the Joint Medical Command and the MOD pays
for the staff and upkeep of the facilities. DMRC has over
300 dedicated military and civilian staff who provide
clinical rehabilitation, training and research for the
operational role, to achieve optimal military health and
fitness for their patients. This includes the treatment of
complex injuries, including those of amputees and braininjured patients, plus a large volume of work to treat
musculo skeletal injuries. DMRC houses a dedicated
Amputee Unit, where patients are fitted with high quality
prosthetics and adaptations, tailored on site to the specific
needs of the individual. DMRC offers access to on-site
consultants, physiotherapists, remedial instructors,
occupational therapists, speech and language therapists,
social workers, a psychologist and a cognitive therapist. It
has a number of gyms and a hydrotherapy pool to support
the clinical departments. The Ministry of Defence continues
to invest in Headley Court to ensure its provision of world
class care. A new 58-bed accommodation block and a Mild
Traumatic Brain Injury facility have been brought into
service in 2009. Construction work on a new rehabilitation
complex has begun and they are currently investing in a
utilities upgrade for the whole site. A new 25 metre
swimming pool and gym facilities will be available for use
in 2010, made possible by a generous contribution from the
charity Help for Heroes. www.helpforheroes.org.uk
11
Truro Cathedral
presents
The Benson
Lecture 2011
Truro Cathedral is continuing the
celebration of Amnesty International’s
50th anniversary through the choice of
our Benson Lecturer this year. Dame
Anne Owers who was until 2010 Her
Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Dame Anne is now chairman of Clinks,
Christian Aid and the T2 Alliance (T2A is an
Alliance, led by the Barrow Cadbury Trust,
campaigning for young adults (18-24 yearolds) in the Criminal Justice System).
She was also the “castaway” on a recent
edition of the radio programme, “Desert
Island Discs”.
Her lecture will cover some of the issues of
unjust imprisonment and human rights.
Saturday 22nd October
at 7.30pm
In Truro Cathedral
12
The Benson Lecture on October 22nd at 7.30 pm in the
Cathedral is being given by Dame Anne Owers and
it continues with our theme of human rights and our
support for Amnesty International in this their 50th
anniversary year. She will be speaking from her
knowledge as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of
Prisons, being Chair of Christian Aid and Clink. How
her Christian faith has influenced her authoritative
views will be the basis of her lecture. The following
day she will preach at the 10:00 am Sung Eucharist.
If you want to hear more about her she was featured
as the “castaway” in a recent edition of “Desert Island
Discs” on Radio 4.
Later in the year our final formal event will be on
Human Rights Day 10th December. Canon Nick
Sagovsky until recently at Westminster Abbey will be
our guest preacher at a special Evensong dedicated to
Human Rights Day. He took and takes a special
interest in this subject. It will be at 4.00pm as usual.
All are most warmly welcome to these events.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:
From 1 August 2001 to 14 July 2010 Dame Anne
Owers was HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, carrying
out independent inspection of prisons, immigration
detention centres, police and military custody, and
coordinating the UK’s National Preventive Mechanism
under the UN Optional Protocol against Torture. In
2009 Anne became Chair of the Christian Aid Board
and in 2010 she became a non-executive director of
the Criminal Cases Review Commission. She is
currently chairing a review of the prison system in
Northern Ireland. She is also the chair of Clinks (the
umbrella organisation for non-governmental
organisations working with offenders), the chair of
Transition to Adulthood (developing better ways of
dealing with 18-24 year olds who offend), and the
chair of a panel examining the independence of the
voluntary sector. She is also on the boards of the
Butler Trust and the Koestler Trust.
Also Hon Fellow of South Bank University; Hon Doctor
of the University of Essex; Hon Fellow of Lucy
Cavendish College, Cambridge. Made a Dame
Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the
2009 New Year honours list.
‘Nurse! Nurse!’
by Bert Biscoe
‘Nurse! Nurse!’ They cry across the fields:
Larks and woodpeckers alone
Bark command , rattle hollow barrels
Over seed-heads of poppy, prone
Above the city of unwept tears below;
‘Nurse! Nurse!’ They cry beneath the fields:
Their silence protests the wars of kings,
Dynasties at territorial throats,
Cousins eager to avenge child-sleights.
Amongst this worm-told flower A generation scythed by lead and gas –
Cora Ball, Trurra Maid, gentle nurse,
Camellia song of Claremont Terrace,
Under marble graved, sole nurse – firm hands,
Compassion’s eyes, ten million bedsides to tend
Below, only a mournful complaint of rooks,
An echo of faded fanfares: ‘Nurse! Nurse!’
Memory fails to stay the trigger as years
Turn pain in history’s mulch –
When ploughs churn and seeds reach down –
‘Nurse! Nurse!’ We cry across her fields.
Cora Ball was the only Truro woman
killed in action during the Great War
1914-18. She lived at Claremont Terrace. Her name is listed on both Truro
and Kenwyn War Memorials.
Goff Richards:
A Musical Celebration
Over three hundred
Cornish musicians will
be coming together
on October 29th at
7.30pm in Truro Cathedral to Celebrate
the Music of Goff Richards.
Dr Richards, who passed away on 25th June,
was born in St Minver, North Cornwall and
enjoyed a world wide reputation for his
large output of accessible and enjoyable music.
He was particularly noted for his music for
brass bands and choirs and the Celebration
Concert will feature a selection of his best
known pieces, conducted by Guest Conductors who have worked with him over the
years. The Cornish Federation of Male
Voice Choirs is assembling a representative
Choir of two hundred voices from amongst
its twenty five member choirs and in addition
four Cornish Brass Bands will come together
to form a massed Band.
As well as separate Band and Choir items
the combined forces will join together for
several pieces. Full details of the participants
will be released shortly.
Tickets are now available through the
Hall for Cornwall Box Office,
01872-262466,
at £10 unreserved,
plus a booking fee.
For further information contact
Phillip Hunt
on 01752 843919.
Photo from 'Memories of a Truronian in war & peace' by Rex Barrett.
13
Truro Cathedral’s ‘Bells Open Day’ on Saturday 10th
September was a great success. Almost 300 people
visited the Exhibition Display at the rear of the
Cathedral Nave, and most braved the climb up the
stairs to the ringing chamber. Here they were met by
Robert Perry, Master of the Ringers, and other
An exhibition explained the story behind the new bells
members of the Cathedral ringers, who demonstrated
on the ropes, how the bells are rung. A CCTV link
from a camera up above in the bell chamber enabled
the visitors to see the bells responding to the pulls on
the ropes by the ringers below. An additional link
enabled those unable to climb the stairs to see the
Anthony Davidson showing some visitors the exhibition.
ringers in action. Visitors came from all over the
county, the UK and even a few from overseas. Some
were ringers, quite a few lapsed ringers and families
with children. There were many complimentary
comments received on how interesting the tour had
been, particularly for those who had braved the
additional 70 steps to view the actual bells and see
for themselves where the four new bells fitted in.
One of the
favourite activities
was visiting the
bell chamber to
view the new bells
in situ.
Robert Perry, Master of the Ringers said, “We have
had a great day. We had no way of knowing how
many people to expect but we are very pleased with
the response, and indeed with the interest shown in
the whole restoration and augmentation project since
its first announcement last year.”
The ringers gave demonstrations throughout the day
14
Anyone wanting details of how to become a bell
ringer should contact Robert Perry on 01872
277117. The ringers practice on Tuesdays evening
and ring before the Sunday Services in the morning
and afternoon.
The new bells will be dedicated by Bishop Tim at 4pm
Evensong on Sunday, 20th November, and anyone
who wishes to join us then will be very welcome.
Bell ringer's Jigsaw
A special wooden jigsaw has been commissioned to celebrate the Cathedral bells Centenary. It is based on a banner produced by students from Penair School, Truro.
Sarah Hughes, the Cathedral's Education Officer, said, "the original idea was to create a banner that celebrated the centenary of the bells.
We wanted to take a fresh look at bell ringing
so we asked students from Penair School if
they'd like to participate. Art practitioners Cloth
of Gold helped to facilitate the project, the resulting banner has been much admired with the image used to make a testing jigsaw.”
A grant from the Central Council of Bell Ringers
has enabled a limited number of jigsaws of the
banner to be produced.
The jigsaw is priced at £20 and is
available from the Cathedral Office
on a first come first served basis.
Cathedral’s Willis organ will be
put through its paces
The last organ concert in Truro Cathedral’s evening series
for this year is to be given by the Cathedral’s own organist,
Luke Bond, on Saturday 1st October at 7.30pm.
The Cathedral’s celebrated Father Willis organ will be
shown in all its glory in Luke’s spectacular programme
which will include Walton’s “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue,
Percy Grainger’s “Handel in the Strand” and stunning major works by Jehan Alain, Maurice Duruflé, Franz Liszt and
Alexandre Guilmant.
The programme is a real tour de force and the audience
will be able to see Luke at the organ console throughout via
the Cathedral’s big screen.
The concert is on Saturday 1st October at 7.30 pm. Tickets
priced £7 (students £5, Under-18s free) will be available at
the door.
The Cathedral’s Director of Music, Christopher Gray, said:
“Luke’s main role at the cathedral is playing the Willis Organ at services. His intimate knowledge of the instrument
and his superb technique will make this a fantastic concert.”
15
The Royal Cornwall
Hospital Trust –
Chaplaincy
(Treliske Truro)
The Chaplaincy is situated on the first floor of the
Tower Building at the hospital in a quiet, peaceful
area. There is a pleasantly laid out chapel, and two
prayer/quiet rooms adjoining. One of them is used
specifically for adherents to non-Christian faiths.
These sites are open 24/7 and staffed by a group of
Chaplains on rota. The chapel furnishings include an
electronic organ and a special ‘Baby Remembrance’
book in addition to the usual altar furnishings.
The lead Chaplain now is The Rev. Mark Richards, a
Methodist.
The
Rev.
Susan
Golden,
Congregationalist, The Rev. Julie Millar, Anglican
and the Rev. Marlene Carveth, Anglican, assist him.
Fr. Gilmour McDermot who is the Roman Catholic
parish priest in Truro along with Sister Carmel
O’Sullivan ministers to Roman Catholics at the
hospital. The Chaplaincy team also has a list of
contacts for members of other Christian
denominations as well as members of other World
Faiths.
The chapel is used for a service of Holy
Communion at 8.45am on Thursdays for patients
and staff, conducted by one of the team. The main
service
takes
place
at
11am on
Sunday
mornings.
Patients
are
brought to
the chapel
on request by a team of volunteers. There is now an
urgent need for enlargement of this team as several
former helpers have left the district. Volunteers who
should be fit adults are asked to report to the
Chaplaincy at 10am, collect a wheelchair and go as
directed to the patient. No manual handling is
required. The rota means that it is a once a month
activity. Initial training is provided.
The main focus of the Chaplaincy team is naturally
16
pastoral for the hospital staff and patients including
bereavement support. In this work they are assisted
by three groups of volunteers. These persons are
known as Honorary Chaplains, Pastoral Visitors or
Befrienders. The Honorary Chaplains are active or
retired clergy, the Pastoral Visitors are accredited
church or faith community members, whereas the
Befriender is not necessarily volunteering from a
faith perspective . It was pointed out to me that
more people were needed to join both these teams
as the hospital population includes many patients,
not necessarily elderly, who are just lonely,
frightened and feel forgotten or if holiday
casualties, may be far from their relatives or local
friends. They include patients from the Isles of
Scilly.
I know from personal past experience in State
hospitals that particularly following an emergency
operation, (before the days of modern
communications) just how low one can feel, and
how positive the sight of a friendly face would have
been. Having visited a number of acquaintances in
Treliske, Barncoose and St. Austell during the last
fifteen years I also know that the overall majority
are welcoming to anyone with a positive and
cheerful approach. But it is also wise not to make
initial visits over long. Sick people tire easily The
occasional discontent receives only one visit!
Primrose Peacock.
Anyone who is interested in joining the
Chaplaincy team should contact Mark
Richards on 01872 252883 – there is
an Ansafone service on that number,
or email
[email protected]
COMPANIONS OF
ST GUÉNOLÉ
‘We have been longer together than we have been
separated.’ Père Abbé Jean de la Croix 1989
In the June edition of the Coracle, Bishop Tim wrote
eloquently of his visit to the Abbey at Landévennec in
Brittany in the company of his ecumenical colleagues
and a number of pilgrims from their respective flocks.
This event, organised by the Companions of St Guénolé, was an opportunity for ecumenical encounter
not only in worship, study and prayer but also in eating, drinking and laughing together. (This year there
was a great deal of the latter, especially when +Tim
and Chairman Steve Wild were in the vicinity.) The
Abbey and the monks facilitated our gathering and
the hospitality of their church and the profound experience of worshipping with the community were
vital elements in the pilgrimage.
It is now 22 years since the Companions of St Guénolé came into being with the aim of bringing together Christians of all traditions in Cornwall and in
Brittany under the patronage of the saint who is honoured in both places – he is known as Winwaloe in
Cornwall. The Benedictine monks of the community at
Landévennec cherish our link, seeing it as mutually
enriching, and have hosted Church Leaders’ pilgrimages almost every three years since 1989. At other
times they extend the warmest of welcomes to occasional pilgrims and visitors from Cornwall and we
have enjoyed the monks’ visits to us. As Church Leaders have come and gone it has not always been easy
to maintain the momentum but now there is determination on the part of the present incumbents to benefit
from all that Landévennec offers us on our ecumenical
journey. Bishop Christopher Budd of Plymouth has
shown stalwart commitment from the beginning but he
expects to retire next year and his warm and thoughtful presence will be greatly missed.
Those who joined in the initial enthusiasm generated
by the formation of the Companions have not been
untouched by the process of ageing and we feel it is
time to take stock and to discern how this ministry can
continue. If you feel that you would like to know more
and that you can contribute in any way, please come
to the Annual General Meeting at 10.30 am on 5
November at St Augustine’s RC Church, Woodland
Road, St Austell (opposite Asda).
COMPANIONS OF ST GUÉNOLÉ
ANNUAL
GENERAL
MEETING
Saturday 5 November
2011
Coffee from 10.30 am followed by
meeting and short devotional service
ST AUGUSTINE’S RC CHURCH,
WOODLAND ROAD, ST AUSTELL
(opposite ASDA on the main road)
All welcome
For further details, contact Charles Butchart 01872
276516 email: [email protected]
17
THE HIGHLIGHTS:
The Pilgrimage will follow in the footsteps of
Moses and the Hebrew people through Egypt,
spending time in the Sinai desert at Mount Sinai.
We will then cross the Red Sea, and travel
through Jordan, stopping to share Moses’s view
from Mt Nebo, and crossing the Jordan River to
enter Israel in Galilee.
You are invited to an evening of
In Galilee we will visit Nazareth, the town where
Jesus grew up, and Capernaum, the fishing village which became the centre of his Galilean
ministry. We will walk beside the Sea of Galilee
and journey north to Mount Hermon and Caeserea Philippi, where his close friends first came
to understand Jesus’s special significance as
God’s son. Then we shall travel up to Jerusalem,
as he would have done many times, to the place
where he spent his last days on earth. We will
walk down the Mount of Olives, rest in the Garden of Gethsemane, travel the Way of the Cross
to Golgotha, and remember his resurrection in
the quiet of the Garden tomb.
(and hopefully answers)
The timing of our pilgrimage will mean that we
celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem!
questions
in the Pearson Room of the
Cathedral Office
on Thursday 6th October
at 7.30 pm
For a Brochure and Booking Form
pick one up in the Narthex
Or contact :
Rev Barbara Heseltine
[email protected]
 01872 870039

or
Canon Peter Walker
 [email protected]
 01720 423911
18
for more information.
Our journey will be one of prayer and reflection,
with good companions on the way. There will be
times of quiet contemplation, bustling activity and
great fun. All of this will play an important part
in our continuing pilgrimage towards God.
We shall plan our journey to include time to
spend listening to, talking and worshipping with
the people who live today, in what has become
(and maybe always has been) a troubled area.
Cathedral Concert to aid
Cornwall Flood Fund
A special concert is being held to mark one year on
from the major flood which struck parts of mid Cornwall last November and to raise more funds for people whose homes were affected by it.
All proceeds from the charity event at Truro Cathedral on Friday November 11 will go to the Cornwall
Flood Fund, set up by the Cornwall Community Foundation.
The concert is a partnership between the Foundation,
Truro Cathedral and the Eden Project and will feature
the Cathedral’s renowned choir and the Eden Choir.
Tickets are now on sale and the organisers are hoping that takings will provide a major boost for the
fund in the run-in to the Christmas period.
Linda Whitaker, the Foundation’s Executive Director,
said that CCF were delighted to collaborate with the
Cathedral Choir and Eden to raise further funds for
people affected by the floods last year.
The fund can help people buy items such as replacement household goods, to make repairs and carry out
prevention work.
Linda said: “Many people are still living in temporary accommodation or have much work still to do in
order to rebuild their lives and homes. All profit from
this event will be directed to the Flood Fund to help
even more people.
“It’s another great example of partnership working
and much given pro bono, which I personally thank
both organisations for so doing. We hope to have a
full house and I’m sure it will be a memorable and
reflective evening”
There will be a number of guest speakers, including
flood survivor Diana Mullis, Tim Smit, chief executive
of the Eden Project, and Oliver Baines, a trustee of the
Foundation.
Chris Gray, Truro Cathedral’s Director of Music,
said: “We have a really special programme which is
designed to appeal to everyone, whether or not they
have ever set foot in the Cathedral.
“The 15 boys and 12 men of the Cathedral Choir will
open the concert with Cloudburst by American composer Eric Whitacre. There are some truly spectacular effects, using voices as you’ve probably never
heard them used before, to create a choral thunderstorm – a first in the Cathedral and something I can’t
wait to hear.
“There will also be a haunting arrangement of the
American folksong Shenandoah as well as contributions from The Eden Choir which will bring a whole
new dimension to the programme.”
The concert followed a conversation between the
Eden Project, the Foundation and the choir after the
flood last November.
Tim Smit of the Eden Project said: “The flood hit
Eden hard and closed us down for a week. But right
from the outset we were very aware that many of our
neighbours and friends were suffering too. With the
first anniversary coming up, we hope that the concert
will raise a good sum for the Flood Fund and provide
a very enjoyable evening of song.”
Tickets cost £10 and are available from Eden Project
Box Office 01726 811972. There are a limited number of free tickets available for under-18s.
19
Born to Shine
Colin
Save the Children, so it was really good fun.
I think Save the Children benefitted by, it was quite a
lot of money that was raised in the end wasn’t it?
George Yes, over £3 million
George Clark (14) was a Chorister in Truro Cathedral Choir until he left in 2010. He attends
Truro School and is a member of Southwest Music School. This summer saw George take part
in ITV’s ‘Born to Shine’ in association with the
charity Save the Children.
Colin
Colin:
Colin
If comedians could be called normal!
Colin
I suppose you were able to teach Jason in the same
way that perhaps you’ve been taught?
So, George, you had a busy summer . How did you
get involved with ‘Born to Shine’ television programme?
George Well I’m in a group called Southwest Music School
where we have residentials every year, so it’s a big
group of talented musical people and they put me forward for this ‘Born to Shine’ and I had to send in a
video of me singing and just information about me and
they obviously liked it because then they came down to
Truro to film me singing and making me do a little
lesson.
Colin
The idea of the programme is that you would teach a
skill to a celebrity.
George Yes, teach, well in my case singing to a celebrity and I
later found out that I was teaching the skill to the comedian Jason Manford so I was really pleased about that.
Colin
Did he give you some good jokes then?
Colin
Where did he find that voice? Because in the very first
rehearsals it didn’t seem like he had much of a voice
and then suddenly it was all there!
Blimey, that’s a lot isn’t it? And that was just people
ringing in and pledging money?
George Yes, so in the first heat people phoned in and it cost a
certain amount to vote but you could also donate to it.
Colin
Ok, well done. Did you have a chance to mix with the
other children that were doing this sort of thing?
George Yes, it was amazing, I mean I saw these really talented
children, like the harpist, he did a jazz harp thing
which was amazing. Jason, was just a normal person.
George Yes!
George Yes, because I’m not a natural opera singer, so I was
teaching him the skills of singing; I used all the things
I’ve learnt in the years of being a chorister and the
things I’ve been taught in my singing lessons. If I hadn’t
have been a chorister I wouldn’t be here now, ‘cos I
did so much when I was a chorister. I’m very grateful
for that experience.
Colin
So it’s all down to the Cathedral choir then?
George Definitely yes, and my grandma who did little bits of
singing with me when I was really young. Almost as
soon as I became a chorister I set my mind on a musi-
George Yes, it was really fun because he made it all lively and
he joked around and stuff but when he did needed to,
he did kind of knuckle down.
George I know it sounds strange but you’ve got to be silly;
you’ve got to pretend to be somebody else, ie an opera singer. He did that and then this amazing voice
came out which really surprised me and him!
Colin
So do you think that we’re looking at a change of career for Jason?
George Well I reckon he’s got a few things ahead of him in the
musical world.
Colin
What he did was an operatic piece wasn’t it? Do you
think his voice suits the operatic music style as opposed
to say pop music? Do you think he would sound very
different if he was trying to sing a pop song?
George Yes, because when you sing pop, when you hear pop
singers, it’s kind of all in the throat. I thinks it’s because
of the microphone; they don’t need to be that powerful.
They just sing the tune, but with an opera singer you
have to be really confident and have a huge voice
which I think he’s got. In December he’s performing
with Alfie Boe!
Colin
What did you make of that whole process of making a
celebrity television show?
George Well I thought it was really interesting because there
aren’t many shows where the children are the professionals and it’s the grown-ups, the celebrities, who are
the pupils. And it was all for a really good cause, for
George Clark with Jason Manford and Natasha Kaplinsky
Colin
cal career. I really want to be something in the music
world, preferably a professional singer but sometimes
you can’t make a full career from it.
So you will be going up to this South West Music
School, is that based at a particular place?
George No not really, we go round to different venues every
time. There’s about five residentials a year and each
residential there’s a different theme. So the one we just
had was about folk music and we explored different
instruments and it was really interesting. But they put
me forward for this show.
Colin
So it’s broadening your musical horizons, that’s what
it’s kind of doing. What sort of things do you do at
Truro School that link into this kind of music?
George Well I’m in the choirs, which helps, so that’s nice and
I’m in an orchestra because I play violin and I like doing the shows, the productions they do.
Colin
Have you got one coming up? I don’t suppose you
have, you’re not back at school yet are you?
George Well we’re doing this thing in Hall for Cornwall and
the theme is ‘round the world’, so there’s loads of different pieces which look at different styles from around
the world and things.
Colin
Well we’ll keep an eye out for that. Was it really nerve
-racking to perform, because you were performing live
on television weren’t you?
George Well it wasn’t too bad. It was quite frightening at first,
but in the studio there was only probably about 300
seats, so there weren’t actually that many people. The
scary thing was thinking about the millions of people
watching at home, and also the cameras zooming
about. But I think it was a really good experience and I
loved every minute of it.
Colin
And to win as well must have been incredible
Colin
And what happened afterwards? Were you whisked
off to do interviews ?
George I know, that was just a massive bonus, yes.
George Yes, you do get really hot and obviously if you’re
sweating, then they need to put special stuff on to
make it look as if you’re not! The studio was so much
smaller than it looks on TV, it’s really weird.
Colin
So you got you through to the final.
Colin
And won it, yes. Have you got anything else exciting
coming up?
George And won it!
George Well I’ve recently just been chosen to have one of the
main parts, principal role, in a show called ‘Coram
Boy’ which is taking place at the Bristol Old Vic. In
Coram Boy, the main character who’s called Alex who
I’ve been chosen for, is a boy who, he’s got a really
really good voice but he comes from a really strict
family but really rich family and he really wants to go
in the Cathedral Choir, but his dad who’s really strict
says that he can only go in the Cathedral Choir until
his voice breaks. And basically there’s kind of two
Alex’s, there’s the younger Alex before his voice
breaks and then there’s the other Alex afterwards and
I’m going to be the Alex before his voice breaks so he
gets up to lots of things there.
Colin
And is it a mixture of singing and acting?
Colin
And how are your acting skills?
George Yes, yes very much.
Colin
When is that starting? When does the run start?
George Well you’ve got to be patient, because it’s not going to
suddenly come and also at first it was really quite
hard, because he didn’t really know anything about
singing. I had to talk through lots of things; how to use
your voice correctly; different singing techniques. So
that was quite hard, but once he had got the mind-set
of how to do things, he was on a roll.
Colin
Quite right, you’ve got to have a day off!
Colin
Yes, and you’ll have to be up and down then?
Colin
Who’s that then?
Colin
Oh yes, he was in the Cathedral Choir as well before
moving to Wells.
George I had to go to ITV Bristol and give lots of interviews.
Colin
So you’re getting a seasoned performer not only performing to large audiences, live audiences, but also all
the other media stuff.
George Yes, that was a good experience as well.
George Yes, it’s not a musical, it’s like a production because
it’s mainly just a play but it does have lots of music in
it, so I will have to sing in it as well.
Colin
Was that ok? You enjoyed that?
George Well I think they’re coming along and I really enjoy it
and I’ve done things in school productions and things.
Colin
What was the most difficult thing because presumably
you didn’t have a lot of time to teach Jason. So what
was the most difficult thing to kind of get across about
singing, to Jason?
George Bristol Old Vic have a big show every, well quite a lot,
but one at Christmas every year, so it’s from 20th to the
30th of December, but not on Christmas Day, not on
the 25th.
Colin
He picked it up
Colin
Was he on tour at the same time?
George Yes he was really good
George Yes, he was very busy so we had to rehearse between
his shows. He lives in Manchester and we met in London a few times. Yes, so it was quite a big job for me
because I had to travel around.
Colin
What do you remember of the other celebrities?
George Well it’s strange, because when you see them on TV,
you think that, well it’s so nerve-racking to meet them,
but actually they’re just really normal. It’s really weird
because Natasha Kaplinsky who was the presenter,
she was just talking to us about her kids and showing
us photos, and apparently she said that she doesn’t get
recognised much out of the studio because she just
looks so different without her makeup.
Colin
And did you have to be made up as well?
Colin
And it’s quite hot in the studios isn’t it?
George Yes they did give me a bit of makeup just for like lighting and everything.
George Yes, well I’m sharing the part with another boy so he
will do one day, because it’s an awful lot of productions.
George Yes, that’s the other thing, obviously I live in Cornwall
and we’ve got to go to Bristol, but I know someone
who lives in Wells, who’s actually one of my best
friends who was a chorister as well and he’s the person sharing the part with me, which is a bit of a coincidence really.
George Oliver Buckland
George Bit of a coincidence, so yes I might stay at his house
and things, because he lives quite near.
Colin
Anything else you’d like to say?
Colin
Well done George, you did really well.
George Just again, a really big thank-you for everyone in the
Cathedral and everyone who has supported me and
helped me along the way.
The old saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes”,
so gender differences aside, our Family Fun Day was a
wonderful success owing to the rain which was soundly
cursed on the morning of 17th
August but proved to be the
making of the day.
Vergers and a gallant team of
helpers moved chairs and tables,
put up bunting, even a gazebo,
made a picnic area and
transformed the Cathedral into a
fun palace for the day. And
goodness, fun was had, whether
making stylish hats, fishing for
ducks, making a collage, finger puppets, brass
rubbing, dressing up and parading up the nave to
organ accompaniment, splatting rats, making a flower
garden and all for free! A certain person dressed as an
owl for the occasion
and spent 4 hours
counting the number
of marbles under a
flower pot. Yes, well
there was more to it
than that, ask her,
but it will be an
abiding memory, as
was also the sight of
small children in the picnic area tucking into a lunch
consisting entirely of cakes from the well provisioned
cake stall. That, and the “Tenpenny tombola”, very
popular, were the only money making activities, all
proceeds going to MU “Cakes for Brakes” appeal and
our Action & Outreach projects within the Diocese.
This was a wonderful combined effort by our Deanery
branches and I’m sure that the dear Lord was happy to
host a party in his house.
A big thank you to all who helped, doing stuff, lending,
making, being there. We were truly blessed.
So that was our month off!
At July’s meeting we welcomed Melva McQuillen who
provides marriage preparation courses under the title
“Stepping Stones”. With such thoughtful material to be
22
explored one hopes that marriages start off on a
better footing than might otherwise be the case.
The exercise is to be recommended, though for
most of us too late!
The Cathedral’s own Sarah Hughes will be our
speaker for September, we are so grateful to her
for her input into the Family Fun Day.
Our October meeting on the 20th is a DIY affair
when we hope to discuss future plans, MU policies,
restructuring of the Diocesan organisation, and to
welcome new and transferred members.
Then our AGM on 17th November will be taken up
with the appointing of new officers for the next 3
years.
Not every meeting will be a Fun day, but we are a
very welcoming group. Our criteria for membership
are only that of baptism and an acceptance of our
mission statement of “Christian care for families”.
With more members we can do more both at home
and overseas, we need you!
Hope to see you in the Pearson Room, Cathedral
office, at 2.30 on the dates above. Our corporate
Communion is on the 1st Friday of the month, in St
Mary’s Aisle.
From our Canon Theologian...
For the last two years I have been running these
short courses in the Cathedral, and I’m proud to
announce that this year we have two new ones on
offer.
‘We’ in this case is a small ecumenical working
group sponsored by the Formation Education and
Discipleship Committee of the Diocese of Truro
(FEaD for those who love initials) and by the
Cornwall Methodist District. My task on that
working group is to act as the Series Editor for the
courses, and the Pearson Room is my workshop
where each course tends to get its first public airing.
These Windows Into courses started three years
ago now because the Diocese and the District recognised that one of the strange omissions in the
life of the Church is ‘adult education’, and so it
was agreed to produce these courses to help to
‘educate and inform’ those members of the
Church who wanted to know more about the
Faith. I’m glad to say we also manage to slip
‘entertain’ into the courses as well.
The first two were Windows into the Bible – the
Old Testament and Windows into the Bible – the
New Testament; mainly because the working
group agreed with me that getting our understanding of the Bible right is so important when
people like the Fundamentalists and Richard
Dawkins get it so badly wrong. That’s why I have
run those two courses twice each already. But this
year we have two new ones ready. Windows
into Church History will be run in the Pearson
Room on the six Mondays between October 10th
and November 14th and because there’s already
a lot of interest in this one I will run it twice each
Monday - once from 2—4pm for those who prefer a daytime slot and again from 7.30-9.30pm.
We use Powerpoint, there’s opportunities for discussion and there’s coffee in the middle. All for a
single £10 fee. No bookings necessary. Just turn
up in the Pearson Room via the blue door from
the road.
The other new series, Windows into Christian Ethics, will be run on Monday evenings after Christmas (Jan 9, 16, 23, 30; Feb 13 and 20). More
are in the production line.
Stephen Dawes
WINDOWS INTO
THE CHRISTIAN
FAITH courses
These short courses are designed to give
you a snapshot into basic Christian beliefs.
Windows into Church
History
This 6 week course looks at the history of
the Church from AD 100 to 2012,
reflecting on how we got from there to
here, and seeing how our history relates to
Christian Faith today.
The course is six weeks long and
will take place on the following
10th, 17th, 24th & 31st
October 7th and 14th
November
Mondays in the Pearson (entrance via
blue door opposite entrance to
Cathedral car park) Room of the
Cathedral Office either at 2.00 4.00pm or 7.30-9.30pm,
including a coffee break.
This course will be led by
the Cathedral’s Canon Theologian,
Rev Dr Stephen Dawes.
The cost will be £10 per course.
No booking necessary.
We really want to open windows into these
big topics, so that you can enjoy and
appreciate the view!
23
UP AND COMING EVENTS
FILM NIGHT 2011/2012 – NEW SEASON
Thursday 22nd September – Mr Hulot’s Holiday
Thursday 27th October – Iris
Thursday 24th November - Calendar Girls
Thursday 26th January - The Illusionist
Thursday 23rd February – The Silence of the Lambs
Thursday 22nd March – Shirley Valentine
The Film Nights take place in the Pearson Room
(access through the Friends’ Office which is opposite
the entrance to the Cathedral Car Park). We gather
at 6.30pm for Wine and Nibbles and the film
begins at 7pm. The cost is £5. You have to be a
Friend of Truro Cathedral to attend but if you sign
up as a Friend on a Film Night you have your first
film free. Tickets available as above.
COFFEE MORNINGS
These take place in the Pearson Room on the second
Wednesday of the month and all are welcome.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are available from 10.30
there is always a Raffle and a Bring and Buy Stall.
Time to meet up with old friends and make new
ones and also a chance to buy tickets for other
events.
HELPING HAND
The Friends’ Fund Raising Committee would be
delighted to hear from anyone willing to give a
“Helping Hand” at Friends’ events. If you would like
to help with cooking, washing up, selling tickets,
distributing posters etc etc please contact the
Friends’ Office with your details and specifying
what you would be most happy to help with. Thank
you.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Saturday 4th February 2012 Friends’ Annual Party
when we hope the entertainment will be a small
Pantomime!
24
Friday 8th March 2012 a talk on Canon Mason and
his influence on the building of the Cathedral.
Keep en eye on this publication or contact the
Friends’ Office as further information becomes
available
ALL CHEQUES SHOULD PLEASE BY MADE
PAYABLE TO “THE FRIENDS OF TRURO
CATHEDRAL”
THANK YOU
The Friends’ monthly coffee mornings are well
attended and an important social time. There is
always plenty of chatter as people enjoy their coffee
and biscuits, buy their raffle tickets or browse through
the books and items on the Bring and Buy Stall. This
event would not happen without a stalwart band of
volunteers and we are very grateful to Mary Prior
and Joy Reynolds who set up and make the coffee
and put up the notices to catch the eye of visitors
walking by. To Anne Pengelley the organiser of the
monthly raffle and especial thanks must go to Eric
and Rosemary for their tireless efforts with the Bring
and Buy Stall. Thank you all very much.
THE FRIENDS’ OFFICE TELEPHONE NUMBER IS
01872 274986
There is a 24 hour answering machine
THE FRIENDS’ OFFICE IS AT 21 OLD BRIDGE STREET
(opposite the entrance to the Cathedral Car Park)
The Office is open on Wednesdays 10am to 12 noon
For all enquiries please either call at the Office on
Wednesday between 10am and 12 noon or telephone
01872 274986
TICKETS MAY BE PURCHASED BY:Calling at the Friends Office (see details above)
By telephoning the Friends’ Office and leaving your contact number.
By completing a Ticket Request Form available on the
Friends’ Board in the North Transept.
By email – [email protected]
Christian
Meditation
Thursdays at 12.10pm
in the
South Quire Aisle
(All welcome)
Friday 4th November at 7.30pm
Do you have more questions than answers?
Would you like an opportunity to share
Questions and issues about God, Faith and
Christianity?
There is an informal group that meets to
share a coffee and chat over these and other
issues.
Second Sunday of each month at 8pm
In the Pearson Room of the Cathedral Office
or contact Rev Canon Dr Stephen Dawes
01872 223181
25
23rd - 30th October
Valuing and understanding
the world and those
who live in it
Living for the planet
What does it mean to live for one planet?
How do we value the planet and all the
life forms that sustain us?
To damage the environment is ultimately
to harm us so how can our lifestyles and
attitudes work in co-operation with nature?
We need to understand

how global warming is affecting food
production;

how climate change is increasing weather
related disasters, which are devastating
the lives of countless people around the
world who already struggle with poverty;

how to share the burden of adapting to a
changing climate

how to care for the planet now before it is
too late
Living for its people
What does it mean to live for its people?
26
One of the causes of suffering and poverty
is greed. We are all interlinked and part of
each other. The world is like one body; if
one part of that body is in pain, the whole
body suffers.
Our actions can have profound effects on
others; the smallest action can have a
ripple effect to bring positive change.
How can we ensure that food is distributed
and shared equally and not wasted? Nobody
in the world should go hungry.
Living and acting for change
What does it mean to live and act for
change?
Our lives can change the world as we
choose what we eat, what we buy, how we
travel, how we use our money and time.
Acting together, such as by signing
petitions, communicating with decision
makers and holding them to account, gives
us collective power to influence change
towards a fairer and more environmentally
sustainable world.
When?
One World Week takes place between 23-30
October this year. The Cathedral will have a
range of events and activities taking place that
will highlight this year’s ‘environment’ theme.
ONE WORLD WEEK
EVENTS
23 – 30 OCTOBER 2011
HERE ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS TAKING
PLACE IN THE CATHEDRAL AND TRURO
PRAYERS FOR WORLD PEACE
Said from the Cathedral Podium at Noon
Monday 24th to Friday 29th
One World Week Dish of the Day
The Cathedral Restaurant will be serving a delicious
dish inspired by the Fair Trade Everyday Cookbook.
Monday 24th to Friday 29th October
ONE WORLD WEEK EXHIBITION
Featuring a number of local organisations involved in
helping make the world a better place. In the South
Quire Aisle of the Cathedral.
Monday 24th to Sunday 30th 9-5pm, free
RAISING OF THE UNITED NATIONS
FLAG AT NEW COUNTY HALL
Raising of the UN flag marking United Nations Day
Special Evensong to mark
United Nations Day
Join the members of the Mid Cornwall United Nations
Association for this special Evensong
to mark the work of the UN.
Sunday 23rd October at 4pm
United Nations Interfaith Event
Sunday 30th October at 2pm
In the Chapter House
www.oneworldweek.org
27
In the world…………………...
Cathedral World
Development
Group
Michael Fuller reports...
At this time of the year, with daylight hours
shortening and a distinct 'nip in the air' in the
early morning, there is always the colourful
season of autumn to enjoy. It is also time to look
forward to one of the most joyful and colourful
events in the Cathedral's calendar. On Sunday
16th October we welcome back the Pearl of
Africa Children's Choir for a service and concert
at 6.00pm. The Choirs are selected from talented
children cared for by the schools and clinic
which are the Molly and Paul Child Care
Foundation . Paul Wasswa was an orphan child
himself and was fortunate to be sponsored
through his education and eventually become a
teacher. His Christian values led him to setting
up his first school for orphan and destitute
children over 20 years ago and now this has
grown to 7 schools which educate over 2000
children who would not have a chance to access
education otherwise. Their concert will, if a
repetition of past years, will be lively and
exciting, 'an unmissable spectacle'.
The Cathedral community has now established a
more personal link with these children by
supporting one of the schools in the Molly and
Paul Education Foundation where they are
educated. Like many schools in this developing
country their facilities for, and capacity to
provide anything beyond a very basic education
is virtually non-existent. So, following a chat with
Head Teacher Annet Kaigwa who visited us in
June, we are going to support their efforts to
build and create a Food and Nutrition centre.
No mean task and one that is likely to take a
year or two before it is completed and fully
functional. Such an amenity will provide for
improved diets, teach cooking skills and
improved nutritional habits, and provide the
28
school with small source of income. As Annet told
me, the creation of a well-resourced kitchen in the
community, of which the school is a part, will
enable the older pupils to provide catering services
for a variety of functions. During the 10 week tour
this autumn, the talented and exuberant choir will
perform at Truro Cathedral and other locations. The
performance that evening will help fund this vital
work through the choir tour fund. We hope you will
be able to join us for what will truly be an amazing
evening of African song and dance which has
worship at its heart.
There will be occasions later this month for the
Cathedral community to help and support this
project, which will advertised in the weekly Sunday
bulletin and on the World Development notice
board.
In the wider world familiar, but often overlooked,
problems of the environment are to be highlighted
during One World Week. I hope that you will be
able to spare a little time to visit the displays in the
Cathedral during this week.
Canon Donaldson
Following on from the note about Canon
Donaldson in the last edition of Cathedral News Bert Biscoe has penned this
article.
Canon Donaldson was the author of 'The Diocese of
Truro - the first 25 years' (Rivingtons) a substantial
book of some value (2nd hand copies are in the
region of £40).
The book is a clear signal that the Diocese was settling in and considering itself in the context of its
surroundings. In Chapter 1 Donaldson speaks passionately about the physical differences, beauties
and degradations of Cornwall. He goes on to say:
'(Cornwall) is a land inhabited by a very distinctly
marked race. Anyone who crosses the Tamar, travelling westward, realises he is passing into a region
quite different from the one he is leaving, and is going among a people that, even at the beginning of
the twentieth century, has by no means lost its special characteristics of speech and custom' He goes
on: 'There is a kind of breezy and salt like freshness
in the land and among the people, that is very attractive to the 'foreigner' from 'up the country''.
Workshop: an introduction to creativity and spirituality.
Saturday 15th of October 10am - 4pm
Led by Maggy Walters
A day of questioning, contemplating and exercising our
personal and collective urge to create and its connection to
our experience of spirituality.
Cost is £15: please bring a packed lunch, refreshments and
some materials will be provided.
You are welcome to join us for the House Eucharist at
10am.
For more information and to book a place for this event
please contact Epiphany House, Kenwyn, Truro TR1 3DR
Tel: 01872 272249 or email: [email protected]
Donaldson's mission was to bring people together,
to shape the Diocese to be part of Cornish life, to
explain the Diocese in a confusing spiritual landscape. Bearing in mind that the Church was a fertile
ground for scholars rekindling the Cornish language, culture and identity, it is clear that the work
of such as Thomas Taylor (St Just), or Canon Doble,
or W Lach Schryma (the Curate at St Pauls, Truro)
was influencing the Diocese described by
Donaldson. How good to see St Piran's oratory on
the way back to us, the Cornish language growing,
recognition of the Cornish as a British minority winning its case. As Feasts and Saints and Celtic
awareness spread positively through our communities, his work was, indeed, prescient and remains a
vivifying read.
His work is an essential contribution to understanding not just the Diocese but also Cornwall at the turn
of the 19th to the 20th century, and its not just
scholarly, but also readable too, and full of 'Aha!'
type facts that fill in the gaps.
29
In the world…………………...
Stories from Bethlehem
– a City Besieged
June Bowry reports on a well attended
couple of meetings in September
Bishop LlewellIn has just returned from taking part in an
Ecumenical Accompanimont Programme in Palestine and
Israel (EAPI). The present situation in
the area developed from the results
of the Balfour Declaration of 1817,
which divided the territory between
the Palestinians and Israelis. Over
the years the position gradually
changed with the Israelis building an
increasing number of settlements and
taking over more land. The
Palestinians have found it very
difficult to cultivate their farms and
are under pressure to quit either by
The Rt Revd Richard Llewellin
intimidation, isolation by blocking
roads, denying access to water and
electricity or by not having permission to carry out
improvement.
Whilst working with EAPI the Bishop lived with a small
group of members and between them they carried out
various tasks.
Monitoring checkpoints: These were set-up by the
Israelis to check up on Palestinian men allowed
into Jerusalem to work. EAPI members observed
how this was done and kept account of numbers
able to go through.
Observation of Villages: in outlining districts, noting
problems particularly the demolition of property.
Keeping watch: on refugee camps.
Joining in Demonstrations: occasionally against the
building of the dividing wall.
The presence of EAPI as an international organisation
enables support to be given to individuals, reduction of
aggression at checkpoints as well as providing reliable
statistics for the United Nations.
30
Over 409km of ‘separation barrier’ has been built (3X the length of the Berlin
Wall) with another 300km due to be built.
A useful leaflet entitled ‘What We Can Do’ was
distributed to the audience. The number of questions
and discussions which followed showed what a
balanced, yet thought provoking, occasion this was for
everyone. The Bishop answered the questions very ably
and indicated that whatever the problems there can
always be hope.
A NOTE FROM ROGER FARNWORTH
When the former Bishop of St Germans, Richard
Llewellin, spoke in the cathedral about his work as an
Ecumenical Accompanier working for peace in Israel
and Palestine on a World Council of Churches Mission,
he was harangued in an unacceptable manner.
The first person to voice her opposition refused to listen
to the Bishop’s response by chanting a text during his
reply. The second member of this ‘ambush’ was so full
of hatred in his shouted rant that he could not formulate
a question when asked to do so. The third claimed to
have all the answers by interpreting a biblical text to
suggest that God, in the role of divine estate agent, had
given the land in dispute to Israel.
Together they demonstrated why it is so difficult to
achieve conflict resolution in the Middle East. They
closed their ears to answers, they failed to debate
questions or claimed to have all the answers. Our
answer should be to quote, from those shared texts in
the Judeo-Christian Bible, all those passages that speak
of justice, peace, reconciliation and love.
Accordingly we should offer rational debate and
practical non-violent action as Bishop Richard is doing,
and we thank him.
Cathedral Shop gears
up for festivities
Hello from the Cathedral Shop
Hello and welcome to this festive edition of the
shop news. Christmas will soon be upon us
“Oh Yes It Will” and with that in mind I would
like to draw your attention to some of our
festive offers. We will be running a 3 for 2
promotion with Lion Hudson on children's
Lots of goodies are available from the Christmas Shop
in the North Transept. A small selection can be seen
below.
Cathedral Choir Christmas CD
Super little Christmas present with
stunning singing from the Cathedral Choir, £9.99
Christmas books including “The Nativity Story”
and “Beginners Bible Very First Christmas”
ideal Christmas reading. This years Cathedral
Christmas card as featured in Septembers
News is available and selling well. Also the
Cathedral Calendar is still available but selling
fast so make sure to grab your copy before
they disappear.
Stop Press!!
Following the success of the Cockerel brooch
and by popular demand we have decided to
produce a Cockerel pendant and charm in
Cornish Tin and Cornish
Bronze. Much smaller than the
original and beautifully boxed
they will be the ideal Christmas
gift for adult or child. Available
shortly.
It just leaves me to be the first to wish you a
very happy Christmas and a Peaceful New
Year.
31
2012 Fundraising
Calendar
Wonderful images of
Cornish landscape
from Philip Trevennen.
£7.50
Christmas Cards
A whole range of Christmas cards including this
year’s offering of ‘The
Adoration of the Magi’
and ‘The Annunciation to
the Shepherds’
£3.99 pack of 10
Window Stickers
Following on from Michael Swift’s article in the
previous edition, you can have your very own
stained glass windows with these excellently
reproduced window stickers of the ‘Adoration of
the Magi’
£5.99
the moment is that I was on Cathedral duty on
9/11, on the day the twin towers fell. And I
had a message from Cathedral office, To say,
would I say a prayer from the podium, which
I did, to pray for that dreadful happening, for
all those involved and those who were
suffering and for such dreadful acts of
terrorism. But at the end of it there were two
people sitting in the front row of the
Cathedral, a lady and a gentleman. I went up
to them and the lady when she spoke was
American from California and the man was
from Northern Ireland and in a way I thought
how ironic that was, the first people I talked
to, one from the United States and one from
Northern Ireland, which has also, as we
know, seen so much sadness and trouble over
the years. So that has stuck in my memory as
well. But there’s other things I suppose,
meeting people when they’re up against it or
in need of a word. Listening to people,
whatever they want to share, if they want to
share anything at all with us.
Cathedral Chaplains
Owen Blatchley has been a Cathedral Chaplain
for well over ten years. In this interview he
describes what it has meant to him.
Colin
What do you get up to then?
Owen I try not to get up to too much if I can avoid it!
Having said that, I’ve been a Chaplain for the
past twelve years, at least I think I have, I’ve lost
track a little bit, but I just feel that it’s a most
privileged and joyful ministry. Something which
has become a very real part of my own life;
something to enjoy and feel good about, a
great honour and privilege.
. Colin You are on a rota for a day a month, what are
the sort of things that you come across in your
work as a Chaplain?
Owen I suppose primarily it’s meeting people which is
part of the privilege and part of the ministry.
We meet and welcome people from all over the
UK and the world; and of all nationalities,
colours and varieties as well, so it has that
tremendous feeling of openness and
universality. We’re all a mixture you know and
people come into the Cathedral for a mixture of
reasons, not only to get out of the rain, but I
think simply to come and see something which
draws them in. People seem to feel at home in
the building and value the warmth of the
Cathedral. For them it becomes a place of
warmth, friendship and prayer, a place to find
comfort, hope and courage for whatever it is
that they need. And often love and joy as well,
because that comes into it, all the emotions I
think, are met in Truro Cathedral. So it’s part of
that.
Colin
It must be very fulfilling then because as you
say if there’s that range of people with that
range of emotions and things going on in their
lives, then you do come across a real cross
section of humanity in all its states?
Owen Yes, definitely. I approach people with a sense
of we’re all God’s children and that’s
uppermost really, that we’re loved by God
wherever we’re coming from, whoever we are.
Colin
Has anything changed over the twelve years for
you?
Owen I suppose in some ways, not a great deal, but I
think perhaps the way the world is now, but I
look back at certain things and very topical at
Colin
Do you think that’s the most important skill for
a chaplain?
Owen It is in a way isn’t it, yes, sure, because I think
if you can soak up somebody’s emotions,
whether you give advice or not, I think that
sometimes it probably does help. I think its
just listening and being with people and
sometimes praying with them that helps most.
When people ask ‘Would you say a prayer
with me?’ it is the most humbling feeling to be
able to do this, to share those moments. In
many ways ours is an ‘anonymous ministry’,
because in nearly all cases we meet people
and never see them again. I hope that by
meeting them we’ve given something to go
away with however small that might be.
Colin
Do you have a strong sense of being part of a
team?
Owen I think I always feel part of a team. The good
relationships we have with the welcomers,
with the guides, with the vergers and equally
those in the shop and in the restaurant.
There’s a good I think, team spirit, which is
invaluable for all of us and I appreciate that
too.
Colin
So you’d pop into the shop sometimes and
obviously you’d pop into the restaurant and
you’d see the volunteers and see the various
teams, people that work there?
32
Owen And have a good relationship with them, so I
occasionally buy things in the shop and of
course we have a drink, cup of tea and coffee
and a meal. Sometimes I sit by myself,
there’ve been times when I’ve sat with people
I’ve just met during the morning, do you mind
if I join you? And we’ve carried on the
conversation about them or about me too
sometimes. It’s often a two-way thing, which
is good.
Colin
Now Owen, I’ve always wanted to ask you
something. You’ve got a real sense of
humour, a real sense of fun, and I just wonder
what you think it adds to your ministry?
Owen I don’t know really, I have always loved
laughter, and I think the thing is, yes, humour
and laughter used appropriately can create
connections and break through barriers in a
way that nothing else can.
Colin
How would you rate that warmth at Truro?
Because I know lots of visitors mention this
and they write it down in visitors’ books and
comments, so I’m just wondering how, what is
it that makes Truro Cathedral such a warm
welcome to people, how would you?
Owen I remember some time ago being in
Westminster Abbey and hearing a person
being bawled out by a member of staff and I
thought, that doesn’t sound very good to me,
it didn’t sound nice. Then I saw the cost of a
tour was something like £7.50 on top of the
entrance fee and with that I walked out of the
Abbey, went out into St James Park. It was a
beautiful day and as I sat on a seat, looking
at the birds and the flowers, I felt in a way
more at peace then than I did in the Abbey.
That was just my own personal reflection at
that moment. Recently I was in the Cathedral
saying the prayers on the hour, when a
husband and wife and their handicapped son
came up and said, can I say thank you to the
Cathedral for allowing families, ordinary
people to have ’free’ access to the Cathedral .
on their way knowing that they’re cared for
and loved. Each Chaplain using their unique
variety of gifts. Mine may be useless for some
people, but another chaplain would be just
right. That’s why it’s so all embracing. We’ve
all got a variety of gifts to offer and we make
those readily available to our visitors, whether
they use them or not.
Colin
What’s your favourite part of the Cathedral?
Owen Do you know the other day I was just thinking
about the little piece of blue glass which
always draws me. I was thinking that in a
sense it’s the eye of God looking in on the
Cathedral, its worship, its daily life and all
those who come within its walls, to give us a
blessing. Maybe sentimental I don’t know, but
that’s just a thought that came to me. I feel
great affection for that little bit of blue glass.
Colin
Anything else you would like to say?
Owen I’ve met thousands of people; some became
friends and we keep in touch regularly. There
have been times when they’ve been upset and
we’ve just hugged each other and prayed
together, and in that sense, it’s such a rich
blessing and privilege to be in that position
and I look upon it as an enormous honour; it’s
something I love doing and can’t imagine
ever giving up.
If you would like to be part of the Chaplaincy
team at Truro Cathedral
please contact Canon Philip Lambert
for details.
[email protected]
or ring 01872 276782.
Colin How would you sum it all up?
Owen I think possibly what we’ve already touched
upon; the sharing, caring ministry. So many
people come into the Cathedral because they
need something. We don’t always know what
that is. It could be to be prayed for, to say
prayers with them, whatever it is we want
them to go away feeling that whatever has
happened they’ve been blessed, they can go
Owen Blatchley, Cathedral Chaplain
33
OCTOBER
Saturday 1
Sat 29
7.30pm
Goff Richards: A Musical Celebration featuring
massed bands and choirs. Tickets HFC
Sunday 30
2pm
United Nations Interfaith Celebration (Chapter
Until 31
Dec
Cathedral Calendar Exhibition
Until 5 Oct
Philip Hogben Art Exhibition
Saturday 1
10.30am
Diocesan Readers Service and AGM
Saturday 1
7.30pm
Luke Bond Organ Recital Tickets £7 (Students
£5, Under 18s free) available at the door.
Monday 3
7.30 for
8pm start
Truro Theological Society Meeting with Dr
Paula Gooder. ‘More than you can dream of
– Heaven and Earth in Biblical Perspective’ in
the Chapter House. £4 on the door.
Thursday 6
7.30pm
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 2012 Join Meeting in Pearson Room to hear all about it.
Saturday 5
10-5pm
Saturday 5
7.30pm
Friday 7
1.10pm
Caroline Robinson (Curtis Institute, Philadelphia) free lunchtime organ recital
Three Spires Singers Concert Performing
Bach’s Mass in B minor. Tickets from Hall For
Sunday 6
11.45am
Dedication of the Field of Remembrance with
Weds 9
10am
Friday 11
7 for
7.30pm
Friday 11
7pm
Saturday 8
10-4pm
Sunday 9
8.00pm
Monday 10
7.30 9.30pm
Wednesday 12
Friday 14
10am
1.10pm
Taste and See – A market-place of creative
ideas, workshops and stalls to resource mission. £5 workshops. Booking details Anne
Brown 01726 883593.
Open to Question – An informal chance to
reflect on issues of Faith with Canon Dr
Stephen Dawes in the Pearson Room. Free
Windows into Church History course with
Canon Dr Stephen Dawes, Canon Theologian.
No need to book just turn up.
Friends’ Coffee Morning in the Pearson Room
(10-11.30am) All welcome.
Christopher Gray (Truro Cathedral) the final
lunchtime organ recital of the 2011 series.
House)
NOVEMBER
Weds 2
5.30pm
Friday 4
7.30pm
The Fauré Requiem for All Souls Day a liturgical performance by the Cathedral Choir
Boyan Ensemble 20th Anniversary Concert
Brilliant Choir has been stunning UK audiences
for 20 years. Tickets from Hall For Cornwall
01872 262466
4 to 1 Sculpture and Exhibition (until 14th)
Cornwall, 01872 262466
members of the Truro branch of the Royal British
Legion, including the planting of wooden crosses
Friends' Coffee Morning in the Pearson Room
(10-11.30am) All welcome.
Remembrance Day Lecture: ‘Propatria Mori’
Images of Loss and Remembrance in Cornish
Stained Glass. An illustrated lecture by Michael
Swift. Tickets £4 available from the Cathedral
Office, 14 St Mary’s Street, TRURO, TR1 2AF
(In the Chapter House)
Cathedral Choir and the Eden Choir Concert
singing to raise funds in aid of the Cornwall
Flood Fund. Tickets £10 from the Eden Project
Box Office, 01726 811972, [email protected]
Diocesan Confirmation Service
Saturday
15
3.15pm
Diocesan Choral Festival Service Church
Choirs from across the county come together
for this service. All Welcome.
Sat 12
6.00pm
Sunday 13
3.15pm
Sunday 16
6.00pm
Pearl of Africa Choir A superb evening of
truly inspirational and uplifting music from
Africa. Free with collection.
Sunday 13
6.30pm
Thursday
20
Friday 21
2.00pm
Mothers’ Union Meeting in the Pearson Room.
All welcome.
Truro College Graduation
Sunday 13
8.00pm
Saturday
22
Saturday
22
1.00pm
Thursday
17
Saturday 19
7.00pm
Sunday 20
4pm
Tues 22
7.30pm
Thurs 24
6.30pm
for 7pm
start.
Sat 26
9-5.30pm
Cornwall College Graduation
Weds 30
7pm
Weds 30
7-9pm
‘Light up a Life’ Carol Service of carols, readings and prayers, followed by the switching on
of the lights on the ‘Tree of Life’ in association
with Cornwall Hospice Care. In High Cross.
Late Night Shopping in Truro The Cathedral’s
Christmas Shop is open together with hot
drinks and mince pies, children’s activities and
musical entertainment. Also 7th, 14th and 21st.
7.45pm
7.30pm
Mabe Ladies Choir Informal lunchtime concert. Free
The 2011 Benson Lecture given by Dame
Anne Owers. Dame Anne was formerly Her
Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons. Her lecture will cover some of the issues of unjust
imprisonment and human rights. Entry free
with collection.
ONE WORLD WEEK 23 to 30 October2011
Sunday 23
4pm
Mon 24
Noon
From 24th
10-5pm
Tues 25
7.30pm
Thurs 27
6.30 for
7pm start
Sunday Evensong for United Nations Day
sung by St Mary’s Singers
Prayers for World Peace during ‘Week of
Prayer for World Peace’ until Fri 28
One World Week Exhibition local groups and
organisations showing how they are helping
to make a better world.
Transition Truro (Pearson Room
Friends Film Club in Screen 1 of the Pearson
Room: Iris. Tickets £5 from Friends Office
01872 274986.
4pm
RBL Service of Remembrance with parade of
standards
Durufle Requiem a liturgical performance by
the Cathedral Choir (Free with retiring collection)
Open to Question – An informal chance to
reflect on issues of Faith with Canon Dr
Stephen Dawes in the Pearson Room. Free
Cornwall Youth Orchestra and Cornwall Youth
Choir Concert
Service to celebrate the ministry of Bishop
Roy Screech
Solemn Evensong with Installation of Canon
Pastor and re-dedication of bells
Transition Truro meeting (Pearson Room of
Cathedral Office) - All welcome. For more
information see www.transitiontruro.org.uk
Friends Film Club in Screen 1of the Pearson
Room: Calendar Girls. Tickets £5 from Friends
Office 01872 274986
If you would like to receive advance notice about events at Truro Cathedral
please email [email protected] or let Anne Marie know your address and
she’ll put you on the Events database.
Organorak
‘WINTER DRAWS ON’
BUT NOT UNTIL ORGANORAK HAS RECALLED A
GREAT SUMMER OF MUSIC
Apologies for the gremlins in some copies of my last
column, leading readers to believe that the Evensong
webcast was even more innovative than intended (for
‘Harrowing of Hell’ please read ‘Philip Stopford’s
Canticles’). We now keenly await the next webcast, or
maybe even a recital of FaceBach?
The Cathedral Choir returned safely from France,
having received rave notices in the local press (in ‘Midi
Libre’, interestingly next to the cinema listings – ‘Harry
Potter et les reliques de la mort’). Meanwhile, a
succession of visiting choirs did us proud – Southwest
Chamber Choir’s all-Ireland service (composer not
country), the huge choir from Berkeley, California
providing a week of fascinating music and great
parties. Then the Lynwood Singers’ colourful cassocks
and hoods and equally colourful ‘Missa Festiva’ by Flor
Peters, the Harsnett Choir (with some stowaways from
Saint Mary’s Singers) revelling in the Blessed Virgin
Mary festivities – though only those at the 8am service
on the Sunday had the thrilling glimpse of the Blue Spot
traversing the podium steps towards the Black
Madonna. The Priory Singers (Belfast not rehab) used
different responses for each Evensong – keep the clergy
on their toes! – and ended with a marvellous VW/
Howells night. St David’s Singers excelled in
unaccompanied Victoria mass and ‘Vox Dicentis’, and
avoided coming to grief processing onto the podium to
hymn 476 verse 3: ‘… fall down on their faces. And a
special commendation to the Choir of Truro Methodist
Church for their impersonation of the Pearson Singers!
Exceptional organists with the visiting choirs too – at
least one Cathedral Director of Music incognito; Luke’s
teacher, playing his own compositions; and,
accompanying the Harsnetts, the hugely talented
Jemima Stephenson, who also gave a recital ‘next
door’. Some splendid Friday lunchtimes too – Simon
Morley is always eagerly awaited, and after, the
promised Howells he cheekily improvised on a French
carol, having been inspired by the imminent opening
of our Christmas Shop. Ben Comeau, now at
Cambridge, gave us his own thrilling transcription of
‘Firebird’, Georgina Sherriff also gave recitals at
Truro Methodist Church and St Gluvias, where later
on the local team ‘Thunderbirds’. Real thunder was in
evidence before the recitals by David Davies and
Michael Edwards (possibly explaining why the Big
Screen picture was in black and white, though
Michael did add his own colour by playing Malcolm
Archer’s ‘Bluesleeves’). With all the storms, it was a
good thing that Philip Davey played his transcription
of ‘Sailing By’, the Radio 4 Shipping Forecast theme.
And for a recent visit from the Organ Club, Chris and
Luke played the monumental Leighton diet ‘Martyrs’
with amazing virtuosity.
The new Choral Scholars made their debut with the
old Choristers, providing a powerful ‘back row’ for
‘Collegium Regale’ and SS Wesley. They were then
welcomed to the Scholarly by the sound of collapsing
roof gutters, but happily no-one was hurt. Luke is
also on top form, marking the departure of Chief
Executive Neil Parsons with a ‘subtle’ quotation (on
the tuba) of ‘Goodbyee’ in the Gospel Voluntary.
Great fun was also had by all involved in the Bells
Open Day and Family Fun Day, not to mention the
miraculous appearance, on the feast of St Ein, of all
leather sofas all over the Cathedral – will we get
comfy seats at last?
As I started with webcasts, I’ll finish with broadcasts,
and huge congratulations to ex-chorister George
Clarke who mentored the winner of ‘Borne to Shine’
on ITV. And, finally, if you enjoyed the ‘Hooray for
Hollywood’ Prom on BBC, were you as surprised as I
was that the hit song ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’
from the musical ‘Gypsy’ is an ode to a 2-manual
organ? (‘You’ll be Swell, You’ll be Great).
INFORMATION
For more information visit our website www.trurocathedral.org.uk
or contact the Cathedral Office, 14 St Mary’s Street,Truro,TR1 2AF
(Open Monday to Friday 9am –5pm)
tel: 01872 276782
Articles or adverts for the Dec / Jan edition should be submitted
where possible by email to [email protected] by Friday 11th Nov