Worcester Cathedral Newsletter, Summer 2014

Three
Choirs
Festival
Plus, full events calendar and details of regular Cathedral services
World
War I
Events
The
Pilgrim
Returns
NEWS
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL
Summer 2014
Inside this issue

2 Worcester Cathedral News
Editorial Team
Nick Drew, Peter Atkinson,
Susan Macleod and Jan Davies
Photography
Christopher Guy
James Atkinson (JDA Media)
Worcester News
Worcester Cathedral News
The Chapter Office,
8 College Yard,
Worcester WR1 2LA
Telephone:
01905 732900
Email:
info@worcestercathedral.org.uk
Website:
www.worcestercathedral.co.uk
Welcome to the Summer edition of the Worcester
Cathedral newsletter. As we go to press, there
are many signs around the precincts that
summer is approaching already – the Cathedral
Ferry across the Severn is running again, the
Tower is open to visitors and the gardens are in
bloom. At this time of year, our thoughts turn to
the excitement of the Three Choirs Festival, and
in particular in years such as this one when it is
our pleasure to host the world’s longest-running
music festival. You will find full previews
of Worcester Three Choirs 2014 in this issue.
As this issue of the Newsletter was being prepared, the Cathedral
said farewell to Denise Inge, wife of the Bishop of Worcester, who
died on Easter Day. Many loving tributes were paid to her on that
occasion, some of which are reproduced here. I hope you will all
continue to hold Bishop John, Denise and their daughters in your
prayers.
This summer, we will be part of the national commemoration of
the outbreak of World War I. The Cathedral’s links with Geoffery
Studdert Kennedy (Woodbine Willie) the best known chaplain on the
Western Front make it a very significant anniversary for us. You can
read more about our commemorative programme later in this issue.
I hope you enjoy this latest issue of the Newsletter, and that we might
be able to welcome you to the Cathedral as a visitor over the course
of the summer.
Peter Atkinson,
Dean of Worcester
From the Dean
Today’s cover is the work of Three Choirs Artist in Residence,
Rob Pointon ARBSA.
Professional artist Rob Pointon has been
working around Europe producing a
body of expressive oil paintings of
Cathedrals ahead of an exhibition in
the Chapter House at Worcester during
the Three Choirs Festival.
Rob’s connection with Worcester started
in 2012 when he painted the Cathedral
as part of a national art project, touring
on board a narrowboat. He has since
painted the Cathedral extensively,
including a dramatic painting of the
Viennese Ball and orchestra in January.
www.robpointon.co.uk
3-4 Community News
5-6 Music
7 Cathedral Information
8-9 Music
10-11 Events Guide
12 History & Learning
13 Events
14 Friends
15 Guilds and Societies
16 Fundraising
17 Cathedral in the
Community
18 WWI Anniversary
19 Gift Form
20 Information Form
Contents
Twitter:
@WorcCathedral
Facebook:
search ‘Worcester Cathedral’
Summer 2014

Worcester Cathedral News 3
Community News
‘You never enjoy the world aright, till the sea itself floweth in your veins,
till you are clothed with the heavens and crowned with the stars:
and perceive yourself to be the sole heir of the whole world.’
Thomas Traherne, ‘First Century’, no. 29
‘Whatever happens – alleluia is our song.’
Denise, on hearing of her diagnosis
Dr Denise Inge – A Tribute
Dr Denise Inge, wife of Bishop
John, died on the afternoon
of Easter Day, after having
undergone treatment for cancer
for much of the preceding year.
A funeral Eucharist, held in the
Cathedral on 6th May, was
attended by around 1,000
people and was celebrated by
the Archbishops of Canterbury
and York. The service
repeatedly emphasised
Denise’s deep faith, her nature
as an ‘Easter Christian’ with a
great hope in the Resurrection,
her distinguished academic
career (particularly in the study
of the 17th century priest and
poet Thomas Traherne), and
her love for her family.
The Archdeacon of Worcester,
Roger Morris said:
‘Denise was a very accomplished
writer, speaker and researcher
specialising in the work of the
English poet Thomas Traherne.
In one of his writings, Traherne
says that you will never enjoy the
world ‘till you can sing and rejoice
and delight in God, as misers do
in gold, and Kings in sceptres’.
Denise, with an undiminished
faith in God and a generosity of
spirit, really did enjoy this world.’
The new Bishop of Dudley,
Graham Usher said:
‘We mourn Denise as a
remarkably talented theologian,
a generous host, a loving wife,
mother, daughter, sister and
friend, and, above all, a faithful
disciple of her Lord and Saviour
to whom she returned on Easter
Day. In this Easter Season we
know that our sadness is touched
and transformed by the hope, love
and peace of the Risen Jesus’.
In the sermon he preached
during the service, the Dean
said of Denise:
‘She was surprised to find that
preparing to live and preparing
to die were the same thing. She
remained an Easter Christian in
all she thought and did. And when
her illness came, she found - and
remained firm in - her conviction
of the healing power of the risen
Christ. Whatever happened,
alleluia was to be the song. She
had come to know that God takes
the dry bones of our mortality, and
he clothes us with the heavens, and
he makes the sea race in our veins,
and he crowns us with the stars.
Denise, you are right. Whatever
happens, alleluia is our song.’During the service
The Archbishop of
Canterbury arrives

Community News
Library Assistant Deidre
McKeown leaves the
Cathedral in July after 15
months. Her post was paid
for by the Heritage Lottery
Fund. Deidre completed
two exhibitions on Life in
the Benedictine monastery
and another on rare maps,
and two smaller displays on
organists and seventeenth
century anatomy books. We wish her every
success in the future.
In March we welcomed
Suzanne Byrne as the
Cathedral’s new Catering
Manager. Suzanne
previously worked at the
Stourport tennis and squash
club as Stewardess, with
responsibility for running
the club, and has 20 years’
experience in the hospitality
industry including running
a pub, hotel, bar and restaurant. ‘I am looking
forward to bringing my experience to further develop
the already great catering department. Watch out for
new menus and some modern twists on old themes
this summer!’
We also welcome the new officers and trustees
of the Friends of Worcester Cathedral,
following implementation of constitutional
changes approved at their Special Meeting
in January.
King’s School
Mr Tim Keyes,
Headmaster of The King’s
School, retires at the end
of the summer term.
Mr Keyes has been
Headmaster of the King’s
School since September
1998 and amongst his
achievements Mr Keyes
has overseen the successful
transition from a Boarding
School to a flourishing Co-educational Day
School. The culmination of his time at the
school is the building of the £9million Sports
and Performing Arts Centre which will be
opened this autumn, to be known as The Keyes
Building.
Mr Keyes places great emphasis on the
school’s Christian history and current practice
which are key elements of its ethos and
traditions: ‘Our partnership with the cathedral
is a particularly valuable thing to us. Continuing
to nurture that should be a priority’.
Keith Collyer
A regular attender at the Cathedral’s Sunday
morning eucharist, and a former Director of
Cadbury Schweppes, died in April, aged 89.
His delights were the natural world, poetry and
plays, especially those of the Bard, and making
music – he was rightly proud of the choirs which
he conducted and the harpsichord which he
built. His real and enduring loves, however,
were his wife, children and grandchildren.
May Keith rest in peace and rise in glory.
Professor Nicholas Brooks
Professor Emeritus of History in the University
of Birmingham, died on 2 February after an
operation. He served until recently as Chairman
of the Cathedral’s Fabric Advisory Committee,and
brought exceptional graciousness and good sense
to that role, as well as his formidable knowledge of
mediaeval history, being a leading scholar of the
period of St Oswald and St Wulfstan. All who
knew him will miss his friendship and wisdom.
A memorial service will take place later in the year.
In Memoriam...
Cathedral Staff

MusicPhoto:ChrisDobbs
Much has been written about the Three
Choirs Festival elsewhere in this publication
but I felt it would be helpful to highlight
some of the service music that will be
performed. To the Cathedral Choir members
the core activity of combined choir services is
often the highlight of these festivals and it is
hardly surprising, given that it is quite rare
for three such choirs to meet, rehearse and
perform together at such a forum and to such
an audience.
As seems to be custom now, the Wednesday
evensong will be broadcast live on BBC radio
3 and I have chosen for the introit Thomas
Tomkins’ rarely heard O praise the Lord all
ye heathen. This piece is in twelve parts and
therefore is perfect to be sung by three
four-part choirs. The setting of the
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G is quite an
early work by Howells but should sound
very rich and sonorous given the quality and
quantity of singers present. Byrd’s extended
anthem ‘Laudibus in Sanctis’ is an exuberant
setting of Psalm 150 and should be a rousing
finish to the broadcast. Other service music
includes settings of Felix Mendelssohn,
edited and prepared by Lay Clerk, Richard
Pugh, and these will be sung by the
combined Worcester choirs at the Festival
Eucharist. The rarely performed Ave Maria
by Donizetti will also be worth catching at
the opening service. Christopher Allsop,
Assistant Director of Music, has made his
own arrangement from a library score
released from the library of the Musikverein
in Vienna, especially for our use at this
festival. Hannah Grove will be the soloist for
this work and the Orchestra of the Swan will
be in residence for this service.
The tour de force for the combined choirs is
Bach’s B Minor Mass and, with the Academy
of Ancient Music and a team of top soloists,
this will doubtless be a performance not to
miss. This is my first festival in Worcester
and I am looking forward to it with great
anticipation and much excitement. I hope
you are too.
Music Notes
by Dr Peter Nardone,
Organist and Director of Music
Song School
refurbishment
For most members of the congregation, and visitors
to the Cathedral, the choir school is probably seen
as one of the engine rooms of the place rather than
part of the main structure. However, behind the
red door in the cloister is a CS Lewis Narnia of
intrigue and activity, music and teaching. It is very
much part of the Cathedral’s daily life of worship
and has reached a stage where it now seriously
needs some updating and rearranging. Thanks to a
most generous donation from the Freemasons of
Worcestershire this work can now be done.
Immediately after the Three Choirs Festival it
is envisaged that there will be a two month
programme of refurbishment which will include
moving the main rehearsal room to the first floor,
creating a multi-use space in the lower room
including kitchen facilities for choir teas, laundry
facilities and rehearsal space. There will also be
new toilets, central heating, rehearsal stalls, robe
cupboards, and the merging of all choir libraries
into one space. Together with repairs to windows
and walls, there will be thought given to the
acoustics of both rehearsal rooms and floor
coverings throughout.
We remain grateful to the family of the late Rupert
Judge for enabling the previous refurbishment but
have decided that it would make sense to refer to
the building as the Judge Song School rather than
the Judge Choir School so that it is not confused
with our real Choir School which is King’s
Worcester.
Peter Nardone
Organist Director of Music

Fundraising PageMusic
The Music Department is pleased to announce
the first annual Old Choristers Reunion - a
wonderful opportunity for all old choristers
(boys and girls), choral scholars and lay clerks
to spend the day in Worcester and sing Choral
Evensong together with the current cathedral
choir, conducted by Dr Peter Nardone.
To sign up, please email Christopher Allsop at:
christopher.allsop@worcestercathedral.org.uk
with your details, including your name, when
you sang at the cathedral, and your current
voice-part (if you would like to join with the
choir for the service).
Old Choristers Reunion
Come and sing Evensong,
Saturday 5th July 2014
Photo:WorcesterNews
For a full range of gift ideas visit the Cathedral shop online at:
www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/Shop_online.php
Gift ideas from the Cathedral Shop
The Cathedral Shop has a range of interesting books on the First World War and the Three Choirs Festival.
What Tommy took to War
- with striking original
photography by Chris
Foster and expert text
from noted historian
Peter Doyle, this book
looks in detail at fifty
objects that Tommy
would have had in
his kit and which would
have accompanied,
equipped and
comforted him during
his wartime ordeals.
Yours Ever, Charlie –
a fascinating and
moving account of
a Worcestershire
soldier’s experiences
in Gallipoli, based
on his many letters
home.
Women in the First
World War is told
through historical
documents, memoirs,
photographs,
uniforms and
ephemera, the authors
present a study of this
turning point in
British social history.
With the forthcoming
Three Choirs Festival
in mind, the shop
also has a selection
of books. To name
but one: Elgar and the
by Donald Hunt.
Please feel free to share this information with any
former choristers, choral scholars or lay clerks
with whom you are in touch.

Weekly Services
Sunday Services
7.30am Matins
8.00am Holy Communion
10.30am The Cathedral
Eucharist
4.00pm Evensong or
Evening Prayer
There is normally a Service
at 6.30pm on Sundays in
School Term.
Monday to Saturday
Services
7.30am Matins
5.30pm Evensong or
Evening Prayer
Additional Weekday
Services
Monday
1.05pm Prayers for Healing
(not Bank Holidays)
Wednesday
1.05pm Holy Communion
Friday
(BCP)
Cathedral Information
Cathedral opening times
7.30am – 6pm daily, Entry free. Charges apply for the areas below.
Group Guided Tours
Email: visits@worcestercathedral.org.uk
Young people and school group visits
Email: schools@worcestercathedral.org.uk
Turn up for a Tour
March to end of November, Monday – Saturday, 11am 2.30pm
December to end of February: Saturdays only, 11am 2.30pm
Tower open (weather permitting)
March – end of October on Saturdays, Bank Holidays and
school holidays. Please telephone to check the Tower is open
before making a special visit.
Cathedral Library
Open by appointment only
Email: davidmorrison@worcestercathedral.org.uk
Meeting rooms and to book events
Email: visits@worcestercathedral.org.uk
Cathedral Shop
Monday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Sunday, 12noon – 4pm
Also often open for concerts at 6.30pm and during the interval.
Cloister Café
Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 4.30pm
Sunday 10.30am – 4pm
The Chapter Office
Monday – Friday, 8.30am – 5pm
Telephone: 01905 732900
Email: info@worcestercathedral.org.uk
Website: www.worcestercathedral.co.uk
Cathedral Information
The Cathedral’s detailed monthly
service scheme for the current
month will give you more information
about the individual services.
Visit: www.worcestercathedral.co.uk/
Monthly_Service_Scheme.php

Music
‘A life-changing experience’ is how
Worcester Cathedral’s Director of Music,
Peter Nardone, describes hearing a
performance of Elgar’s The Apostles on
his first visit to the Three Choirs Festival
in 1984. So it’s hardly surprising that
The Apostles makes another appearance
this year in Dr Nardone’s first programme
as Artistic Director of the Festival. It will
be conducted by Adrian Partington of
Gloucester Cathedral, so Peter can sit back
with the rest of the audience and enjoy
listening to this great work performed by
Worcester’s own girl choristers, the Three
Choirs Festival Chorus and Youth Choir,
and the Philharmonia Orchestra, with a
strong line-up of soloists.
At the heart of the 2014 Festival are several
concerts marking the centenary of the
outbreak of the First World War. The
opening recital by baritone Roderick
Williams in Huntingdon Hall (2.30pm,
26 July) takes as its theme ‘The Great War
in English Song’, and includes George
Butterworth’s famous setting of Housman’s
A Shropshire Lad, one of the most poignant
tributes ever paid to the thousands of
young men who lost their lives in the
conflict. The first evening concert in the
Cathedral (7.45pm, 26 July) is a
performance of Benjamin Britten’s unique
War Requiem, written to mark the end of the
Second World War and the consecration of
the new Coventry Cathedral, but setting
texts by the First World War poet Wilfred
Owen alongside the Latin Requiem Mass.
The Three Choirs Festival has also
commissioned its own large-scale choral
work to mark
the anniversary.
A Foreign Field by
the German
composer Torsten
Rasch (right) will
be premiered on
the evening of
31 July as part of a
‘Reflections of 1914’
programme, when
the festival chorus
and choristers of all
three cathedrals will
Photo:MauriceFoxall
Opening service of the 2011
Worcester Three Choirs Festival
The Three Choirs
Festival
26 July – 2 August 2014

Music
be joined by singers from the city of
Chemnitz in Germany, which had to be
almost totally rebuilt after its destruction
by Allied bombing in World War II. The text
of A Foreign Field is drawn from a variety
of Latin, English, Austrian and German
sources, including a quotation from a child
survivor of the Chemnitz raids and verses
written by some of the poets who met in
the Gloucestershire village of Dymock just
before the outbreak of WW1.
Among them were Rupert Brooke, whose
‘The Soldier’ perhaps represented the mood
of the time more than any other single
poem, and Edward Thomas, whose parting
from his wife Helen provides the central
dramatic image of Rasch’s piece. This is one
of only two classical music works to have
been included in the official 14-18 NOW
WW1 Centenary Art Commissions, and
its Three Choirs Festival performance is
certain to have great emotional impact.
The 450th anniversary of the birth of
William Shakespeare will also be marked
throughout the festival. Shakespeare’s
Globe will be giving two performances of
its touring production of Much Ado about
Nothing in College Hall (3.30pm, 26 27
July), while later in the week the soprano
Julia Doyle with pianist Steven Devine will
perform a selection of Shakespeare settings
by Purcell, Arne and Blow (Shakespeare in
Song, Huntingdon Hall, 2.30pm, 1 August).
William Walton’s incidental music for
Henry V will be included in the Cathedral
concert with choir and orchestra on 30 July
(7.45pm), conducted by John Wilson, who
has developed a huge reputation in recent
years for his interpretation of film music
and will bring all the drama of the silver
screen to a programme that also includes
Strauss’s Don Juan and the violin concerto
by Erich Korngold.
This is just a taster of more than 63 concerts,
cathedral services, walks, talks, exhibitions
and more that make up the Three Choirs
Festival Worcester 2014. For details of all
the other events look out for the festival
brochure, ring our Ticket Office on
0845 652 1823 or consult our website,
where online booking is also
available at www.3choirs.org
Dymock church
war memorial
King’s Singers
Photo: Benjamin Ealovega
Photo:ClareStevens

June
Until 15 June
Voices and Visions
Cloisters
Saturday 7 June,
1.30pm - 6.15pm
‘Be a Chorister
for an Afternoon’
Open to boys and girls 8-13.
£4 per child. For more
information on 01905 732908
or email: alansheldon@
worcestercathedral.org.uk
Pentecost
Sunday 8 June, 10.30am
10.30am, Cathedral Eucharist
6.30pm, Sung Eucharist with
Baptism and Confirmation
Sunday 8 June, 1pm
Free Lunchtime Recital by
Carlton Male Voice Choir
Retiring collection in aid of
Basil D’Oliveira Foundation
Tuesday 17 June, 1.10 - 1.50pm
Lunchtime Organ Recital
by Simon Taranczuk,
Director of Music,
King’s School, Worcester
Free admission,
retiring collection
Thursday 19 June, 5.30pm
Sung Eucharist for
Corpus Christi
Sat 21 June, 2.30pm
Readers’ Service
Civic Service
Tuesday 24 June,
1.10pm - 1.50pm
by Cameron Luke
Director of Music, All Saints’
Church, Cheltenham
Free admission,
retiring collection
Saturday 28 June, 2pm
Ordination – Priests
Ordination – Deacons
July
Tuesday 1 July, 1.10pm - 1.50pm
by Paul Walton
(Assistant Organist,
Bristol Cathedral)
Free admission,
retiring collection
Saturday 5 July
National Young People’s
Bellringing Competition
Sat 5 July, 1.10pm - 1.50pm
Free Lunchtime Recital by
Worcester Cathedral
Voluntary Choir
Supporting Maggs
Tuesday 8July,1.10pm-1.50pm
By Jonathan Vaughn
(Assistant Organist,
Wells Cathedral)
Free admission,
retiring collection
Saturday12July,1.10pm–1.50pm
Free lunchtime recital
by Voices in Harmony
15 July – 31 August
‘World War One’s most famous
Chaplain: Woodbine Willie’
Dean’s Chapel
26 July - 2 August
To book tickets 0845 652 1823
August
Monday 4 August
Peal to Commemorate the
100th Anniversary of the
start of the First World War
9 - 26 August
‘Worship’
A stunning sculptural installation
by talented award winning
international artist Caro Sweet
ARBS. Including a section of
her charcoal drawings.
Nave
Saturday 9 August, 11am
Service to Commemorate the
100th Anniversary of the Start
of WWI
Tuesday 12 August,
1.10pm - 1.50pm
Free Lunchtime Piano Recital
by Daniel Johnson
Free admission,
retiring collection
Saturday 9 August, 11am
World War One
Commemoration Service
Saturday 16 or 23 August,
9.30am - 4pm
Stone Masons Workshop
£50 per person, per session,
to book call 01905 611427
Events at Worcester Cathedral
Events Guide

Saturday 9 - Saturday 23
August, 12.15pm - 1.15pm
(excluding Sunday)
Library Tour*
£5 per person, to book call
01905 611427. *No disabled access
Saturday 9, 16 23 August,
11am - 12noon 2.45pm-
3.45pm, Monday 11 - Friday
22 August, (excl Wednesday)
2.45pm - 3.45pm
Upper Reaches Tour*
£5 per person, No under 16s
*No disabled access
Saturday 9, Wednesday 13,
Saturday 16, Wednesday 20
and Saturday 23 August,
1.30pm –- 2.30pm
WWI: Worcester Cathedral
Connections
£5 per person,
Monday 11 – Friday 22 August,
11am - 12noon
(excluding Saturday/Sunday)
Stone Masons Tour
£5 per person,
Tuesday 12 August,
1.10pm - 1.50pm
Lunchtime Recital by
Daniel Johnson, Pianist
Free admission,
retiring collection
Tuesday 12
Tuesday 19 August,
1.30pm - 2.30pm
Garden Tours
£5 per person,
to book 01905 611427
Thursday 14 August,
6.30pm - 8pm
A talk on creating stunning
Sculpture by award-winning
international artist
Caro Sweet ARBS
£10 per person to including
a welcome drink, to book
call 01905 611427
Tuesday 12, Thursday 14
Tuesday 21 August,
10.30am - 12noon
2pm - 3.30pm
Bold as Brass (Brass rubbing)
Something different for
young people
Free - donations invited
Saturday 16 August,
2pm - 4pm
The World of Make up Special FX
by special effects technician
Steve Chambers
£10 per person.
Adults accompanying a child
£5 per person, to book call
01905 611427
Sunday 17 August,
12noon - 3pm
Teddy Bears Picnic
College Green
Tuesday 12, Thursday 14
Tuesday 29 August, 10am -
11.30am including a tour
Learning to ring bells.
No under 10s.
£15 per person,
Regular Events
Monday - Saturday,
11.00am 2.30pm
Turn up for a Tour
£4 per person
Monday - Saturday,
11am - last entry 4.30pm
Tower Open
£4 per adult, £2 per child,
£8 per family)
Monday – Saturday,
10am - 4pm,
Sunday 12noon - 4pm
Safari Back Pack
Self-guided tours around
the Cathedral for children
£5 + £5 deposit
(with some items to keep)
Scan this code on your smartphone
or tablet to access the latest events
diary on the Worcester Cathedral
website
Disclaimer Care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the diary at the time of publishing, however, changes may be made
at a later date. Please check with the Chapter Office for the latest details or visit our website at www.worcestercathedral.co.uk
Background image: Rob Pointin, Worcester Cathedral Interior
Events Guide

The Pilgrim Returns
On 7th April, Guild of
Benefactors members and project
sponsors were invited to the
official launch of the Telling the
Story project. This exciting
initiative, developed in
association with the University of
York, provides a number of new
ways to explore the Cathedral,
through mobile phone and tablet
apps, and a number of interactive
touchscreens situated around the
Cathedral floor.
The apps offer both heritage and
pilgrim trails, allowing the visitor
to engage with the Christian
story of the building as well as its
history, architecture and music.
The launch event also gave a first
opportunity to see the new display
case for the artefacts of the
Worcester Pilgrim. The remains
of the Pilgrim, thought to be 15th
century Worcester dyer Robert
Sutton, were first unearthed
during building works in 1986
and now re-conserved and back
on display after a short absence.
The cockle-shell, an emblem of St
James, found with his body, indicates
that he may have been on a pilgrimage
to Santiago de Compostela, the most
significant spiritual destination in
medieval Europe (and increasingly
popular once again nowadays). BBC
Midlands Today featured the return
of the Worcester Pilgrim artefacts in
a report by journalist Cath Mackie.
Pilgrims Quest
History Learning
The new Worcester Pilgrim display and one of the interactive touchscreens,
now on the Cathedral floor
This youngster chose to kneel in
complete isolation, lost in thought -
or prayer - by the resting place
of our Worcester Pilgrim
Over 500 children joined in two
days of learning and experiencing
pilgrimage for themselves. The
whole day is planned to be
a spiritual exercise in the nature
of Pilgrimage. After journeying
around the cathedral,
participating in activities which
look at life’s decisions, or creative
prayer, or the saints and their
stories, and making a pilgrims
token in a mega craft experience,
the children are encouraged to
separate from others and be
alone in the great expanse of the
cathedral as a metaphor for life.
Then to find a place where they
can stop and reflect before
responding to the call of song,
the Pilgrim’s Song, - Brother,
Sister, let me serve you, let me
be as Christ to you.

Events
DiscoverSomethingDifferent
Discover Something Different here at Worcester Cathedral between
Saturday 9th and Saturday 23rd August 2014, by taking part in our tours,
talks and workshops. The event is kindly sponsored by the Friends and
will be part of the Worcester festival.
New this year is a WWI related tour, an evening talk on sculpture by local
artist Caro Sweet, brass rubbing led by our Education department, and a
World of Makeup Special FX workshop where you can learn about the
special makeup effects and prosthetics on film and TV productions.
By popular request we will have two
Stonemasonry workshops, run by our Head
Stonemason Darren Steele, and three Learning
to Bell Ring introductory workshops led by
our Ringing Master Mark Regan. Places for
these were quickly sold out last year, so book
early to avoid disappointment.
Following on from feedback after last year we
have attempted to ensure that tours do not
overlap with each other where possible, so
visitors can go on more than one tour. Tickets
will soon be available from the Worcester Live
box office on 01905 611427.
Our 235-step, 170ft Cathedral
tower is now open to the public
for the Summer every Saturday,
on Bank Holidays, and daily
during the school summer holiday,
weather permitting.
You can enjoy an unparalleled view
of Worcester and its surrounding
area for an admission price of £4
for adults, £2 for children, or £8 for
a family ticket. The tower is open
11am - 5pm, last entry at 4.30pm.
CathedralArts
The Cathedral Arts
Exhibitions Committee
recently visited the
Bransford studio of local
artist Caro Sweet ARBS,
and we will be exhibiting
her sculpture ‘Worship’
from 12th to 26th August.
It was wonderful to see
where she creates her
stunning work and runs
sculpture courses. She will
also display some charcoal
sketches at the west end of
the Nave, to show how her
work is planned.
When ‘Worship’ is installed it will take two of our
Service Team to help move the sculpture into position
and Caro is building a special wooden plinth to cover
the long metal arms that will stablise the piece when it
is in place. We look forward to seeing it framed by the
sun shining through great west doors in one direction
and the stunning arches of the East end in the other.
To complement the exhibition, Caro will give a ticketed
evening talk after Evensong on Thursday 14th August,
when those attending can meet her over a drink and
hear her speak about her work and the fascinating
processes she goes through to achieve such excellence.
Tickets will be available from Worcester Live box office
and will cost £10.
The Cathedral Arts Exhibitions Committee oversees a
varied programme of exhibitions that are generally
held in the Deans chapel. They usually last between
two and four weeks and are free to view.
TowerOpen!
Caro Sweet at work

Friends implement a new
IT system while enjoying a
busy events programme
Monty Don’s
Real Crafts
Friends
New Database
System
It may not sound
like a riveting
topic but members
should be pleased
to hear about the
new IT based
system which is
being introduced to help
the Friends manage
communication with its
members more effectively.
The database is part of a
Cathedral-wide system which
is also being used for other
groups in the Cathedral
community, providing
similar benefits. This is a
database which will allow
information about members
(e.g. address, phone number,
subscription, date of joining,
etc.) to be held in a form
which makes communication
much easier, more immediate
and less expensive than post,
whilst also remaining secure.
The database will also allow
the easy management of
subscriptions, whether they
are paid online, by standing
order or by cheque. Another
particular benefit is the ease
with which organisation of
social and cultural events can
be managed, including
booking and ticketing.
Similarly, the
management of
campaigns to
promote the
Friends and
attract new
members will be
much easier.
Could Friends
please let Clare Stokes, the
administrator, have updated
information about
themselves, especially email
addresses, to get maximum
benefit from this change.
Email: clairestokes@
worcestercathedral.org.uk
or telephone: 01905 732920.
Social and Cultural Events
Over the last few months
there has been an entertaining
and informative talk on
antiques from Gabrielle
Bullock (a member of the
Friends), an equally
interesting talk on Vesta Tilley
organised jointly with the
Friends of the Museums and
a visit to Winterbourne
House and Gardens in
Birmingham. The summer
continues with further events,
including a church crawl with
Tim Bridges, a visit to Brecon
Cathedral and a Three Choirs
recital organised by the
Friends. So plenty to look
forward to and enjoy!
Monty Don’s Real Crafts has been
a delightful 6 part TV series at
9pm on a Monday night during
April and May on More 4. In the
series, the much-loved TV
gardener gives the opportunity
to gifted amateurs to train under
some of the country’s master
craftspeople, such as blacksmiths,
furniture makers, stonemasons,
glass blowers, potters and
weavers. Those involved have
the chance to win a commission.
We were pleased to be
approached by More 4 who
asked to film here for their
stonemasonry challenge. Our
Head Stonemason, Darren Steele,
set the amateurs the task of each
extracting a piece of masonry
that was in need of repair and
carving the replacement. It was
fascinating for Cathedral staff to
be involved in the filming
process, and to see the outcome
of the contestants’ efforts when
the programme was televised –
we hope the viewers enjoyed
an insight into the work of our
stonemasons too.
If you haven’t seen the
programme you are able to catch
up on line with the series online
http://www.channel4.com/
programmes/monty-dons-real-
craft/4od

Last summer the Cathedral’s young bellringers
competed with teams from all over the UK who
entered the Ringing World’s youth contest which
was held in York. We were a creditable fourth out
of the 16 teams on the day! Seven of our team were
taught to ring at our Teaching Centre
On Saturday 5 July 2014 the Cathedral’s Bellringers
will be hosting the contest as well as entering a team
of young ringers. We are expecting over 250 young
bellringers and their families to visit Worcester and
the Cathedral will be the hub of the day’s activities.
The contest will take place at Old St Martin in the
Cornmarket between 1000 and 1600.
Ringing workshops will
take place all day at St
John’s in Bedwardine,
St Swithun’s, St Stephen’s
Barbourne, All Saints and
the Cathedral where a
team will be ringing for
Choral Evensong. The
results will be announced
in College Hall at 1745
followed by a barbeque on College Green.
Teams from Bedfordshire, Birmingham,
Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Gloucester,
Hertfordshire, the Isle of Wight, Oxford,
Staffordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Sussex, Yorkshire
and Worcester Cathedral will be competing for
the Whitechapel Trophy.
Nigel Herriott, Chairman of the Ringing World,
said: ‘I am delighted that the Ringing World National
Youth Contest is being held in Worcester this year. It
brings together the Contest, the premier national event
for bellringers of school age, with the leading Teaching
Centre for bellringing in the country at Worcester.
There will be 16 teams with a total of nearly 150 young
people who are all looking forward to the contest at Old
St. Martin’s and to ringing at the other churches in
Worcester. It promises to be a wonderful event and one
of the highlights of the bellringers’ calendar.’
There’s no doubt the
cathedral is one of the best
buildings in which to give
live performances, but when
Worcester Cathedral Chamber
Choir turns it into a recording
studio, the combination is
truly a match made in heaven.
In recent years the choir has built on its reputation as
a recording artist through a clutch of critically
acclaimed CDs. The latest, The Guest, featuring the
music of English born Australian composer Paul
Paviour, including a track written especially for the
choir, was released in February and has already
garnered praise from the music press. ‘There is an
attractive vigour to Paviour’s choral music,’ said Choir
and Organ Magazine ‘The singing of the Worcester
Cathedral Chamber Choir is engagingly expressive...
Here is consistently inviting music well worth exploring.’
The composer described himself as ‘euphoric’
after his first hearing of the CD and has since
reported that it is brewing up even more delight
Down Under.
Hodie - Advent to Christmas Day, the Choir’s first CD
on the Regent label, was ‘warmly recommended’ by
top American magazine FANFARE as ‘a winning
entry’ and received highly favourable reviews in the
Gramophone and BBC Music magazine. For Rise
Heart, featuring works by Vaughan Williams, Elgar,
Parry and Stanford, David Mellor told his Classic
FM listeners: ‘If you want to hear good choral singing
then listen to this!’ BBC Radio 3 also featured Parry’s
Hear My Words from the CD on its composer of the
week.
All the choir’s CDs are available to buy at the
Cathedral shop and online at
www.worcestercathedralchamberchoir.co.uk
Guilds and Societies
Bellringers News
Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir
Nigel Herriott

Fundraising
Edgar Tower is one of the most
under-estimated parts of the
Cathedral precinct, yet it is a
vital part of the life and
heritage of the place, and has a
fascinating history. Director of
Fundraising Nick Drew
explains why we need to do
urgent work to keep it open.
The gateway we now know as
Edgar Tower – the main
entrance to the south side of
the Cathedral precinct – has
been variously called ‘St
Mary’s Gate’ and ‘the Great
Gate’ over the years, but was
first called Edgar Tower in the
18th century, after Edgar, King
of England 959-975AD, in
whose reign it was thought to
have been originally erected.
The first stone gatehouse there
was reputedly commissioned by
King John in 1204. The current
gateway was built in 1346-7 at a
cost of £47 18s 11d – equivalent
to £25,000 in today’s money,
which to my mind constitutes
a ‘bargain’.
According to research by our
Cathedral Library Assistant
Deirdre McKeown, it has served
many purposes over the years
– a bulwark against unruly
mobs, a prison, a schoolroom
(up to the present day) and an
office and home for various
monastery and Cathedral
functionaries, including the
monastery ‘janitor’ or door-
keeper, and our current
Cathedral Steward.
It has a portcullis groove, and
‘murder holes’ through which
all manner of unpleasant
substances could be poured to
defend the Cathedral! During
the Civil War, a small brass
cannon is supposed to have
been stationed on its roof.
Edgar Tower is a vital part of
the Cathedral’s
life today. It is the main
entrance for pedestrians and
vehicles to the south side of
the Cathedral, a vital access
point for supplies to the
Masons’ Yard and the Service
Team, and a route onto the
site for many of our visitors,
volunteers and staff.
However, in recent years,
the Tower’s exterior
stonework has deteriorated
to such an extent that urgent
work is needed to repair it,
otherwise the gateway may
need to be closed.
From this Autumn, our
stonemasons will be
concentrating on repairs to
the Tower, in a project which
will cost £300,000 over two
years. We have received a
grant of £69,500 from the
Cathedrals Fabric
Commission for England,
as well as a number of other
smaller grants, but this still
leaves us some way short of
the total we need.
How can you help?
l By making an individual donation using the form at the back
of this Newsletter, marking it for the ‘Edgar Tower Fund’
(please also write this on the back of any cheques).
l By joining Worcester Cathedral’s Guild of Benefactors –
please contact the Director of Fundraising to find out more.
Early drawing
of Edgar Tower
Tower Tales

Cathedral in the Community
Maggs Day Centre was set up some twenty years ago, following
the death of John Maggs, who was homeless and sleeping rough.
It was set up in order to help those who were in need of support
whilst sleeping rough themselves and to offer help to others in need.
Maggs provides support for people in the city of Worcester and
surrounding areas, who are homeless, in personal material or
emotional needs, socially isolated or at the risk of becoming
homeless. In the last twelve months Maggs has looked after over
500 people in the Day Centre alone. In addition help is given to
those who are in process of setting up home for the first time and
Maggs offers a variety of Drop-in Centres for advice on money
management, legal advice, medical advice and prevention of
becoming homeless.
In the Activity Centre skills training is offered to help people
manage their lives and maximise potential through learning skills
in Cookery, Arts and Crafts, Financial Management and Basic
Computer Skills. With the help of generous donations by the public
the Maggs Clothing Project provides ‘free of charge’ clothing and
basic household items and starter packs for those setting up home
for the first time.
Two years ago it was suggested that the Cathedral could take part
in the help that Maggs was providing and from a meeting held in
April 2012 the Worcester Cathedral: Maggs Partnership was
established and a Managing committee formed. Since this time the
Cathedral Community and the public have supported the
Partnership to help the homeless through the Maggs organisation
by the provision of regular supplies of food, toiletries, clothing and
household items.
To date we have supplied, in those two years, something in excess
of two and a half tonnes of clothing supplies, and further weekly
supplies of food items to the Day Centre. In addition through
fundraising from concerts and table top sales over £4000 has been
provided to help with the budget and also provide equipment,
including a film projector and screen which enables the Maggs
clients to have a cinema film show every week.
The collection point in St John’s Chapel is there to receive further
clothing and food donations and three more concerts are being
planned over the next twelve months.
L A Davies
Chairman of the Worcester Cathedral:
Maggs Partnership Committee
Buy online at
the Cathedral
Shop
For those from far afield
planning a visit to the cathedral
it’s possible to stock up on
guidebooks, DVDs and CDs of
the cathedral choir including
their latest album Now Let us Sing
and also the newly released
recording of the Dean’s
marathon poetry reading last
summer.
Also available is a selection of
books of local interest, e.g.
Woodbine Willy (of particular
relevance in this first world war
anniversary year) and other titles
on Christian and historical
subjects.
For those within the diocese a
comprehensive range of church
stationery and other supplies can
also be ordered at the click of a
mouse. The shop carries a range
of candles of all sizes for every
Christian occasion although
these are not currently available
online. We are however happy to
take orders by phone or email
(tel: 01905 732924; email:
jamespertwee
@worcestercathedral.org.uk).
It’s certainly worth checking the
online shop regularly as new
items, particularly books and
CDs, are constantly being added
to the range.
Worcester Cathedral:
Maggs Partnership
www.maggsdaycentre.co.uk

WWI Anniversary
Leopold Lojka was driving a car
in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, and
took a wrong turn off the Appel
Quay. It was a tragic mistake:
he was driving the heir to the
Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz
Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie,
and while he was reversing,
Gavrilo Princip, nearby, had the
opportunity to approach the
vehicle and assassinate the two
passengers - setting off a train
of events that culminated in
Britain’s declaration of war on
Germany on 4 August.
The people of Britain did not
expect the war to last for long.
That was another tragic mistake,
for they had very little idea that
they were entering into
industrialised warfare such
that would constitute one of
the greatest tragedies of the
twentieth century.
The concept of ‘tragedy’ - an
undesirable calamity - is impor-
tant, because it points to the truth
that there are some things that
may be unwanted or unwilled not
only by us, but even by God.
To say that God can bring bad out
of good (Romans 8.28) is not to say
that God wills what’s bad in the
first place. The power of God may
consist not so much in the ability to
direct and control all things in
whatever way God so chooses, as
the infinite ability to repair, even into
the next world, what goes wrong.
Our hope and trust, as we live with
personal tragedy, and remember
the tragedies of a century ago, is in
a God who, as W. H. Vanstone once
put it, ‘will find yet new resource
to restore and to redeem’.
Chapter Verse
Revd Canon Dr Michael Brierley
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
start of WWI we will have a number of events at
the Cathedral this summer. WWI themed
concerts and poetry are part of the Three Choirs
Festival as well as a talk by Canon Paul Tongue
about WWI’s famous chaplain, local vicar Revd
Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy. The fascinating
‘Woodbine Willie’ exhibition about him will be
on display in the Deans Chapel.
On 9th August the City Service here will be one
of penitence and peace, to which all are warmly
invited and welcome, this will follow the
Cathedral bells being rung to mark the occasion.
Through research into WWI we have created a
new tour that highlights some of the stories of
people who had connections with the Cathedral
during the Great War. The tour touches on the
lives of the cathedral clergy and their family
members who served in WWI with different
outcomes. In addition to this our new interactive
touch screens in the cathedral are being updated
with information on WWI themes to be reflected
upon. A new mobile app trail will also help
people remember the past and look to the future.
WWI Commemoration Events
Above, Canon Wilson,
his wife and four sons
all of whom served in
World War I.
Left, Memorial in the Cloisters
to Hugh Stanley Wilson

I would like to make a regular gift of £ monthly quarterly _ annually
Starting on (day) (month) (year) until further notice
Payment method: Standing Order* Cheque
You can also donate online by visiting: www.justgiving.com/worcestercathedral
*The Cathedral will send a standing order form for your full details
Gift Form
We are custodians of a very precious heritage. It costs £3500 every day to keep the Cathedral
open, free-of-charge, to worshippers, visitors and pilgrims alike. We also have many exciting plans
for the future which will help us to sustain the work of the Cathedral for many years to come.
We receive no support from the state, so we depend on a generous community of donors to allow
this ministry to continue. Will you help us?
To make a single or a regular donation, please complete the form below and return to:
The Director of Fundraising, FREEPOST RTGU-SSHG-JALA, 8 College Yard, Worcester WR1 2LA
Gift Aid Declaration
If you are a UK taxpayer, we can reclaim 25p tax relief on every £1
you donate, at no cost to you. Please sign and date below if you are
happy for us to do this on your behalf.
YES, I would like Worcester Cathedral to treat this and all subsequent donations as Gift Aid donations.
I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year
(6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur
Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other
taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify.
Signed: Date:
I would like to make a one-off gift of: £5

£10 £25 £50 other £
Please make cheques payable to ‘Worcester Cathedral’
Signed: Date:
Title: First Name: Surname:
Address:
Postcode:
Email:
Tel No: Date of Birth (optional):

Information Form
If you would like to hear more about Worcester Cathedral, please tell us more about yourself
so that we can keep you informed of events which match your interests.
I am interested in hearing more about the following aspects of the Cathedral
(please tick all that apply):
I would like more information on volunteering in the Cathedral
(becoming a tour guide, welcoming visitors etc.)
I would like to hear about spiritual events in the Cathedral, e.g. the Lent Lectures
Please return this form to:
The Director of Fundraising, FREEPOST RTGU-SSHG-JALA, 8 College Yard, Worcester WR1 2LA
Worcester Cathedral will manage all of your personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
Please contact us if you would like further information.
My other interests include:
Conserving the Cathedral Education
Cathedral building Library Programme
Cathedral music Stained The Cathedral
and organs glass gardens
The Friends of Worcester Cathedral The work of the
Worcester Cathedral Guild of Bellringers stonemasons
Drama performances Art exhibitions Dance
Opera Classical music Jazz
Contemporary music Literature History
Handicrafts Gardening Politics and current affairs
DIY Cars and motoring Cycling
Walking / rambling Exercise Boats / watersports
Team sports Fashion Computers
Other(please specify)
Title: First Name: Surname:
Address:
Postcode:
Email:
Tel No: Date of Birth (optional):

Worcester Cathedral Newsletter, Summer 2014

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