Events and Reports:
2008 DATES:
Jan 17 +Bob evening A good evening of teaching, interviews and worship
Jan 20 Kilmington workshop & worship
[Transforming Worship - Issues for Mission Communities - a good afternoon and evening helping people explore some fresh approaches in music and other ways to express worship with a consciousness about mission... ]
Jan 23 Cullompton Deanery presentation
Jan 24 Cathedral Music Policy mtg
Feb 2 Small is beautiful MWF workshop Northampton
[A very good Saturday workshop day for Music and Worship Foundation - people came from as far afield as Manchester and there were some really appreciative comments after.]
Feb 9 RSCM/MWF Somerset event Weston Super Mare 'Singing the Lord's song in a strange land'
A very good day which resulted in some appreciative comments afterwards. About 70 people came. Weston S-M wasn't the strange land the title implied! It was looking its best on a beautiful, fresh sunny day.
Feb 11 Keynote Meeting
The trustees are encouraged by the diversity of activities that Andrew is involved in through the Trust. A new leaflet is being designed and there was concern about a decline in the giving base and discussion as to how this could be broadened to enable to work to continue developing.
Feb 22 Jazz feature in Nightchurch including Paul & Felicity Maries
This was such a good evening in an exciting and cutting edge project. The musicians were the same who accompanied the Jazz Eucharist in the cathedral back in October after the Diocesan Music Day. This time they did a 1 hour set within Nightchurch featuring Andrew's daughter Felicity as the vocalist. This was followed by a short act of worship which reflected on the values of jazz in improvisation, flexibility, listening to the other, getting in the groove and how it links to Christian spirituality. An interesting mix of people made up the audience and showed how different musics can attract different people groups. It is hoped to arrange another jazz set in about 3 months. {Nightchurch happens most every Friday in Exeter cathedral from 8 - 11pm. Check out the website: http://www.nightchurch.org.uk/
Feb 23 Torbay Area Diocesan Conference
Feb 26 +Bob eve for Cullompton Deanery
Feb 29-Mar2 Lee Abbey North Devon - Musicians' Retreat - Andrew & Peter Gunstone
It's always good to work with Peter as we are very much on the same wavelength. It was a stimulating and encouraging time and focussed on 'journey' as a theme. This involved using a multisensory exercise from Grace in Ealing see http://www.freshworship.org/node/419 at one point, along with an exploration of various Psalm settings as representing the range of emotions and experienced encountered, and composing your own personal psalm.
Mar 16 Playing in St.Matthew Passion Plymouth Guildhall
Mar 19 Chrism service Devonport with Bishop of Plymouth
Mar 21 Nightchurch Good Friday meditation
Mar 22 Easter Vigil Service Exeter Cathedral
A great service with audio visual presentation, Easter Fire, baptisms, confirmations and a mix of traditional and contemporary music with choir, woodwind ensemble and organ.
Mar 23 Easter Service St.Andrew's Cullompton
A very satisfying and moving celebration with a good musical blend and some quality musicians.
Mar 31-Apr3 Brunel Manor Torbay - leading worship for leaders' church growth conference
An excellent conference for clergy in Exeter Diocese headed up by Robin Gamble Manchester Diocesan Missioner & Janet Russell Oxford Diocese. Very encouraging and motivational and a good spirit amongst the 70 or so who attended
Apr 7 My wife Alicia returned from 4 weeks helping in the operating theatres of the African Mercy ship docked in Monrovia, Liberia.
She had a very interesting and challenging time and came back encouraged.
Apr 18
A very positive four days in the Norwich Diocese starting with a meeting fixing the music and liturgy of their clergy conference in June (for which I am MD), then a day for clergy and music and worship leaders on 'Refreshing Worship' related to my 'Mission-shaped' worship theme on the Friday, which one of the suffracan bishops attended which was very encouraging. On Saturday I did x2 half days on music and worship for smaller situations entitled 'Refreshing the Song' which were well received and then a final visit to a parish on Sunday morning in Fakenham. Here a good number of the robed choir and others stayed on for a succinct music workshop which I think stimulated their ideas and introduced some fresh repertoire. We are currently fixing a date for a Diocesan Music Day in Norwich cathedral for the end of April/early May 09 based on our Exeter model.
Apr 19 'Refreshing the Song' 1/2 days: 9.30-12.30 Swaffham CE Junior School; 2.30-5.30 St.Lawrence's Brundall Norwich
Apr 20 Fakenham Parish Church Norfolk morning service followed by workshop
Apr 26 Cornwall Methodist Synod Penzance
This presentation on Music and Worship I called 'Singing the Lord's song in a strange land' and came in the first part of their day. It went very well from my point of view with a good rapport with the 150 audience. I felt comfortable with the material and was able to speak largely without notes. I started with a good joke and then a story about cultural change and then I got everyone singing unaccompanied with some harmony which people enjoyed. Quite a number of people expressed appreciation afterwards and there was some interest in follow-up visits.
Chris Blake the outgoing superintendent wrote: 'The ideas you presented about the variety and style of worship music that could be used in a service was fascinating and gave people many insights into possibilities they may never have considered as to how the church can reach people through the variety of music. I have received more positive comments about your session than about any other similar input session during my seven years of leading our District Synods.'
May 10 Dolton N.Devon Workshop day
A really good day in a small rural
community. One of the participants commented afterwards: 'It was a real
privilege for
May 11 Exeter Diocese Open Air Pentecost Celebration
The squeeze box came in useful again and I led the 'Water Dance' - a Hebrew dance - in front of the cathedral. We used to do a number of dances outside St.Michael's York on the open pavement opposite the Minster back in the late 70's! It was great for attracting the tourists and a communal activity.
May 14 Devon County Show service 6.30pm
May 16 Classical music set in Nightchurch 9 - 10pm playing oboe with friends on cello and piano.
Nightchurch happens most Friday evenings in Exeter Cathedral from 8 - 11pm and is a great interface between 'church' and the public. Every so often music and other features are put on as part of the evening. June 20 with be a second jazz set with the same musicians and this was excellent the first time. View poster here
May 18 MD for Live Radio 4 Sunday worship (8.10am) with Bishop of Exeter on 'faith, farming and food'.
Quite demanding in the run up getting a choir together but they all sang really well and the woodwind arrangements I did added a nice touch to the sound. People really enjoyed the experience including the BBC staff so perhaps there will be another opportunity some time.
May 24 Corpus Christi communion service Exeter Cathedral 11.30am
June 7 Methodist Music Soc. Barry
June 15 Witheridge Celtic Worship evening
June 17 Mother's Union Service Matford Exeter
June 20 Nightchurch Exeter Cathedral - Jazz Set featured within the evening from 9 - 10pm followed by worship.
This was a great evening, but not as well supported as last time. Must do better publicity and networking.
The weather didn't help - it was a cold and grey evening.
June 30-3
A very good conference with a choir of 40 clergy and instrumentalists. The musical choice blended well and was widely appreciated. The Bishop of Lynne wrote: 'Thank you for your huge contribution to the conference...your ability to draw together a somewhat random group of instrumentalists and singers and enable them to produce music together was tremendous.' Liturgical Committee Chairman: 'a big thankyou to you for your inspiring musical ministry at our conference. It was a great thrill to work with you and I am so grateful for all you brought to animate our worship'
July 18-20 NNPM RC conference Worth Abbey Sussex
Another wonderful w/e with my Catholic friends at which I gave one of 3 key talks on 'music and the mission of the church' following John Bell and Michael Joncas. There was a lovely spirit amongst the participants. I shared about the importance of music in contemporary mission initiatives because of its pervasive influence in today's society, and gave some examples of reaching out to the wider community through different styles of music, and how those styles will relate to different people groups and sub-cultures...
July 29 Norwich Planning mtg for the Music Day in Norwich Cathedral next April 25th
Aug 22-25 Greenbelt Festival - playing in Taize worship - anyone going???
Sep 11-13 Worship Symposium London Inst. Theology
Sep 15 Consultation on evangelical worship Ridley Hall Cambridge sponsored by Liturgical Commission
- invited but double-booked
Sep 15-18
Sep 20 Southwell Minster Diocesan Music Day nr.Nottingham. For more info try this link: nick@southwell.anglican.org
For brochure try here
Have been helping to organise the programme. Geraldine Latty and Peter Moger are amongst other leaders with myself.
2009
Jan 24 Worship and Music w/e Whitstable with +Graham Cray
April 25 Music Day Norwich cathedral
Oct 10 Exeter Diocesan Music Day
Oct 24 Guildford Diocesan Music Day