St Peter's Review

Welcome to the Spring 2008 St Peter's Review - the on-line version of our Magazine. We are interested in your feedback. Please send us an e/mail. Contents this month * St Peter's folk let their hair down for Burns' night * Fr Peter writes on the nature of God * A letter from a former server... * News from Vilma in Jamaica * David C gets banged up * Someone else is Caught by the Holy Water Stoop! * St Peter's and the church times - or why the Review editor needs to watch his Ps and Qs * Madalyn tells us about an old friend * A farewell to David Cresswell * And of course... News from the Pews / Dates for your diary

Gie her a Haggis!

On Saturday 1st February, St Peter’s folk flung the mallow fling to the accompaniment of bag pipes, cock-a-leekie soup, haggis with neeps and tatties and Mrs Thompson’s shortbread and of course, the odd drop of whisky!

Yes you’ve got it – it was the return of the Burn’s Night celebrations. Sheila Launchbury organised a spectacular evening and on this occasion personally addressed the haggis.

A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, author of many poems including Auld Lang Syne and Tam O‘Shanter. The first Burns’ Night suppers were held at the end of the 18th Century by the friends of Robert Burns’ on the anniversary of his death on July 21st. More latterly the date has changed to his birth date, January 25th. But, in fact Burns’ Suppers are held throughout the year as social gatherings these days.

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To address the Haggis, Sheila read the traditional Burns’ poem, printed on page 3. As tradition dictates, at the line His knife see rustic Labour dicht, she cleaned her knife and at the line An' cut you up wi' ready slicht, she plunged it into the haggis and cut it open from end to end. After the meal, the revellers enjoyed the traditional Scottish Country dancing and were entertained by songs from the choir and traditional Scots songs for all to sing. The choir, organised the event to raise money to purchase music and robes. The choir team were led by Nichy Harland and Catherine Chapman with much support from all for peeling the neeps and tatties, cooking short bread to Mrs Thompson’s recipe and preparing the crypt for the event. The event raised £850 for choir funds.

A God, merciful and gracious

by Fr. Peter

Who is God? This question is whispered in the heart of a teenager faced by the lure of sin. It echoes the memory of a married couple whose relationship has become one of uneasy truce. It is pondered by the single mother as she wonders how she will be able to feed and clothe and support her two small children; by the politician confronted with the challenge of governing with justice and honesty. The question persists, even for those who might never put it into words:

Who is God? Is everything we’ve heard about God really true? What is God’s nature? Is God really love? And if he is, what is love anyway? Can God really liberate us from confusion and sin? Does God really forgive… …everything? It is a troubling question for few of us are philosophers and theologians, and so we don’t often put the question so directly. Nevertheless, it remains at the back of our minds and occasionally bubbles up to confront us. Is there a solid stable foundation for my life? Can I trust anything completely? Who is God? What moves him? If we could get to the bottom of these questions, we suspect, the answers to many of the problems that plague us would be a whole lot clearer. No wonder answers seem so elusive to us: God is not just a superhuman being. He is altogether different from us: eternal, glorious, completely perfect. God’s love is more than human love multiplied a thousand times; his justice is not just a perfect vision of human judicial systems. It is as the prophet proclaimed:

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55: 8-9) There is a great distinction between the uncreated and the created.

Fortunately, God has not hidden himself from us. In fact, God so wants his people to know him that he sent his Son to be one of us, to walk among us and reveal himself to us. In Jesus, we see the perfection of God in a clear and tangible way. Each year during the season of Lent, the church places before us this great revelation of God in Christ and calls us to find life in him. During this Lent, we should use the opportunity to explore the question of God, searching the scriptures to learn about the attributes and perfection of the author and sustainer of all creation. We should consider the three central attributes of God: his love, his wisdom, and his faithfulness.

Thank you to a link in the chain

The following letter was sent recently to Fr Peter by a former server at St Peter’s. He is now retired and living in Lincolnshire. He very kindly gave permission for his letter to be published in the review. Dear Fr. Andrews, Re; your recent advert in the Church Times for an Organist and Director of Music – I am NOT applying, but the advert has triggered a different response. In the summer of 1942 I was a 6th former at Dulwich College. Living in Dulwich Village I worshipped at the College Chapel. Two friends at school (Ian Imrie and Lyndon Van der Pump) (a retired NSM in the Diocese of London) said “Come to our church next Sunday; it’s the Patronal Festival and we are both servers”. (I did not know what they meant!) I went – I became a server, but soon joined the army for five years. The vicar was Fr. Gould. For the five years in the army, I and other serving members of the congregation received the monthly newsletter (I realised later what a chore that must have been). In 1947 I was passed by ACCM (then called ACTM), I went to King’s College, London, AKC 1954. I became a deacon in 1954, a priest in 1952 in Leicester (for a South Londoner, Leicester was in the North!), and I retired in 1988. I am now, at 84, living in a Lincolnshire Village near our youngest daughter. I look back at a long chain of events, which led me to where I am. One of the links in the chain is St Peter’s, Leigham Court Road – and I want to say to St Peter’s, “Thank you for being that link.” I can remember when the church suffered bomb damage and worship was in the crypt. Also, I think the vicarage was at 10 Valley Road. Enough of my poor writing, but as a small child I was always taught to say “Thank you”. Every blessing on you and your ministry, and on St. Peter’s. Sincere wishes, John Bowers We must thank Canon Bowers for this lovely letter which tells us so much about the life at St Peter’s at that time. And of course, we can confirm that worship was indeed conducted in the crypt during the second world war years after the bomb damage in 1944. Rather coincidentally, Fr Lyndon Van der Pump is on the non-stipendiary staff of St Mary Woolnorth, where Fr Andrew Walker, former vicar of St Peter’s is the Rector. Below: A photograph from 1944 showing the damage to the turret and church caused by a flying bomb that landed on the other side of Leigham Court Road on Sunday 1st August that year.

A brief update from Vilma...

Dear David

I had intended by now to send some more information about my time in Jamaica, but will have to do so later. I have been busy running parenting groups for parents in the community and caregivers of the project. I have also been doing self esteem work with some of the children.

The problems for parents in Jamaica is similar to those in the UK, only that poverty is much deeper here. But I am so impressed with the parents here - how they have embraced the concept - and have real stories to tell of the changes they have made and can see in their children’s behaviour.

The managers of Mustard Seed would like me to run the programme for all their caregivers. Both Mustard Seed, and I, will have to do some more thinking and praying about this.

The Prime Minister of JA will be visiting the project tomorrow. I am hoping to meet him. Please pass my love to all at St Peter's and I hope to see you all soon.

Love Vilma

Vilma Maduro – a very longstanding member of our congregation – is working at the Mustard Seed community for disadvantaged children in Jamaica – we hope that we may get a story about her meeting with the Prime Minister of JA!

When David went to prison...

by David Chapman

I play trumpet with the Beckenham Concert Band. For its Christmas charity event this year, the band decided to take up an invitation to play in HMP Bronzefield in Middlesex. The prison is a women’s prison, opened in 2004. The prisoners are either on remand or awaiting transfer to other prisons following their conviction or sentence.

We took a coach from Beckenham to the prison, and the first surprise was to find that it was so close to the town of Ashford – surrounded by housing. My mental image was of a compound isolated by fields.

One might expect that the security to get out of a prison would be very high, but in fact the security to get in is much greater, since all of our instrument cases needed to be individually hand searched and the members of the band subjected to body searches. Photographs were taken of each of us and verified against the id information that we had bought with us. We all managed to get in, but without exception we had the valve oil and Vaseline/grease used to lubricate our instruments confiscated during the visit.

Processing this many people and all of our instruments and then passing through the airlock style door system took a good 40 minutes. Once inside, we were escorted gradually, into the inner sanctum of the prison. As we went into each corridor, hall or courtyard, the doors behind us were carefully locked before the door ahead was opened. The doors were labelled with a reminder to the warders: “This door must be locked and proved”.

We were warned by one cheeky warder that if we lost our individually numbered and assigned passes we wouldn’t be let out. Christmas was only three days away, so it was worth heeding this advice!

The prison is modern in design. All of the buildings have high windowless walls. The external courtyards were like exercise playgrounds – the kind that you might see in Escape from Alcatraz or other movies of this genre. All of the courtyards were surrounded by high wire.

It was a surprise on entering the main prison block to discover that it was light and airy, even colourful - and very clean. There was not a hint of an institutional disinfectant smell. For a municipal building with such an austere purpose – it had been very well designed. The main atrium area gave a feeling of space, with clean lines and modern steel stairways leading up to first floor level.

For the concert, we used the prison chapel. Located on the first floor of the main block, it was a simple, but large room with windows overlooking the courtyards below. A simple moveable wooden altar stood against a plain wall. There was a Christmas Tree and a modern-style crib either side of the altar.

Once we were set-up, the inmates, prisoners, convicts... ...what should we call them... ...the audience, started to arrive. They came in chatting, clearly in various groups – not unlike groups of children filing into a classroom. But here was the next surprise, many of them were not much older than school aged children. There were a few older women, but the age range appeared to be largely 18 to 24.

As they arrived they chatted, some making loud jokes and clearly trying to be the centre of attention in their corner of the room. It is rather strange to see the normal protocol of; audience seated and hushed, musicians enter; turned around on this occasion. And there was a sense from those of us in the band that we were seeing a special group of people – they were as much on show as we were. We were ordinary free people that were going to get back to putting the final touches to our Christmas preparations. These ladies were already at “home” and this concert may well be one of the highlights of their Christmas.

It was good, and reassuring, to see that the prison warders looked relaxed. They did not need to intervene to control any of the prisoners (audience) and were able to keep a clever balance between watchful aloofness and involved concern for their charges.

Some of the prisoners looked as though they were suffering from disabilities in learning or social interaction – generally tagging behind a friend, holding hands and with expressions of innocent delight.

The chatting died down a little as we started playing, although I don’t think there was ever a moment when someone in the audience was not giving their friends the benefit of their wisdom. Some of the chatter was almost certainly caused by nervousness and their reservations started to drop as the programme got going. At one point someone asked at the top of their voice whether it was ok to dance.

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We played a popular programme, starting off with Liberty Bell – better known as the Monty Python theme, this great Sousa march is a very simple ice breaker for any audience. There was the first evidence of a desire to sing-a-long as we started a medley from the Lion King. Our first seasonal number was Sleigh Ride – a tune that everyone will have heard at Christmas time – even if you don’t know the name of it. The number is great for audience participation as it involves the necessity for a ‘whip’ clap sound to be made at various points. Our director of music, John, instructed the ladies what to do and off we went. They were very good! John gave a demonstration of the instruments in the band, and one of the inmates on leaving, came up to us and pointed out that John had left out the poor oboe player. We were impressed that she’d noticed and clearly knew the difference between an oboe and a clarinet. They had a good sing - especially in the Christmas melody with Silent Night, Jingle Bells and I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. We did concerts for two groups of inmates. At the end they were clearly disappointed that the show had come to an end and asked whether we could play some more. As they filed out they thanked us for coming to play. There was a small group of mums with their babies in the audience for the second concert, and a few inmates went to talk to the mums and hold the babies before they left. It is a shame, on reflection, that we did not take our Queen Medley, since one of the audience members was keen that we should play one of Freddie Mercury’s famous numbers. She sang it for us: “I want to break free, from H M P”. Beclenham Concert Band

Caught by the Holy Water Stoop!

For this edition of The Review we managed to catch Madalyn Morgan by the Holy Water Stoop.... Q. How long have you been coming to St Peter’s? A. Three years. But, I first came to St. Peter’s in 2002 when I moved to the area. I wasn’t a regular worshiper until 2005, because I went to visit my mother two or three times a month, and so I went to 8 o’clock communion at St. Mary’s in Lutterworth. Q. What do you like most about the services, music and people? A. If I’m honest I like the theatricality of it; Father Peter’s entrance as he leads Father Stuart and the servers down the centre isle, the swinging of the incense, the flicking of holy water – and the choir. I sing myself you know - badly. Joking apart, I think we are very lucky to have a choir. Not only does the choir sound wonderful, it helps people like me to stay in tune. And when the choir sing ‘Kyrie’ or ‘Gloria’ I could cry. I enjoy the sermons. They are so well written and read by Father Peter that they are easy to understand. I’ve also made some good friends at Church and enjoy chatting with them in the crypt after the Mass. Q. What do you dislike about St Peter’s or what would you change? Dare I be honest? Okay, here goes. I dislike mobile phones ringing during the service - I’d like the sides-people to tell visitors to turn them off. It annoys and disturbs me when people come into Church late and clatter down the aisle during the sermon, or prayers. Common sense should tell them to wait just inside the door, or outside - between the outer and inner door - until the sermon has ended, or to slip discretely into a seat at the back of the Church? I would have Christenings during Saturday Mass instead of Sunday Mass – sorry Father it would be more work for you - and last but not least, I hate people sucking sweets or chewing gum during the service. Q. How do you get to St Peter’s? A. Walk. Aren’t I lucky, it only takes me two minutes. I know, I know, I have no excuse for being late then! Q. Have you always lived in this part of South London, and if not, where-else have you lived? A. I was born in a small market town called Lutterworth in Leicestershire. I moved to Rugby (7 miles away) and lived in a flat above my first business when I was 20. At 24 I moved to London where I attended Drama College. I say London, but actually my first flat was in a lovely little village called North Weald on the edge of Epping Forest. My second was in Manor Park – that was a real culture shock for a country girl. I came to live in South London and to the Borough of Lambeth in the early 80’s after touring and working in theatres all over the country. I’ve lived in Lancaster, Chester, Newcastle and Glasgow and spent three months touring Germany – beginning in Frankfurt and ending in Hamburg. My first home in London was in Tulse Hill, where I shared with a lovely South African opera singer, a young theatre designer and a neurotic Canadian artist. I moved from Tulse Hill to Telford Avenue in Streatham Hill, and then out to West Norwood. I just can’t get away from the extortionate council tax of Lambeth. Q. What do you do when you are not at St Peter’s? A. I’m an actress, writer and data analyst. Sounds posh doesn’t it? But it isn’t. I’m an out of work actress who can’t get published as a writer, so I pay the mortgage and the bills by inputting data on my computer and building code frames. Q. What is your favourite TV programme (or other recreation/book etc)? A. Apart from ‘Corrie’ and ‘Emmerdale’ because I still hope to get work on them one day, it would have to be either ‘24’ or ‘NCIS’. I love presenting my radio show, reading and updating my website – when I have time - and of course, writing is my all time passion. Q. What sort of music do you like? A. 60s & 70s Rock mostly, but I love everything from Bob Dylan to Oasis. Q. What is your least favourite chore? A. Ironing. Q. If you were given £1000 what would you do with it? A. Pay off one of my credit cards. Q. How much is a pint of milk A. 50p?

St Peter’s and the Church Times

by Colin Hutton

It was Remembrance Sunday, just prior to Evensong., when I entered St. Peter's wearing a poppy in my lapel and carrying a copy of the Church Times (CT). The congregation was sparse. I approached a stranger sitting on one of the front pews. “Glyn?” said I. "Colin?" said he. I nodded. He handed me a copy of Gadfly for God - author Dr. Bemard Palmer. We next spoke after the service. I introduced Glyn to Father Peter and our magazine editor - David Chapman. Incidentally, G!yn, is the Deputy Editor of the CT and Dr. Bernard Palmer was the editor between 1968 and 1989. Glyn is also the great grandson of the founder of the CT - George Josiah Palmer and the fourth generation Palmer to have edited the publication.

Some of you may be wondering what the link is between our church and the Palmer family. Well, it is Fred (FB), the youngest son of the founder, and grandfather of Bernard.

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FB was born in 1862 and spent his childhood in Islington. Aged 10, he was sent away to a Woodard school in Bloxham, Oxfordshire. He left aged 17, and in September 1879 joined the family firm. His interest in and connection with the school remained with him for over seventy years. Sometime later, FB, whose second cousin Ethel Stevenson, lived at Sandhurst lodge, 384 Streatham High Road (currently the ice rink site), began courting her. Ethel’s father, Dr. -later Sir - Thomas Stevenson, was the Senior Scientific Analyst to the Home Office, and for more than fourty years was the expert prosecution witness at murder trials that involved poisoning. When courting Ethel, FB regularly sent a 'boy runner' at the CT - who were normally used to collect copy from authors, to travel to Streatham to deliver his love letters to Ethel, because he 'didn't trust the post'. FB proposed to Ethel on a Wednesday. She accepted and he immediately excused himself and left for the office, because 'he always worked late on Wednesday’, seeing the CT to Press. In 1892 FB and Ethel married, and by 1894 they lived at Glaisdale (now no. 76), Mount Nod Road- In 1896 their only child - Christopher - was born. In 1900, they moved the short distance to Mileham, 10 Leigham Court Road. In later years, FB recalled the large rear garden. It is still quite large, although reduced in size due to the development of Woodland Mews (in 2002). In 'Who Was Who', FB's recreations are given as tiding and travel. On weekday mornings FB and Ethel used to rise early and go riding together on Streatham Common, before breakfast. He then travelled to work at the CT, near to Lincoln's Inn Fields. The St. Peter's centenary booklet One Hundred Years On The Hill -1870-1970, mentions FB, first in 1895, when he was one of three representatives from our church to the Rural Deanery, on behalf of the Church Defence League (COL), whose members pledged to protect and support the interest of the church in education and at school board elections. FB was still the COL spokesman, when in 1906 the church lost most of her control over primary schools. FB's association with our church was physical, as well as spiritual, for he was a member of the cricket team in 1895 - which seems in keeping with his sporting nature, as he had been captain of his school football team. He was the archetypal cheerful giver, subscribing to many 'in house' causes including the New Vestries and Completion Fund; the Altar Fund; the New Banner Fund; the New Organ Fund; the Clergy Fund, the Vicars Discretionary Fund; the TF Parkes Memorial Fund (see Christmas 2007 Review); the Dr. Agutter Memorial Fund and, the Choir Cricket Fund, amongst others. FB held various offices at St. Peter's, including being the People's Church Warden on the Lay Council (fore-runner of the PCC), between 1907 and 1909. As late as 1922 he was Lay Chair. He was also a sidesman and server for a number of years and a trustee of the Patronage of the Living in 1922. Although no copies of the church magazine were produced between 1921 and 1927, local records show FB and Ethel living at no.10 in 1923 (but not 1924), so we can assume that they moved away at about that time.

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Whilst a young man. FB had supported the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA), and he and Ethel continued to do so for many years. Meetings were held in the summer in their garden, where a collection would be taken in support of the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa. An invitation card is shown for 1921, for one such meeting. FB was apparently able to balance work, home, church and leisure pursuits and obviously thrived on hard work - ably supported by Ethel. He had become manager of the CT, and on his father’s death he became joint owner with his two older brothers. On January 1st 1915, he became sole proprietor and continued to retain tight control, virtually until his death, in Worthing in 1947. Ethel died in 1952. When FB died, his CT obituary was headed Frederick Bernard Palmer - A Great Christian Layman. Interestingly, the full page obituary was penned by his old friend Canon Anthony Deane - who had pre-deceased FB by four months. FB had in turn, written Canon Deane's obituary. When our church was damaged in August 1944, due to enemy action, masses were held in the crypt until the full restoration of the church. [See picture on page 7] On Sunday 29th September 1951, a Michaelmas Service for the restoration of St. Peter's was held, the Bishop of Southwark being the principal celebrant. At the luncheon that followed the service, Christopher Palmer, FB's son, then managing director of the CT, gave a speech referring to his fathers association with St Peter’s. He confessed that he himself had failed an audition for the choir when he was a boy. I wonder if it was conducted by Dr. Agutter? Although Fred and Ethel led a frugal lifestyle, he was extraordinarily generous to relatives, to staff at the CT, and with his many donations to causes and charities. It was typical of him to appear on a list as a named subscriber, but to additionally give substantial sums to the same cause as 'anon.' He was a self-effacing, archetypal paternalistic, Victorian businessman, whose religion was both the mainstay and inspiration of his life. He is not commemorated at St. Peter's, although perhaps like countless others, he deserves to have been. Perhaps this article may go some way to redress the balance. Much information for the article was gleaned from the following three sources to which I am indebted: Firstly Gadfly for God (1991}, published by Hodder and Stoughton; by corresponding with Dr. Bernard Palmer, and information given by John Brown of the Streatham Society. For those interested in history and sundry issues concerning the CT – Gadfly for God is a good read.

Our lives are made richer

by Madalyn Morgan

One old farmer said to another, “Couldn’t have picked a better day for it.” To which the other old boy said, “Aye, it’s a lovely day all right!”

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A better day could have been in a couple of decade’s time. And a lovely day…? Well, I suppose it was. At least it wasn’t raining. It was bitterly cold but the sky was a cloudless pastel blue colour, and the sun shone brightly. There had been a hoarfrost the night before which the sun had beaten into damp submission by the time I arrived, and the ridiculous stiletto heels on my only pair of black boots were shedding leather every time they sank into the softening un-mown winter grass. I was wobbling about like one of those round plastic dolls that tip backwards and forwards, but never actually fall over.

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I had just stepped from the grass to the path and excused my way through several people smoking cigarettes when I saw a tractor. Or perhaps I should say it was a floral tribute in the shape of a tractor. The small white oblong card said, from mum. How appropriate, I thought, and what a lovely idea to have a tractor made of flowers in memory of a son who had been a farmer.

When I heard that my childhood friend Roger had died, I cried buckets. It was such a shock. I didn’t know he’d been ill. I hadn’t seen him or his wife, who is also my friend, for more than a year – or was it two? Actually I’m ashamed to say I think it had been three years. Time goes by so quickly, which is no excuse.

The next morning I caught a train north and arrived at the Holy Trinity Church in the village of Churchover, where his funeral was being held, with only minutes to spare. The Church was packed to the rafters, which I expected it would be. There weren’t enough seats inside the church, hence the crowd outside and the heels in the grass episode. A young couple moved closer together so that I could sit down, and I found myself sitting behind a pillar. A restricted view they call it in the theatre. On this occasion I was grateful for the restriction.

As a farmer my friend spent his days attending to his beasts, or working in the fields. He was a regular character at livestock markets and often bought stock from old-timers who didn’t have much and who would have had even less if Roger hadn’t have been around.

He was the life and soul of any gathering, whether it was buying and selling animals at the auctions or socialising on a Saturday night with friends. And he was generous to a fault. When my mother was alive our two families used to meet on Boxing Day morning in the pub that I grew up in. On the last Boxing Day that we were all together, Roger took twenty-eight of his family and friends to lunch. I dread to think how much it would have cost him.

When we were kids Roger used to call for me every Saturday morning. He would be all dressed up in his best suit, wearing a white shirt and a dickey-bow, and off we’d go to see a film at the local Cinema. He was kind and generous, and he never grew out of it. A friend of his, who was on her own at Christmas because her husband was away in the armed forces, didn’t have a Christmas tree so Roger, aged fourteen, went to the Church yard and dug up a small fir. He put the tree in a bucket, decorated it with some of his mother’s decorations and took it to his friend’s house. He couldn’t bear the thought of his friend not having a tree at Christmas. He may not have done everything by the book, but everything he did, he did with a big heart and the best intentions.

It is hard to understand how someone in his prime, (59 is probably ancient to a sixteen year-old but to everyone else on the planet it’s still young) someone so vibrant, so full of life and energy, is suddenly gone.

If we look back and think about the people we have loved and lost… No, not lost. I hate the word lost. It sounds as if we’ve mislaid them; as if we’ve taken them to the shops and, like a pair of old gloves, left them somewhere and can't remember where. When someone dies they are not lost, on the contrary they are found - found by God. We are often lost in this world, but not in the next.

So, let me start again. When we look back at the people who we have loved and who have died, their energy, their strength, kindness, laughter and personality doesn’t disappear, it lives on in us, in our memories of them, and in our hearts.

When my mother died I was inconsolable. But eventually when I had forgiven myself for not being there when she died, forgiven her for leaving me, and come to terms with the fact that she wasn’t around physically any longer, the sadness and the sense of ‘loss’ slowly began to fade. Now I can only remember the happy times we shared together.

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Our lives are made richer by everyone we meet. But those who we love, who love us, make us who we are – and their love will never die.

Farewell to David Cresswell

The following speech was given by David Chapman to the choir after Evensong on January 13th on the occasion of David Cresswell’s last Sunday after serving for nearly eight years as Director of Music of St Peter’s.

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When David arrived eight years ago, it was obvious right from the word go that he knew what he was doing and he quickly took the reins. I cannot tell you what a relief that was for us all after a year of waiting for a new DofM. The cry “Is it now?” Has almost disappeared from our repertoire - although “Al le lu ia” lives on!

For me personally. On David’s arrival - I noticed not just the musical side, but his understanding of the need to take care of the admin – the work needed to the organ and those little things which make what we do here so much easier if they are prepared and improved.

It seems difficult to imagine how spoilt we were – given that one of his predecessors even seemed to have trouble remembering to lock the doors!

David has an instinctive understanding of church music for the liturgy – but also high church music and its performance – and for this I think we have benefited enormously as David has seen the opportunity to extend our repertoire and develop some of our choral traditions.

David has stretched us in oh so many ways – and I am not just talking about warm ups!

This morning’s service – exceptional though it may be - shows how David has moved us all on during our time in the choir – in repertoire, standard of performance and changing to a modern and distinctive choral standard of performance – no space for feminine endings here!

David has created a strong brand with the choir. St. Peter’s music is recognised up and down the country – as a choir and church that do things properly and for beautiful singing. We also have Italian contacts too!

I am also glad to say that David is not like a prime minister who has out stayed his or her welcome – feted abroad but unpopular at home. He is very much appreciated by the congregation here.

It is just worth recalling the story told to us by Andrew Nunn , sub-Dean of Southwark Cathedral, after our first visit to Exeter Cathedral, when at the end of their meeting, a point on the agenda asked whether there were any choirs of note (good or bad). The Dean of Exeter put his hand up and told the assembled group that St Peter’s Church Choir had performed and sung particularly well – so if they want to come to you – take them!

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David was characteristically modest when talking to the congregation this morning – we must though for a moment acknowledge, that we have been very privileged to work with a Director of Music who is extremely talented as an organist, a musician, and with an innate understanding of music for the high church liturgy. They have been eight packed years – they have been eight fantastic years – thank you David. I need to add that we have not only been lucky enough to have had David, but in recent years he has become a team – and we all recognise the support both in the sense of morale and practicalities that Helen has brought David in encouraging his work at St Peter’s - and so we must also thank Helen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * David has taken up his new post at St. Nicholas—Chiswick Parish Church and we wish him and Helen well for their futures in all they do, and not least our best wishes for their wedding in December 2008.

News from the Pews

* The choir sang evensong at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 12th January under the baton of David Cresswell for the last time. [See page 18.]

* Our new Director of Music has been appointed. His name is Philip Collin (see page 2 for contact details). He officially commences on the Sunday after Easter, but he will also take part in the Holy Week and Easter Services. We very much welcome him to the St Peter’s family. We hope to have an article in the next Review to tell you more about Philip.

* On March 9th, Barbara Drayton and David Chapman gave a presentation during the Parish Mass on the need for members to consider increasing their giving. Everyone present was given a pencil inscribed with the slogan “This is Our Church”. There is currently a shortfall in giving of £4 per person per week against expenses. Everyone was asked to do what they can to help—it is a shared responsibility. From the 41 responses received immediately after the presentation, 18 people have said that they will increase their giving which is an encouraging start.

* We have celebrated baptisms recently for Harriet Alexa Jones-Lloyd, Jeremy Osei-Asamoah and Josie Asamoah.

* In January, Fr Peter joined in matrimony Peter Negri and Sahi Gondo. Michael Lindsay and Rachel Lemonuis. And in March: Hau Woon Chan and Shu Ming Ang

Dates for your diary