Get documents about "and Mendelssohn with David Geringas
Document Sample
“From the Riverbank”
The C of E Churches’
Magazine
St Thomas of Canterbury Church in
Goring-on-Thames,
St Mary’s Church in Streatley and
St Andrew's Church in South Stoke
October 2011 – 8th Edition
St Andrew’s Church
The Bank Holiday Flower Festival
Thank you to everyone who spent
much time and skill in creating a
beautiful flower festival at St
Andrew’s this year. Many people
visited the church during the last
weekend in August and St Andrew’s
was overflowing with floral displays.
This year’s clever theme was,
‘Inspirational Women’. And
inspirational it was, for the designs
were inventive. The women featured
were: Eve, Mary the mother of God,
Gertrude Jekyll, the Suffragettes and
Amelia Earhart. Boadicea was
represented boldly to match her
The resplendent Boadicea character and mass of auburn hair.
1
Queen Elizabeth I was represented
by clever use of a picture frame,
through which a pearl necklace was
seen round the neck of the floral
design; the drapery arranged to
mimic the cascading fabric of her
royal train. Florence Nightingale
was remembered by a red and white
floral design with images of nursing
in the Crimea War: soap, mop and
scrubbing brush, the lamp and a knife
lain on a bloodstained bandage. Queen Elizabeth I
Jean Dixon in particular deserves thanks for
organizing the event and for preparing and serving refreshments on
Sunday. £500 was raised from the whole event.
An Edwardian evening
Come to South Stoke village hall at 7.30pm on Saturday 29 October.
There will be a DVD presentation of Edwardian photographs of South
Stoke with local readings. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments are
provided. Sally Horton
Harvest BCP Holy Communion service is on Sunday 2 October
at 11.00am at St Andrew’s.
Ecumenical Advent Courses
Planning is underway for this year's ecumenical
Advent courses. We welcome any offers from those
willing to host or lead a group.
Please contact Alun Hughes or me if you can help or
contact us through the web editor:
webcontent.thomandmary@gmail.com
Judy Crawford
2
Pastoral letter – Reflection on death
As I write this article the seasons are
beginning to turn. Summer (such as we have had this year
is giving way to Autumn as new school and
college years begin. Looking ahead to
November there is a clear focus on
remembrance: specifically, All Saints’ Day and
All Souls in the Church calendar, and
Remembrance Sunday for the nation at large. Indeed the theme
of remembrance is already very much in our minds with the
tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America being
marked by numerous TV documentaries and articles in the
media. We are called to remember those who have died but how
do we make sense of death?
Whilst on holiday I read ‘A Fool’s Alphabet’ by Sebastian
Faulks. It tells the story of a family, and there are two distinctive
features of the book. Firstly, the headings of the twenty six
chapters are all place names. The title of the first chapter starts
with an ‘A’ and so on until the final chapter heading which begins
with a ‘Z’. Secondly, the story of the family is told according to
events related to these place names rather than in strict date
order.
There is an emphasis in the book on the nature of life being
episodic. It is perhaps inevitable that we live our lives in
different chapters which together make a whole. Faulks is a very
perceptive writer and one phrase which especially struck me
was when the central character, Pietro, says: ‘There isn’t much
to tell when someone dies. It’s not an event, it’s an absence.’
contd…
3
I believe that many, if not all, who have experienced loss and
who grieve would relate to this statement. If the death of a
loved one is regarded as a single ‘event’, then the implication is
that it is ‘over’ after it has occurred. The manner in which we
experience the death of another person, however, is never that
straightforward. We can feel the absence brought about by the
reality of death very keenly for the rest of our lives.
As a Christian, my faith is founded on the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus on the Cross was
indeed an event, which led to an initial absence. This absence
lasted only for a very short period, though, as Jesus rose in
victory from death on the third day. As Jesus had promised,
after his death the Holy Spirit was sent to the first Christians.
And with the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds today, Jesus
lives on as a constant presence to inspire and encourage us.
If we commit to following Jesus, our lives become much more
than merely episodic. By faith we can look forward with hope
and anticipation to a new eternal life in the presence of our
loving God.
As Jesus told his disciples: ‘…take courage; I have conquered
the world!’ (John 16.33).
Rev. Mark Blamey, Vicar
St Thomas of Canterbury Church
The flute and piano recital
The afternoon of Sunday 18 September will be remembered for the
inspirational music that resounded through St Thomas' Church. One
4
hundred and sixty people were treated to a flute /piano recital
performed by Kate Hill (flute) and Sally Goodworth (piano).
The audience was thrilled by the well selected programme so
magnificently performed. Kate and Sally played Sonatas by Donizetti,
Poulenc and Otar Taktakishvili; CPE Bach’s Sonata in E minor; Mozart’s
Andante K315, Vaughan Williams’ Suite de Ballet and Schumann’s
Romance Op 94. For the vast majority of people present, it was the
finest music they had heard for a long time. We are fortunate here in
Goring to have such internationally acclaimed musicians on our
doorstep as both the performers are "local girls". Indeed, Kate is Tiz
Garnett's daughter. If you missed it, you missed a treat!!
As well as so many complimentary comments on the music, many of
the audience remarked on the beautiful church building: how bright
and welcoming it was; what a lovely blend of old and new; superb
accoustics and a sound system that works! It was a perfect afternoon –
wonderful music in a refurbished church. Glory to God.
Jean Loveridge
Vietnam 2011
In the summer, I went on a school trip to
Vietnam, organised by a company called True
Adventure. The main focus of our trip was to
help the local community and make a difference.
Our project was to renovate a medical centre in
a small village called Ta Van, in the north of the
Rebecca teaching country. We re-concreted the courtyard at the
front, repainted the interior and
exterior, sorted out the drainage and
painted a mural on the wall. It was a
fantastic experience and I feel that our
work really made a difference to the
local people, especially since they had
specifically asked us to work at the
5
medical centre. They were all really pleased with our work! We also
spent time with the local children, playing the games we had brought
with us. Whilst we were in Vietnam, we also spent time trekking and
seeing the country. I particularly enjoyed
our time in Hoi An, as we spent time
seeing the temples and assembly halls,
which were really beautiful.
Thank you to all of those in the church
congregation at St Thomas' who
supported me in fundraising towards the
trip by buying cards, fudge, key rings,
cakes etc. A special thank you to the Parkinson family who found lots
of events for me to bake for! Rebecca Harwin
Harvest Parish Communion
The Harvest service at St Thomas’ will
take place on Sunday 9 October at
10.00am. Everyone is welcome. Please
bring your non-perishable produce to
the service. These will be distributed to
local homeless charities. The collection taken at the service will go to
Christian Aid. This seems a most appropriate moment to remember
the hungry and deprived in so many countries across the world, while
we at home enjoy considerable comfort and plenty. Please remember
that if you use a brown envelope for your offering, to label it ‘Charity’
or ‘Christian Aid’. There are also green envelopes for gift-aiding
available. Many thanks. Alun Hughes
Oxfordshire Ride & Stride - Feedback from Tim’s day cycling:
“All went well yesterday (Sat 10 Sept) on the sponsored Ride &
Stride. The weather was much kinder than predicted and I didn't get
too wet. However, I did make the mistake of cycling into the wind most
the way!
6
“I made it to 82 churches in the end. Not quite the 93 that I had
ambitiously planned, but I was still pretty pleased. Having sprinted
into Wallingford at five to six to try and pick up another seven
churches in the five minutes I had left, I promptly lay down in the car
park for half an hour before attempting to pedal home!
“Many thanks for your sponsorship. Once all is said and done, I think
I should be safely over my £1000 target. So a big ‘thank you’ for that. I
am hugely grateful for the support.” Tim Middleton
(Editor’s note: Tim, we applaud this amazing feat and we are hugely
grateful in return for your support of St Thomas’).
‘Men and Work’ - Don’t forget the first men’s breakfast is on
Saturday 8 October from 8.30-9.30am at St Thomas’ Church.
More details on this initiative and on the speaker: www.st-
thomas-goring.org.uk/thomandmary/upcomingevents2.htm#men
Rev. Mark Blamey
Recital by May and Mark Turner
Everyone is welcome to this recital on Sunday 23 October from
3.30-4.30pm in St Thomas’ Church, Goring. This talented couple,
who are part of the life of St Thomas’, will perform the famous,
‘Lascia chio pianga’ by Handel and ‘O mio babbino caro’ by Puccini
as well as works by Debussy, Richard Strauss, Vaughan Williams,
Schubert and Ireland.
May Turner began formal vocal training aged 15 and developed her
solo and choral singing whilst studying for a Masters and PhD in
Chemistry at Cambridge. As a Choral Exhibitioner with King’s Voices,
the mixed voice choir of King’s College, May sang in its Chapel choir for
seven years and for numerous concerts. May studied as a soprano with
Helen Groves, notably as soloist for Liszt’s Requiem and the Bach
Magnificat. In 2004, May founded the King’s Voices Quintet and a
cappella ensemble, providing musical entertainment to clients as
varied as the Institute of Directors and the RAF. More recently, May
7
has sung with the Reading Bach Choir, as soloist in Scarlatti’s Stabat
Mater. She now sings with the Cathedral Singers of Christ Church,
Oxford.
Mark Turner is a freelance organist and accompanist in Oxfordshire.
He began playing the piano aged four, and took up the organ at 11,
serving as Organist and Choirmaster at St Mary’s church, Newchurch-
in-Pendle. Mark was appointed Assistant Organist of Emmanuel
College, Cambridge, where he studied with international concert
organist, Anne Page. Recently, Mark has performed at venues
including King’s College, Cambridge; Winchester Cathedral and both
Dublin cathedrals. Mark has a doctorate in Chemistry and works in
Oxford for an Energy Consultancy.
We thank May and Mark in advance for generously suggesting the
retiring collection be split between St Thomas’ Church Tower fund and
another charity (tbc). Everyone is welcome.
Christmas Fair 2011
The Christmas Fair is to be held in St Thomas’ Church again
this year on Saturday 26 November, from 11.00am to 2.00pm.
Please make a note in your diary.
We are in need of donations for some of the stalls. In particular we
require CDs, DVDs, prizes suitable for the raffle, bottles for the tombola,
good quality books and bric-a-brac, cakes and preserves.
If you need items to be collected, contact me. Otherwise, bring them
to church before 11.00am on the 26 November, or the evening before,
between 4 - 6pm. Chris Tassell
St Mary’s Church
‘Stillness on Sunday’ - begins at St Mary’s on
Sunday 9 October at 5.30pm. Don’t forget to come and
support this new initiative. More information at:
www.st-marys-streatley.org.uk/thomandmary/mary.index.htm
8
Tea and Tunes
“Tea and Tunes” has become an
established and most enjoyable part of
the summer season at St Mary’s and this
year was better supported than ever.
With four gazebos and seating for over
thirty people in front of the church the scene
was inviting to all our guests. This year all
catering was conducted in the churchyard
by a willing and happy group of helpers,
enabling those inside the church to enjoy
their music in relative peace and quiet.
The array of home baked cakes and
Photos by Derrick Lello scones generously provided was simply
astonishing in both number and
variety ensuring that our
numerous guests had ample
delicious choice with their tea,
coffee and soft drinks. Likewise,
the variety and quality of music
within the church – from organ
and piano through to classical singing Tanya, singing beautifully
and music hall sing-along, was
outstanding and enjoyed by many throughout the afternoon.
We could have been blessed by rather more seasonal weather but at
least it didn’t rain and the constant stream of visitors meant that those
serving, fetching and carrying and vitally, washing up, were kept
constantly very busy indeed.
The whole day from setting up to clear up was a truly enjoyable
team effort and sincere thanks go to all who made this day possible,
especially Mary Scriven for the music and Marigold Jamieson for the
facilities and the catering. St Mary’s funds benefited by just under £470
and more importantly the event gave us the opportunity to open St
9
Mary’s to the wider community and meet and greet many of those who
do not normally attend church. A really outstanding and rewarding
afternoon. Make sure you put this event in your diary for
next year!
Derrick Lello
The United Benefice
Recital for piano and violin
Set aside Tuesday evening for another wonderful evening's
entertainment. On Tuesday 4 October, two internationally
renowned musicians will perform three sonatas at St Thomas of
Canterbury Church, Goring. The evening begins at 7.30pm. Tickets
are £12 unreserved, available from 'Inspirations' shop in the Arcade,
Goring. The programme is as follows:
Beethoven - Sonata in A Op.12 No.2
Prokofiev - Sonata in D Major Op.94
Richard Strauss - Violin sonata in E flat Op.18
Ian Fountain (son of Joan and Nigel in Goring)
became the youngest winner of the Arthur Rubinstein
Piano Master Competition, aged 19. Since then he has
performed extensively throughout the world. He is also
an avid chamber musician, appearing throughout
Europe, Japan and Korea. Ian has made several
critically acclaimed recordings of 20th Century piano sonatas and the
complete works of Rachmaninov, Beethoven and Mendelssohn with
David Geringas. He is a piano professor at the Royal Academy of Music,
London.
Erika Geldsetzer began violin lessons aged 6. At
12 she was accepted at the music academy in
Cologne and studied further in Karlsruhe, in
London at the Royal Academy, and in Vienna. She
has co-founded the Faure Quartett, which has
gained some prestigious awards. The quartet has
10
recorded many major works of Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Faure,
Dvorak and Schumann and they play in major halls throughout the
world, including Wigmore Hall, London. Erika is a violin soloist for
numerous orchestras in Germany and Romania.
The Piano Project Committee in Goring are indebted to Ian and
Erika for giving this recital, the proceeds of which will constitute a
Trust Fund for future maintenance of the community grand piano.
Joan Fountain
Christian Community Action plea:
Help us to build an ark on Oxford Road
We are looking for people who find their strength in
God and are mature in faith (not necessarily in years) to
work in our Oxford Road charity shop. You will be doing
more than shop work, you will be serving our local community.
If you can spare half a day a week or more, a warm welcome awaits
you. So please pop into 371 Oxford Road, phone us on 0118 951 2339
and ask to speak to Donette, or email: dee@ccam.org.uk
Thank you for your continued support of CCA.
Siân Hooley, Central Services Administrator
Pick-a-Flick members had rather more excitement than usual at
the last film show on Thurs 15 Sept. Not only was there some nudity on
screen in Mrs Henderson Presents, but there was an air-display during
lunch by The Red Arrows above St
Thomas’ Church. The Red Arrows were
giving their customary salute to Bomber
Harris by flying over his old house in
Ferry Lane. It was made even more
poignant by noticing one missing plane in
each of the flight formations, in memory of
the pilot who died recently and heroically. Photo: Jacob Blamey
11
Autumn Preaching Series
The preaching series on the book of Revelation is now well
underway. If you wish to follow the series, the list below gives
details of the titles for each of the talks given in all three
churches in the Benefice. You can check the calendar for dates.
Preaching Series 1: ‘Love that is lost’ Rev 2. 1-7
Preaching Series 2: ‘Suffering may come’ Rev 2. 8-11
Preaching Series 3: ‘Hold onto the truth’ Rev 2. 12-17
Preaching Series 4: ‘Holiness ignored’ Rev 2. 18-29
Preaching Series 5: ‘Formalism, unreality’ Rev 3. 1-6
Preaching Series 6: ‘Opportunity for outreach’ Rev 3. 7-13
Preaching Series 7: ‘Half-hearted religion’ Rev 3. 14-23
These sermons will be published on the web from recordings made
at St Thomas’. Thanks, incidentally, go to Robin Middleton for
recording all the sermons that are on the website: www.st-thomas-
goring.org.uk/thomandmary/thomas.goodnews.htm
Join in "Living Faith Worldwide"
On Saturday 15 October at the Living Faith
Worldwide conference in Reading, people will
gather from around the diocese and, indeed,
around the world to see how together we can
better know Christ and live out our Christian mission.
The conference will take place from 10.00am to 4.00pm at St John's
and St Stephen's Church and St John's Primary School, Orts Road RG1
3JN. Bishop John will give a reflection on how a global perspective can
enrich our ‘living faith.’ We will get a picture of different ways of
making disciples. The panel will include Bishop Lawrence, from our
link diocese of Nandyal (South India) and Bishop Andrew. Bishop
Lawrence will share news about his diocese's inspiring evangelism
programme, and Bishop Andrew will speak about his experiences in
Ethiopia.
12
We will also look at how churches worldwide make a difference in
their communities. The panel will include Janette O'Neill, the new chief
executive of USPG; Katarina Toll Koril, one of our Swedish partners;
and UK church leaders. There will be inspiration as well as a genuine
engagement with the challenges of global and local mission.
Workshops will be led by staff from CMS, Christian Aid and Tearfund
and the diocese: how to think about gap-year missions; campaigning
for justice with partners from around the world; an introduction to the
diocesan links; how church schools can get the most out of their links.
There will be two "semi-keynotes": how to train Christian leaders and
how our worldview shapes our theology. There will be a marketplace
where you can see what the diocesan links, agencies and local churches
are doing and how to get involved.
The cost is £7 each or £2.50 for concessions. Light refreshments and
conference materials are included. Advance booking is essential:
lfwbookings@gmail.com or ring 01235 850267.
Rosemary Pearce, Diocesan Secretary, Church House
UB visit to Christ Church Cathedral
A unique opportunity to visit to the
Cathedral has been arranged for Monday 7
November, starting at 3.00pm. It will include a
guided tour of the Cathedral, the Treasury, the
Cathedral shop, then afternoon tea in the Great
Hall, followed by a visit to the Upper Library and,
at 6.00pm Choral Evensong, finishing at 7.00pm.
There will be no charge for the visit, apart from
tea, which will cost £4.50 plus VAT.
There are several ways of travelling to Christ
Church. The simplest is probably by car to
Redbridge Park-and-Ride. With a bus pass, both parking and the bus
fare are free. Dismount at the first stop and walk up St Aldates. Tom
Gate is about 300 yards up on the right. The return stop for Redbridge
13
is just outside Tom Gate to the right. Alternatively, park in the
Westgate pay-and-display car park and take a short walk through to St
Aldates. If train is preferred, take a taxi or bus from the station, or
walk to Christ Church (less than a mile). Maps will be available.
Sign-up sheets will be provided in all three churches in the Benefice
from Sunday 2 October until Sunday 23 October, which will be the
closing date. Any queries to me please.
Ian Wallace, Licensed Lay Minister
Olympic and Paralympic games
The Olympic and Paralympic games are
less than a year away and we would like all
churches to engage with the opportunity for
mission and plan community related
activities. In line with ‘More than Gold’, our
aim is to keep you informed as the opening
ceremony draws closer and we hope that
the website www.racebeforeus.org.uk will ensure that your churches
get ahead of the games.
Please see below helpful ideas from the website:
Nominate a gold champion
No special licence needed to watch BBC coverage of events
Torch relay task force for each city on route
Mission teams – 3000 people to come to the UK
Sign up for the Athletes’ family homestay programme
Raise money for your churches.
Let us know your plans at the above website. For resources and
information go to: www.morethangold.org.uk Thank you.
Contact: Rev. Janet Binns,
Diocese of Oxford Olympic and Paralympic Co-ordinator and Diocesan
Missioner, 01753 528672, janetbinns@sky.com
14
The Liturgical Calendar – 2011
2 October: 15th after Trinity
9 October: 16th after Trinity
16 October: 17th after Trinity
23 October : 18th after Trinity / Bible Sunday
30 October : 19th after Trinity / Fourth before Advent
Biblical quote: “I have made you and I will carry you; I will
sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4
Monthly green tip: Switch and save money
Ebico is UK’s only not-for-profit energy supplier.
Many customers choose Ebico because the prices are cheaper
for them. Others choose it because they know the prices are
fairer for everyone. Still others choose it for the innovative
carbon-offsetting service, and because the simple tariff structure
is transparent and straight-forward.
Tel: 0800 458 7689 or 01993 608404 or check out the
website: www.ebico.org.uk
Contact the Vicar, Rev. Mark Blamey
01491 872196 or vicar.thomandmary@gmail.com
United Benefice Church website:
www.st-thomas-goring.org.uk
www.st-marys-streatley.org.uk
www.st-andrews-southstoke.org.uk
Copy deadline for From the Riverbank is the 17th of
each month: webcontent.thomandmary@gmail.com
15
Advertising
If you would like to
advertise
in this space,
contact Derrick Lello via
the web editor:
webcontent.thomandm
ary@gmail.com
Interesting link – take a look
at how cheap water bottles
are bringing light to the Philippines:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-
pacific-14967535
The Red Arrows above St Thomas’
16
