Sunday 25th January. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing this morning of our beloved Canon John Alfred Thurmer. Canon John was deeply loved by all and will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. The Requiem Funeral for Canon…
The warm mid-June Monday evening past, about 120 of us heard the technical brilliance, musicality and sheer joy of David Briggs (www.david-briggs.org) in his spectacular Inaugural Recital on our new Organ. I think every pipe, pedal, key and stop was played, individually and all together! Starting with a Fanfare by Graham…
By midday on Sunday 8th June both the female Peregrine chicks (HeBe & HeiDi) had fledged and flown too. With no need for monitoring from us on the ground this year, it's been hard to keep track of their first movements, but it seems all 3 are already able to…
With much less fuss than last year so far, the news from Saturday 7th June is that HeCtor, the young male, has fledged and flown, and returned to the church tower. The young females have been flapping their wings on the edge of the trefoil opening, but not yet left…
Hopefully you've seen the Posters in the recent News Update blog. This is the same information in Diary form combined with the Music List for June. We have now had a myriad (10,000) views of the blog, from 65 different countries - thank you. Meanwhile, keep watching our Peregrine chicks,…
A quick update on exciting current and forthcoming events. Tonight! Wednesday 21st May, 7.30pm. St Michael's Recital. Alex West (Organ). See Organ Recitals for details. Application date for Young Organists' Competition extended to Sat 7th June. See details here Peregrine chicks weighed, measured and ringed, all three are healthy, developing well and getting…
We start May with two of the most joyful and uplifting Anthems for Easter from the Anglican Choral tradition; I wrote about "Ye Choirs" this time last year. Singing Samuel Sebastian Wesley's "BBGF" is always a treat (the male recits, the girls' antiphony, the massive organ chords and the final…
Having waited expectantly since mid-week, our holy Peregrines have again seen their eggs hatching on the last Sunday in April, just like last year, and exactly 34 days after laying their 3rd egg. It was a wet and windy night but, with a touch of late night peregrinitis, it looked to…
Manifold thanks to Fr David Hastings and assisting Clergy, to Servers, Choir, Conductors, Organist, Readers, Cantors, Flower Arrangers, Cleaners, Welcomers and Refreshment providers, for another memorable Holy Week; and to all who visited St Michael's physically or digitally, once or several times. Please come again. These are my highlights. Thanks to Erika,…
Not in 2020 or 2021 - Good Friday, 8pm Tenebrae – an ancient service with texts from Lamentations and Psalms, sung in Latin and English from the West Gallery to plainsong and polyphony by Lassus (1532-1594) and Palestrina (1525-1594), ending in darkness and silence to symbolise Jesus’ descent to the…