Morning Anthem
Today’s anthem is a setting of an 1864 Robert Lowry poem originally entitled Beautiful River. The text refers to Revelation 22 and the crystal-clear river filled with the water of life which flows from the throne of heaven. The hymn tune, which we now know as HANSON PLACE, was also composed by Lowry; it has subsequently been arranged by composers Aaron Copland and Charles Ives amongst others and recorded by artists including Patti Page and Willie Nelson. Today’s choral arrangement is by Victor C Johnson, a prolific composer and arranger from Dallas, Texas and the string arrangement is a Nick Miller Special.
All Souls
4th November 2024, 6pm
We mark this special festival with a service at which we remember those who are part of the church community but who have died. This year the choir are singing the Requiem by J A Trotta and during the service we remember those dear to us. If you will be at the service and wish to have loved ones remembered, please add them on the sign up sheet in the porch. As part of the liturgy, there will be opportunity for you to light a candle and place it on the altar in remembrance of your loved ones.
Memorial Service for Irene Griffiths
Tuesday, 5thNovember, 1pm
A memorial service for Irene Griffiths has been arranged for Tuesday, 5th November, at 1pm. Irene, having been born on St Michael’s Street, was the last member of our congregation to have moved to St John’s from St Michael’s and all Angle after it was bombed during the war. She also began her school days at St John’s Parish School, which in those days was in Titchbourne Row. She, along with her late husband Eddie, worshipped at St John’s for over 70 years.
Sunday, 10th November 2024
Remembrance Sunday
We will observe Remembrance Sunday on 10th November at the 10am service. We shorten the service in order to be outside at the War Memorial at 11am. For the end of the service the choir will lead us to the War Memorial in the north garden for a short Act of Remembrance, the laying of wreaths and a two minutes’ silence.
Jenny Clark Concert
This year’s Jenny Clark Concert also takes place on Sunday, 10th November, immediately following the 10am service. This year the concert marks 20 years since the purchase of our Yamaha C7 concert grand piano and features both it, our choral scholars and cellist Hannah Lewis. We are very much looking forward to their programme. The concert will last 35-40 minutes and is open to all.
St John’s Late
Returning in November, St John’s Late services offer a friendly but contemplative space for those who’ve missed the morning, want to try something different or need space for reflection.
Compline
10th November, 6.00pm
This ancient monastic service, in a candlelit church, is stunning in its simplicity. The service is sung and the anthem is Evening Prayers (Three Prayers of Dietrich Bonhoeffer) by Philip Moore. Sign up if you wish to join us for supper beforehand in the hall at 5pm.
Choral Evensong
17th November, 6.00pm
This service is the foundation of English tradition, a gem in the crown of the prayer book. The setting for the responses is by Bernard Rose with the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by C.V Stanford in A. The anthem will be John Rutter’s Gaelic Blessing.
Jazz Mass
24th November, 6.00pm
The atmosphere of a jazz club, great music and the beauty of the eucharist meet in this fantastic service with wine and nibbles available throughout. The setting is Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass and the anthem is Acclamation (Gospel Mass) by R.Ray
Autumn Education Courses
Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity
5th November 6.30pm - 9pm, St Paul's Cathedral
Few matters produce more public interest or division than sex and religion. Revolutions in attitudes in the last generations have brought liberation to some, fear and fury to others. Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford, will seek to calm fears and encourage understanding by telling a 3,000-year-long tale of Christians encountering sex, gender and family, from the Bible to the present day. Entry is free. We will be meeting outside the cathedral at 6.15pm so we can enter and sit together.
Bible Book Club
Bible Book Club returned this September and is held on the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting is this coming Wednesday, 6th November, 7.30pm at 23 Archery Close. The final Bible Book Club of the year is on Wednesday, 4th December.
Advent Course
Heaven and Earth Collide
The Advent Course will take place on Wednesdays, 11th and 18th December, at 7.30pm. In these two sessions we will be expanding on the theme of our Advent Carol Service, ‘Heaven and Earth Collide: An Advent Odyssey’. For further information and to book please contact: parishadmin@stjohns-hydepark.com. All events are free to attend.
Purcell Club Tour - Westminster Abbey
6.45pm - 9.15pm on Saturday 16th November
The Purcell Club is named after Henry Purcell, the famous composer, who was organist of Westminster Abbey from 1679-1695. It is a male voice choir formed predominantly from members of the Westminster Abbey Old Choristers’ Association, though guest singers join from time to time. The singers give their services in order to put on these tours and all the profits from ticket sales go to support the Abbey and a range of small charities.
Visitors assemble at 6.45pm in the Cloisters for a welcome by a member of the Purcell Club or Abbey clergy. They then move into the Abbey and take seats in the Nave for the commencement of the tour at 7.00pm, when the first piece of sacred music is sung. Our guide describes the history and architecture of the Abbey in some detail, moving from one location of interest to the next, including the Quire, Sacrarium, High Altar, the Cosmati Pavement (unique in this country), St Edward the Confessor’s Shrine, Henry VII Chapel and Poets’ Corner. At various points there is a pause for members of the Purcell Club to sing suitable musical items ranging from the 16th to 21st centuries. On returning to the Nave for the final part of the tour, a short piece is played by one of the Abbey organists to demonstrate the Abbey’s magnificent organ. The tour ends with the choir singing a piece of suitable solemnity, such as ‘The Kontakion for the Departed’, around the Unknown Warrior’s Grave as the lights dim. The evening concludes at approximately 9.15pm. We will look to have a meal beforehand (payable separately) ensuring we are in the Cathedral for 6.45pm.
Tickets are £50 each and we are strictly limited to 25 places. There are still tickets available and, after today, we will be releasing any unsold tickets to our local amenity societies so if you wish to ensure yourself a place, please book it NOW. Please email the office for further info and to book either of these two events.
St John’s Quiz Results – a Win for St John’s!
The quiz evening on 17th October as very successful this year – one of the best ever! Takings on the evening from ticket sales, bar donations and the raffle came to £1,992! Thank you so much to all who supported the evening and especially to our superb chefs who provided cottage pies. The funds raised will go towards the vestry refurbishment works planned for next year.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Book Club
Book Club met earlier in October and selected their next book, The Blood of Others (Le Sang des Autres), a 1945 novel by the French existentialist Simone de Beauvoir that depicts the lives of several characters in Paris leading up to and during the Second World War. The novel explores themes of freedom and responsibility. Book Club meets on 13th January to discuss it. For further information on Book Club, please speak to Irwin Nazareth.
Marcus’ Mission trip to Uganda 28th November – 10th December 2024
Marcus Walters-Pearce, our children’s worker, will be going to Uganda for two weeks to participate in a mission trip with ARC Global. During these two weeks, he will be involved in different community projects and outreach services and sharing the Gospel in different church projects across Uganda. The mission trip will also include the distribution of reusable women’s hygiene products and vital medication and first aid equipment for the local community.
Marcus is currently fundraising for his trip. The trip in total costs £1500 and this covers costs of flights, accommodation, meals, travel and the products and equipment that will be taken. There is a fundraising page where you can donate towards the trip: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marcusxuganda.
If you would like to donate in alternative means, please contact Marcus directly
