November is a time for remembering, and this year there is a heightened poignancy to our memories of friends and family we have lost. In September we had a memorial service for those in our parish that had died during the pandemic, and who we had not been able to mourn properly at their funerals. It was a deeply emotional service. … More In Memoriam (Words and Music S Overington 2018)
Have you ever played the memory game? A collection of random objects is displayed on a tray, covered with a cloth. The cloth is whisked away, and you are given 30 seconds to memorise them, before the cloth is quickly replaced and the tray removed … More Remembering and memories
I have written before that sometimes I hear, sing or play a piece of music and just have to write about it immediately. It can then sit for quite some time waiting for an appropriate time for publication. So it was with this. Written in December 2017, this is the right time: the commemoration of the centenary of the end of the First World War … More Better is Peace (Jenkins 2001)
November is the time for remembrance, whether the private memories on All Souls Day or the public recollection on Remembrance Sunday. In this poem Kathy Galloway does not shy away from the difficult emotions … More There will be peace between us
Welcome to our service of Remembrance, Rev Deborah presided and Rev Sue preached.
We began with the hymn “Lord for the Years” … More Remembrance 2021
Dear friends,
This time in the church’s year is known as the ‘Kingdom Season.’ It includes ‘All Saint’s Day,’ ‘All Soul’s Day’ and ‘Remembrance Sunday.’
On all Saints Day we remember and reflect on those who have gone before us in terms of our faith.
On All Soul’s Day we reflect on and remember our loved ones who are no longer with us but have supported and encouraged on our life journey … More November’s letter from the Vicar
As it happened, the first anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing fell on a Tuesday, the day on which the Chorale meets to rehearse each week. May of us would like to have been in St Anne’s Square that evening taking part in the commemorations, but we were committed to our rehearsals. Instead we began with this song, then held a minute silence … More A Flower Remembered (Rutter – words and music, 1945-present)
2018 has been a year of remembrance with concerts to commemorate the centenary of the ending of the Great War reaching their climax in November … More We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace – trad spiritual, arr. Hogan (1957-2003)
This powerful aria is the penultimate song in Purcell’s opera “Dido and Aeneas”. I discovered it one January morning. We were recently locked down for the third time, infection rates were out of control and UK daily death rates were higher than ever … More Dido’s Lament – H Purcell (1659-95)
Tuesday 23 March 2021 is the anniversary of the first national lockdown in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and has been declared a National day of Reflection.
Rev Deborah offers this short reflection of prayer, readings and music. It will be available to watch – and re-watch – indefinitely … More National Day of Reflection
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 