This month’s letter comes from the keyboard of Rev Christine: I pray that each of you has experienced a joyful Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. I also trust you have enjoyed all the traditional trimmings, taken time to celebrate the Christmas story, and had the chance to reconnect with those you may not see … More Letter to the Parish
By now all readers of this blog will be aware that our parish choir took part in the BBC’s recording of the Radio 4 Daily Service Carol Concert at Manchester Cathedral early in December 2025. It was a truly amazing event to be part of! This is what some of our singers said: Christmas started … More Radio 4 Daily Service Carol Concert
In music terms, this is an ancient Christmas Carol, dating from the 16th century. I was only introduced to it two Christmases ago though. Cast your mind back. December 2020 was a bleak time. Only a few people were allowed in our churches, and major festivals and services were pre-recorded. Great efforts were made to … More Myn Lyking
She was so tired, as they walked along, Only his arm kept her from falling down. The child within her clamoured to be born She was not much more than a child herself. The hostel for the homeless, by this time, Was full to overflowing, “It’s the rules,” The warden said, not without sympathy, “There’s … More Nativity Now
This article was written for the November 2025 issue of our parish magazine. We began learning this 8-part song in Manchester Chorale rehearsals back in the summer of 2019. For very obvious reasons, we didn’t get to perform it until June 2022. The Chorale was on a concert tour to Kilkenny in Ireland, and I … More Listen to the Lambs – Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943)
The Bethlehem Carol Sheet is having its 70th anniversary this year. Not only is it an affordable way to have in one convenient place nearly all the carols we might want to sing, but its profits support projects helping the poorest people in the Middle East. You won’t find Jingle Bells in it, though – … More December letter to the parish
This article was written for the November 2022 issue of our parish magazine. Sarah Quartel is a Canadian composer and educator, known for her fresh and exciting approach to choral music, and I was first introduced to her work in August 2021. I was at the Sing for Pleasure summer school for choral conductors, where … More I Remember (Sarah Quartel)
I enjoy my visits across the Pennines to visit Rev Debby, and on my summer visit this year, she introduced me to a beautiful picture book called “The Lost Words”. It’s an over-sized picture book by Robert Macfarland and Jackie Morris, and was written as a response to the removal of everyday nature words from … More Lost Words Blessing – Jim Molynexy & Kate Howard
This month’s letter comes from Rev Steve: This season of Remembrance begins with the memory of a month that will resonate for many years. When I first heard of the terrible attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation on 2nd October, Yom Kippur, I knew I had to get there as quick as I could. But … More November Letter to the Parish
This article first appeared in the September 2025 issue of our parish magazine. Here it is for you again: Many readers will know that I attend Sing for Pleasure (SfP) conductor training events regularly, and it was as an Advanced student at the 2025 summer school that I was introduced to a set of utterly … More Gran Miracol d’Amore – Maddalena Casulana (c.1544-c.1590)
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 