New Canon Pastor appointed - Truro Cathedral

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2011
New Canon Pastor appointed
NEWS 2
Bishop Tim has appointed the
Reverend Prebendary Lynda Barley
to the joint post of Diocesan
Secretary and Canon Pastor of
Truro Cathedral.
Lynda comes to Truro from Exeter
where she has lived and ministered
since ordination in 1996. In 2000
she moved from parochial ministry
to take on the post of Head of
Research and Statistics at the
Archbishops’ Council, continuing
the themes of some of her earlier
work before ordination when she
was a professional statistician and
social researcher. In recent years
her priestly ministry has been split
between some Devon villages and
Southwark Cathedral where she
has been an honorary chaplain.
Lynda will begin her work here in
November. She will spend the
majority of her time in her
Diocesan administrative role, but
will be ministering here as Canon
Pastor for about three days a
fortnight, together with the majority
of Sundays. With her varied
background and skills she will have
much to offer to the Cathedral
community and to our deliberations as
a Chapter.
Canon Peter Walker will also be
continuing as a full member of
Chapter on a non-stipendiary basis,
alongside his principal work as
Chaplain to the Isles of Scilly. He will
in future occupy the position of Canon
Librarian, and during his visits to the
mainland will work in particular to
strengthen the link between the
Cathedral and the Isles of Scilly.
Please pray for Lynda and her
husband Chris as they prepare to
move to Cornwall in the late Autumn.
FROM PERRAN 3
CANON PETER 4
FAREWELL 5
ST MARY’S PCC 6
ORDINATIONS 9
ST PETOC’S SOCIETY 10
BELLS 12
VISITING CHOIRS 14
INSPIRE CORNWALL 15
PILGRIMAGE 18
THE ’CREM’ 20
FRIENDS 22
MOTHERS’ UNION 24
IN THE WORLD 26
DEC 27
BISHOP RICHARD
LLEWELLIN
28
“the need to lobby the
richest to repay their
carbon debt – part of
the Countdown to
Copenhagen”
HIGHLIGHTS 34
WHAT’S ON 35
ORGANORAK 36

NEWS
from the Cathedral
From the 28th August a new system of Intercessions is
going to be introduced. There have been problems
because we do not record who asked for the names to be
put on, how long they are to be on the list, nor do we
know if their circumstances have changed. From this date
the vergers will look after the list. If you have a name to
put on the list please see one of them or if that is
impossible ‘phone or speak to the Cathedral Office.
See page 8 for details
2
Chief Executive on the move
Neil Parsons is to leave his position as Chief Executive at
the end of August to take up an equivalent position as
Chapter Steward at Norwich Cathedral. Neil, who joined
us in 2007, said, “I have greatly enjoyed working with all
members of the Cathedral Community, so many exciting
and interesting things have happened and I shall always
cherish my time here.” See page 4
Cathedral Camps
On Wednesday 27th July, eight young gap year students
arrived in Truro to take part in the annual Cathedral
Camps Programme for one week. The volunteers aged
16-25 are working on various maintenance projects,
gardening, decorating and cleaning. They are staying in
the Choral Scholars House. Please make them welcome;
they will be easily identified by their Cathedral Camps
T-shirts.
Intercessions
Nine Lessons and Carols
Application Forms are now available from the front office
for tickets for Nine Lessons and Carols Services. There is
an individual limit of 6 tickets per application. Remember
to get your application in early as tickets will go very
quickly, once on general release. All Tickets will be
distributed on Friday 25 November.
Flower Guild
Audrey Henry is asking for help on Saturday mornings to
arrange the flowers in the Cathedral. If you would like to
be added to the rota then please leave your name and
contact details in the Cathedral Office 01872 276782 so
that Audrey can phone you.
Service for Volunteers
There is a saying that if you keep doing the same thing
and getting the same poor result try changing what you
are doing. The Cathedral has recently been trying to
commemorate and thank all its volunteers at an annual
service. It also provided an opportunity for volunteers to
rededicate themselves. The service was at Evensong
followed by refreshments but as time went by fewer and
fewer volunteers were coming. So we have changed the
timing to the 10.00 am Sung Eucharist and this year it
will be on 18 th September. We do hope all our volunteers
will be able to come as we express together our thanks
for all the service and dedication given by all the
volunteers. This Cathedral Church could not function
without them nor pursue our aims for the wider
community. Next year if this time works we will attach the
date of the service to National Volunteers Week which is
in the first week of June.
Canon Augustus Blair Donaldson
On Wednesday 13 July Barbara Martin was just
finishing stewarding at 12 noon when Mr Christopher
Jobson of Ellesmere in Shropshire introduced himself –
he is a descendent of Canon Augustus Blair Donaldson
who was the Precentor of Truro Cathedral in 1887.
He told her that Canon Donaldson wrote the service for
the placing of the Foundation Stone in the South Aisle on
20 May 1880. Mr Jobson was only in Truro for one
day, but would be very interested in whatever
information anyone can give him about Canon
Donaldson. Please let Anne Marie, in the Cathedral
Office, know if you have anything that might be of
interest to him.
Essay Competition
In his annual report to the St Boniface Council in March
this year, Canon John Townroe issued a challenge. He
raised the question of the effect on both the Anglican
and Roman Catholic Churches of the establishment of
the Anglican Ordinariate. The St Boniface Trust are
running a competition open to clergy, ordinands and
laity in the Church of England to write an essay of about
5000 words entitled ‘Why I am an Anglican and believe
I shall remain so’ The Trust will present a present a prize
of £1000 for the winning essay with a deadline of 1 st
January 2012. For those essayists interested in
submitting, more details can be found on the website
www.stbonifacetrust.org.uk
Hospitality
Another plea for anyone who can help Audrey with either
helping serve Coffee after the Sunday Eucharist or
to help occasionally serving drinks for special events.

From
Canon Perran...
hope springs eternal
Ten years ago the world changed. Ten years on as we
recall the horrific events of September 11 th 2001 we will
no doubt experience again some of the raw emotions
that we felt then – the shock, the outrage, the numbing
fear, the questioning, the crying out for revenge, the
desire to do something for those most affected by the
tragedy, the sense that nothing could ever be the same
again. Some of us had a more personal involvement – a
friend of ours was flying that day from Boston to Florida,
and we waited anxiously until we received a reassuring
email that they had not been involved. Up and down
America and all over the world the same drama was
replayed as people sat waiting for news of their loved
ones. All of us planning to travel by air thought long and
hard about whether we should cancel our journeys. And
our Cathedral, like places of worship everywhere, was
full of people leaving flowers, signing books of
remembrance, sitting in silence while they waited for the
darkness to pass.
Less than four months later, as 2001 turned into 2002,
Rainy and I flew to Florida to stay with some friends in
Orlando, and to spend a day or two with them in Walt
Disney World. The suburban landscape that we
remembered from a previous visit had altered
dramatically. Everywhere the Stars and Stripes were
flying as a gesture of solidarity and national unity, and
once we had negotiated the rather incongruous
temporary security cordons that now encircled Walt
Disney World, we found the same scene of optimism
and idealism for which Disney is famous. Our friends
spoke too about the increase in church attendance in the
weeks following 9/11, and the way in which members
of the Church were caring for each other as they came
to terms with their national grief. This was in distant
Florida: in New York itself there were even more striking
stories of solidarity, love and care that have already
become the stuff of modern day legends.
Ten years on, there is still unresolved tension around; still
suspicion of the person of a different creed, colour or
background; still an unwillingness to confront some of
the global issues that contributed to the background of
9/11. No one can pretend that the world is safe, or that
violence may not flare up in all kinds of places and
circumstances. But as we discovered at the beginning of
2002, so now in 2011 there is a renewed sense of
hope, hope that the human spirit will always triumph in
the end over adversity, that love and not hatred is the
most powerful force in the world, and that death does
not lead to despair but to victory. These are beliefs
shared by many throughout the world, of all faiths and
of none, but perhaps most clearly by Christians who
place a sign of despair and hope, the Cross of Christ on
that dark Friday afternoon, at the centre of their
understanding of the universe, and dare to call that
Friday Good.
This year the anniversary of 9/11 falls on a Sunday.
That afternoon at 4.00 p.m., in place of Evensong, we
invite you to a special service that will reflect once more
on the events of 2001, and on what we have learnt and
continue to learn from them. Do come and share that
time with us. Do come and confront the darkness and the
questions that 9/11 brings. And share with us too the
conviction that hope springs eternal, and that nothing in
all creation can separate us from the love of God in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
3

40 years on…..
On Wednesday 29 June Canon Peter Walker
celebrated 40 years of ministry. In this interview
he looks back over a varied and eventful life as
a Priest.
Colin:
Peter:
Colin:
Peter:
Colin:
Peter:
Colin:
Peter:
You’ve had quite a wide-ranging ministry
throughout your 40 years, haven’t you?
Yes, I’ve been lucky to have had a variety of jobs
and roles in both deeply urban and rural parishes
in very beautiful places, but people are
much the same wherever you are. During the
Lake District years I came into contact with many
young people from inner city Manchester and
Liverpool and because of my urban experience, I
knew where they were coming from, so to speak.
I have always considered myself to be, first and
foremost, a parish priest and throughout my ministry
I have never been without one, whether as
Warden of a retreat house or here at the Cathedral.
Why did you become a priest?
Looking back to the first glimmer of a vocation to
be a priest, I had this rather romantic notion of a
begging bowl existence, wandering the streets
and spreading the gospel, talking about God,
and helping people to grow in faith and the
spiritual life. I was young and single, ordained
at the age of 23, so I could adapt to circumstances
pretty easily. At one point I moved accommodation
five times in six months, living for
a while in the Church Hall! I spent a lot of time
relating to young people, and involving them in
the life of the church, something that is not so
easy nowadays.
Who influenced your early ministry?
During my formation as a priest my Bishop was
Trevor Huddleston. In fact he ordained me priest.
He was responsible for exposing the apartheid
regime in South Africa to the west, through his
book ‘Naught for your Comfort’, and his influential
on me was great.
Your early work as a priest was in the East End
of London.
Yes, I served two curacies. One near Stamford
Hill in Hackney and the second at St Matthew’s,
Bethnal Green, Both played a major part in my
formation but it was in Bethnal Green that I
really came to understood the meaning of the
Colin:
Peter:
Colin:
Peter:
Colin:
Peter:
Colin:
Peter:
Incarnation and God’s involvement with the
poor. I experienced the absolute reality of poverty
there, but in later years, I’ve become aware
of the extent of rural poverty. There are hidden
pockets of extreme poverty in Cornwall.
Do you think that hidden poverty has changed
over the years? Is it worse, better of just the
same?
I don’t think the situation is better, in fact I think
the gap between rich and poor has got wider.
There have been people who have moved to
Cornwall who haven’t necessarily contributed to
the overall economy, many have of course, but
we know how the rise in house prices has impacted
on local people.
You’ve spent over ten years at the Cathedral.
What are your impressions over that period?
It has been a wonderful and eventful ten years.
We have undergone major change, in fact,
something of a revolution in the way we organise
ourselves. I think the Cathedral is in really
very good heart. It has developed beyond recognition.
There is so much going on and its
public profile has been raised dramatically. I
think people recognise it as a powerhouse; it
initiates things and drives things; it’s so full of
life and energy. Long may it continue!
What have you enjoyed most at the Cathedral?
Undoubtedly it has been working with young
people, working with the schools and latterly
becoming much more involved with the life of
the choir. My musical education has taken a
giant leap forward! My greatest achievement
was to sing the Rose responses at Evensong
without a hitch and of course I have enjoyed
being a member of the boy bands Sound Heresy
and The Sweet Inspirations! I was particularly
pleased at the appointment of a full-time
Education Officer, which I always felt we
needed. Sarah Hughes our new Education Officer
is wonderful and I’m pleased that I’m leaving
the education provision to grow and develop
in her capable hands.
Is there anything that concerns you?
Possibly, I am conscious of the tension between
our busy-ness and the need for our Cathedral to
be an oasis, or better still, a powerhouse of
prayer, silence and quiet reflection. We should
never lose sight of what Jesus left us; the gift of
prayer. That’s what his disciples asked him to
teach them. If you lose that, you lose everything.
Prayer is the bedrock, the springboard, and
whatever else goes on in the building we must
4

never lose sight of that importance of prayer.
importance to welcome them as Christ himself.
Colin:
Peter:
If you look back over your 40 years as a priest,
there have been some significant changes in the
Church and where it is going. How would you
characterise some of those changes?
The major change I’ve noticed as a priest is how
much more thinly spread we are. The benefits of
that have been to encourage other forms of ministry,
both ordained and lay; a much stronger sense
of being in it together as the body of Christ. Society
is more secularized and the Church is much
diminished in terms of its importance in people’s
lives. Church life is an alien culture for many people
and I have always been particularly concerned
to encourage the whole Cathedral community to
give a great deal of attention to the way we welcome
visitors into the Cathedral. It is of the utmost
Colin:
Peter:
You are Chaplain to the Isles and will continue to
be a member of Chapter as the new Canon Librarian.
How will that work?
I am grateful that the Bishop and the Chapter have
allowed me to remain a member of Chapter in
order to better develop the relationship between
the Cathedral and Scilly. I am keen to do this and I
have one or two ideas on how to do it. Having
nearly completed twelve months here I’m beginning
to understand the rhythm of island life which
is very different to life in Truro. Lynne and I are
enjoying this new ministry and the challenges that
constantly present themselves in this demanding
parish. Here’s to the next forty years!
Farewell
As I prepare for my move to
Norwich Cathedral, it gives me
time to reflect on my last four
years at Truro. So many exciting
and interesting things have
happened and here are some of
the memories which I will take
with me:
Our wonderful Cathedral Choir -
The daily pattern of services which underpins all that the
Cathedral is about. Yet our musicians at Truro always
give so much more through the wider mission and
outreach which music can bring; the work of Cornwall
Junior and Youth Choirs, the SING UP outreach
programme, the varied BBC broadcasts including the
Pentecost Eucharist in 2008, the many wonderful concerts
and our superb series of Organ Recitals.
The Restoration of the Central Tower and Spire – it was a
great privilege to be part of the team which oversaw this
important restoration work and it is wonderful to see the
Tower sitting proudly on the skyline of Truro, restored
and cleaned for future generations to enjoy.
Working with the Cathedral Chapter – Cathedrals are
different from Parish Churches in that they do not have a
PCC, but a Cathedral Chapter which governs the daily
life of the Cathedral. This can occasionally cause
confusion and tension amongst members of any
Cathedral Congregation. I have very much enjoyed
working with members of Chapter, not only on the day
to day issues affecting the life of the Cathedral, but also
on the more strategic aims and objectives, such as
Inspire Cornwall.
Receiving the news that we had been awarded -
£300,000 from the Friends of Truro Cathedral,
£400,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £250,000
from the English Heritage/Wolfson Foundation
Cathedral Grants Scheme and £100,000 from the
Foundation for Sports and Art towards Inspire
Cornwall!
Fundraising –
We have been particularly fortunate in gaining the
generous support of many donors towards funds at the
Cathedral. All have been very much appreciated.
Special mention must be made of the “lighter” side of
some of our fundraising which has been particularly
enjoyable; the Rick Stein Fundraising Dinner and the
Fundraising Concert with Sir Tim Rice, Rick Wakeman,
Connie Fisher, John Barrowman and the Magnets.
I have greatly enjoyed working with all members of the
Cathedral Community; staff, congregation, Chapter,
Cathedral Council, the Friends and members of our
Finance Committee and Fabric Advisory Committee. I
have learnt an enormous amount during my time at Truro
Cathedral and for this I say a big thank you. I am sure
that this will stand me in good stead for my work as
Chapter Steward of Norwich Cathedral. I do hope that if
you visit Norfolk, you will come and visit me in Norwich.
Neil Parsons
5

Chris Gray our Director of Music takes a look
at the end of term while Luke Bond, his assistant,
previews the Visiting Choirs this summer.
Farewells for the Cathedral Choir
We finished our academic year on Sunday 10 th July with a
mixture of impassioned music and emotional farewells after
Evensong. We said goodbye to our three Head Choristers,
Glen Badve, Angus Edmondson and Jonathan Hunkin as
well as our six Choral Scholars, Tim Braithwaite, Jacob Dennison,
Henry Hawkesworth, Joe Judge, Humfrey Jeakins and
Kieran White and our Organ Scholar, Sachin Gunga. All
have served the Cathedral with distinction and will be
greatly missed for their music and all that they have brought
to our group socially.
We also said farewell to Richard Hichens who has been one
of our bass deputies, singing on Mondays and Fridays, and
has brought a tremendous amount to the Cathedral, in a
variety of ways, over several decades.
Richard was a Lay Vicar in Truro Cathedral Choir from
1976 to 1978 at a time when the duties included singing at
the Eucharist, Mattins and Evensong on Sundays and weekday
services only on the feasts of Apostles. He began a long
and happy association with our choir school, Polwhele
House School, when it opened its doors in 1981 and rejoined
the Choir at that time, singing under John Winter then
David Briggs and then the early days of Andrew Nethsingha.
He deputized under Andrew and then, more regularly,
under Robert Sharpe and, happily, in my time as well.
As well as this, Richard has been a core member of St
Mary’s Singers and Three Spires Singers for many years.
Though he was determined not to have a fuss made, the
Gentlemen of the Choir said farewell to Richard over a glass
of sherry at the top of the Cathedral tower on a beautiful
Sunday evening in June. He leaves us for Hereford where we
wish him every happiness. He will be missed by all at Polwhele
as well as the Cathedral community, within and outside
the Choir.
Webcast Evensong
As most Cathedral Newsletter readers will know, it is a treasured
part of our heritage in England that so many of our
Cathedral Choirs sing services almost every day. Outside the
UK, this only happens in a handful of places, most famously
at St Thomas’ Church on Fifth Avenue in New York. At
Truro, our full choir of men and boys sings at services on
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays during term
time. In June, we embarked on a new initiative to bring a
small number of these services to a larger congregation via
the internet. Our Evensong on Tuesday 28 th June was recorded
‘live’ (sound only) and uploaded to the Cathedral’s
6
website where it can be listened to for free by anyone with
a computer. So far, there have been nearly 8,500 individual
track plays from listeners in 37 countries across the
world. We are the first English Cathedral to webcast a service,
though other foundations have being doing it for a
number of years. I am delighted with the number of people
who have listened to us and we will be exploring ways to
build on this success in the future. We hope to have another
webcast in October.
Visiting Choirs
Luke Bond has again worked hard to create a summer programme
of Visiting Choirs who will provide the choral accompaniment
for the sung services. The warmth of our
Cornish welcome is known through the length and breadth
of the country (possibly further) and goes some way to explain
why we have visiting choirs booking to sing here as
far into the future as 2014. Please do come and support
the choirs and do please say hello at coffee on Sundays.
From August 1 st -7 th the Lynwood Singers will be joining us.
They were formed in 2007 and choir members come together
from many different parts of the country to sing and
enjoy each other’s company. The choir’s director is Robert
Soper and the organist is Daniel Soper.
The Harsnett Choir will be with us from August 8 th -14 th .
Samuel Harsnett was born in 1561, and between 1597
and 1605 he was the Vicar of the Parish of Chigwell. In his
later career he became Bishop of Chichester, then Bishop of
Norwich and, at the time of his death, in 1631, was
Archbishop of York. Samuel Harsnett enjoyed a certain
amount of fame in his day. He was well known for his support
of the Anglican campaign against the practice of exorcism.
His treatise, 'A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures',
was published in 1603 and appears to have
been used by Shakespeare as a reference for certain
scenes in King Lear.
The following week, August 15 th -21 st , we welcome the Priory
Singers who perform a wide range of music from Tudor
anthems and madrigals right through to arrangements of
contemporary works. They have performed anthems by
sixteenth-century composers, a fully-staged performance of
Purcell's Dido and ­Æneas, a new setting of the Requiem
mass by their Musical Director, Stephen Benavente, they
give an annual nine lessons and carols service by candlelight,
and perform their regular 'Lighter Side' engagements
at the Dolman Theatre.
Finally on September 3 rd -4 th we welcome St David’s Singers,
from Exeter. St David’s Singers was formed by Sylvia
Pritchard, then organist of St David’s Church Exeter, in the
early 1970s. Sylvia directed the choir until Autumn 1994
when the baton was passed to Mark Perry. The choir consists
of about 28 singers who enjoy singing challenging
music from a wide range of composers, periods and styles.
They sing sacred and secular music, normally a cappella,
in and around Devon, usually for charities. They have
toured in England and France and have previously recorded
a CD of the music of local (Dartmoor) composer
Christopher Williams.

Truro Cathedral Restaurant on Friday
16th September at 7.30pm will be the
setting for yet another wonderful
evening of gourmet food, fine wine
and entertainment.
Rick Stein very generously agreed to host a
fundraising dinner to help raise funds for the
Cathedral’s Inspire Cornwall appeal, as he did
last year. Rick Stein’s catering team will be led
by Stephane Delourme,
assisted by Andy
Stephens the Head Chef
from the Truro Cathedral
Restaurant. They will
prepare a delicious four
course menu including
Seared Scallops and
Ibérico Ham with
Pimenton and Pardina
Lentils, Fish and Shellfish
Soup, Char-grilled Fillet of Sea Bass with a
Tomato, Butter and Vanilla Vinaigrette with a
Hot Chocolate Fondant to finish.
The Revd Perran Gay said, “We are delighted
that Rick Stein has once again agreed to
support the Cathedral’s Inspire Cornwall
Appeal. Last summer we enjoyed a wonderful
evening of fabulous food, music and good
company so I know it is going to be a very
special and memorable occasion, and
certainly not one to be missed.”
Book early to avoid disappointment as limited
spaces are available, with bookings taken on a
first come first served basis. The cost is £85 per
person, (includes wine) sharing on tables of
ten. Ring Julie Brigden on 01872 245006 to
book.
All proceeds in aid of the Cathedral’s Inspire
Cornwall fundraising appeal. For more
information and to see how you can help go to
www.inspirecornwall.com.
CORNWALL
FEDERATION OF
MALE VOICE
CHOIRS
Four of the best Male Voice Choirs in
Cornwall are coming together on
Saturday 3rd September at 7.30pm to
give a combined concert on behalf of
the Inspire Cornwall Appeal.
Pelynt, Wadebridge, Launceston and St Columba
Celtic Male Voice Choirs are providing the
voices for a stunning concert in Truro Cathedral.
A varied musical programme will feature
traditional Male Voice fare as well as modern
arrangements of popular classics. The Cornish
Federation of Male Voice Choirs was first formed
in 1983, inspired by the very first massed choir
concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The main
objectives of the Federation are to organise
concerts and recitals, encourage composers and
arrangers, to produce modern arrangements for
the furtherance of male voice music and to
support charitable institutions such as the
Cathedral. A fantastic opportunity to hear the
best of Cornish Male Voice music.
Tickets are £10 available either
From Hall For Cornwall 01872
262466 or on the door.
7

St Mary's PCC
Robert Perry, PCC Secretary, reports on
their recent meeting.
The PCC's summer meeting took place on 7 July, when
we received our customary reports on changes to the
Electoral Roll since our March meeting (there weren't
any!) and from, the World Development Group. Our
Treasurer, Anthony Davidson, was able to report a very
healthy financial position, which was very timely in the
context that a welcome guest was Peter Dexter, in his
capacity as Chairman of the Truro Homeless Action
Group (see page 11). This has carried out sterling work
for some years now in helping to provide breakfasts for
those in our community who don't have the luxury of a
bed or indeed of a home. The Group has hitherto
been operating out of the former St Paul's Church Hall,
but this will shortly become unavailable. Peter had
asked the PCC for a donation to assist it in making St
John's Church Hall kitchen a suitable base, and upon
consideration of his presentation on the Group and the
work which it carries out the Council was pleased to
make a substantial contribution towards its funds, in
addition to the annual grant which it had made at a
much lower level for some years.
The Deanery Synod Representatives reported on the
meeting of that body held at Archbishop Benson school
at the end of May. The school was seeking to become
an academy, in line with government policy that
those schools which wished to change to this model of
governance should be able to do so. Archbishop Benson
School is in fact the first Church of England school
in Cornwall to take this step, although others are following
on behind. The Synod had voted to raise no objection
to the school's proposal, having first received a full
presentation on the topic from the Head teacher and
Chairman of Governors.
Our Vice-Chairman, Ian Brown, reported that he had
received a letter from the Chairman of the Truro Civic
Society, Councillor Bert Biscoe, on the subject of the
upper stage of the spire which had at one time adorned
St Mary's Church before it was largely demolished to
make way for the Cathedral. This has for many years
been exiled to Kenwyn - it stands near the Bishops'
parking spaces outside Diocesan House. The Civic Society
had suggested that as part of the re-ordering of the
Cathedral Close in line with the Inspire Cornwall project
it would be good if the spire could be returned to the
Cathedral and so once again be sited in the parish from
which it had been moved so long before. The PCC was
sympathetic to this proposal, although we felt that until
the Close re-ordering had made more progress it was
probably premature to take this too far at this stage.
Our next meeting takes place in October.
8
Praying for the Sick
and Suffering
We pray for many people and situations in our
daily acts of worship. One of the resources we use
is a list of people we have been asked to pray for
who are sick or suffering. These people are usually
prayed for on a daily basis including the Sunday
Sung Eucharist. However there are at times problems
because we do not record who asked for the
names to be put on, how long they are to be on the
list, nor do we know if their circumstances have
changed. In order to solve these and other problems
we will be starting a new system for this list.
The new system will start after 28 th August.
How are names to be added after 28 th August?
The vergers will look after the list. If you have a
name to put on the list please see one of them or if
that is impossible ‘phone or speak to the Cathedral
Office.
What information will I need?
You will be asked for the person’s name, whether
or not they have given their permission to be on the
list and your name and contact details.
How long will names be on the list?
Names will be on the list for a maximum of 1
month. It will be up to the person requesting the
name to be on the list to renew it.
Will this affect the list of the newly departed or the
naming on the anniversary of death?
No.
Will this affect the prayer requests in the prayer
request box by St. Mary’s aisle?
No
Please be patient as the vergers and office adapt to
this slight change. We think the change will improve
our corporate acts of prayer for the sick and
suffering.
Canon Philip Lambert

CRICKET
Robert Preston, our Cricket Correspondent,
reports on the annual match against the
Mayor’s XI.
The sky was threatening rain, as I arrived at the
ground full of trepidation!! Brian Spong had asked
me to be captain, but I declined as I had little experience.
So, one of the Ladock Cricket team was in
charge, and promptly won the toss, and elected to
bat. The sky was very dark and overcast, so I knew
there would be movement off the seam. Two of our
Choral Scholars opened the batting, Joseph making
six runs before being bowled out while Tim made
thirty four before retiring. Humphrey made twenty five
before also retiring. I managed to score two runs
before I was caught and bowled by the Parks Depart-
Country Skittles
Once again, on 24 June, the long awaited Servers’
outing of the year to Country Skittles took place,
which included members of the choir and office staff.
The meals and coach were booked and the pick n’
mix safely packed. Last year’s winners cup was retrieved
from Canon Perran, as he commented in a
leisurely way that ‘he was feeling rather laid back this
year , hoping another team would win!’
Following Evensong, everyone boarded the 33 seater
coach and settled down to enjoy the annual in-house
entertainment and box of pick n’ mix. Each person
received the guidance about their team: Cannon Perran’s
team being appropriately named the Cheetahs,
Canon Peter’s- the Puffins, Chris Gray’s- the Skylarks
and Peter Hewson’s -the Eagles. The competitive spirit
was high, with the common aim of ensuring that despite
Canon Perran’s claim of being ‘laid back’ this
year, he was definitely going to be defeated.
Following the purchase of the liquid refreshments,
everyone began the first game with great enthusiasm
from the onset. Each team leader was very keen to
keep their team members speedily bowling in order to
win the first game. Whilst carrying out my matronly
duties, I happened to notice the beads of perspiration
beginning to appear on Canon Perran’s brow, and
his anxious looks towards the other lanes. When suddenly,
a loud cheer went up from the Skylarks as their
last bowl scored the winning number they were waitment
Manager. Our team managed to notch up a very
respectable total of 148 for 7 wickets in twenty overs despite
some torrential rain during the first half of the innings.
Then it was the turn of the Mayor's team to try and
beat our total. They were bowled out for seventy runs with
three wickets falling off the bowling of Tim with plenty of
wides!! And even Humphrey, plus myself, taking a wicket
in memory of the late Chris Opie who was a fine cricketer
in his day. The batsman was completely spread eagled
with his middle stump flying out of the ground. We won
the game just before the rain came back, and we all enjoyed
sumptuous beef burger rolls and sausages!! The
raffle made a lot of money. Brian Spong asked me to receive
the engraved tankard which was an honour. This
will be in the Cathedral Office for twelve months .
I would like to thank Brian Spong for getting the team
together and for doing the scoring , and liaising with the
Mayor's team to get another date, as the original date
was called off due to rain.
ing for. Was that a fleeting look of disappointment
that swept across Canon Perran’s face?
The meal, which had been prepared by the two new
chefs, was thoroughly enjoyed by all and washed
down with some more liquid refreshments. The excitement
was now mounting as everyone prepared to
begin the second game.
The Skylarks got off to a flying start, followed closely
by the Puffins who got their beaks stuck in, the Eagles
sharp eyes were well focussed and the Cheetahs sped
off into action. Bowls were being rolled at a furious
pace whilst each team took the lead at various stages
in the game.
Canon Perran
was constantly
checking his
team’s scores
as well as the
other teams.
Until the cry
went up and
low and behold
we had a winner,
the Puffins!
With a gracious
smile,
Canon Perran
presented the
cup to Canon Peter ‘well done and well deserved’ we
heard him say; but I think we have a pretty good idea
of what he was really thinking!!
Anne Marie Rickard (Matron)
9

Quavers to Quartets
Colin has kindly and perhaps dangerously
asked me to contribute to the Cathedral
News and I feel honoured to do so. Here
then is a little something about how I see
worship and particularly cathedral worship.
Ikon John
Ikon John has been in contact about a lovely
afternoon he recently spent in North Cornwall.
Around 40 people from the surrounding parishes saw
Icon John present Bishop Tim with an icon of St
Aldhelm which was then hallowed. It shows the Saint
arriving by boat at Chaple Amble 1300 years ago.
The hallowing was done on exactly the same spot as
depicted in the icon. After all the excitement everyone
enjoyed a very fine cream tea.
10
Left to Right The Revd Preb John May Rector of
St. Endellion, Ikon John and Bishop Tim
Well over sixty years ago I was confirmed by the retired
Bishop of Lucknow because the Bishop of Chichester
was suddenly called to The House of Lords. In his
sermon instead of telling us about Christian behaviour
or giving us a little rundown of the faith, the bishop
mused in a gentle and indefinite way, to fifty obstreperous
boys, about beauty and grace with a story
which I can still remember to illustrate what he said.
And in my equal old age (though I assent to them in
an indefinite way) I don’t always go great guns on the
creeds, the articles of religion and large chunks of the
Bible. For me they are notes on the score rather than
the music itself. They are the brush marks on the canvas
rather than the picture itself. Letters on the paper
rather than the sound of the poetry. To put it crisply I
prefer the Song of Songs to the book of Leviticus.
Though, of course, I can always hear more than whispers
of the divine quartet and see the colours of the
heavenly Rembrandt, behind the resurrection stories
in Luke and John. Which all, perhaps, sounds like a
tired old man.
But here comes the point I want to make. The job of
worship is to do what the things I have mentioned
above don’t do so often these days. It is, it seems to
me, and particularly cathedral worship and most of
all sacramental worship, to take us beyond. To indulge
in some purple passages, the liturgy, the ceremonial,
the words, the music are there to open our
ears to the heavenly chorus, to open our eyes to the
colours and forms of the divine portraits, and twist our
souls with the meters of the silent poetry. Even the
stones of the building are there to echo to the sounds
of the distant but ever at hand kingdom. And the sermon
should be a jingling of the keys that open those
doors. Lastly, the sacrament, of course, embodies it all
for real. Yes indeed, worship turns solid quavers into
eternal late Beethoven quartets.
I won’t go on. All I can add is that I always adored
worshiping in your glorious cathedral because it so
often transported me in that way. I didn’t often ponder
whether I needed a cocktail bar in that bulky throne. I
was lifted and loved by the worship and who can ask
for more.
Bishop Michael Ball

New Ministers ordained to serve across Cornwall
New Priests from left to right: Revd Elaine Munday (Bodmin Team
Ministry), Revd Steve Robinson (Crantock with Cubert and Perranzabuloe),
Revd Jane Kneebone (Newquay), Revd Roger May
(Bodmin Team Ministry), Bishop Tim Thornton, Revd Dominic Whitting
(St Breoke and Egloshayle in Wadebridge), Revd Suzanne
Hosking (St Merryn with St Issey and St Petroc Minor), Revd
Charles Boyle (St Kea), Revd Diane Willoughby (St Agnes and
Mount Hawke with Mithian)
Incarnation, then we have to believe that we
see Jesus in the widow, the orphan and the
stranger, those three prodders of the
conscience that run through the ethical
teaching of the Old Testament. Therefore the
priest, as well as preaching Christ crucified,
needs to see - and be open to seeing - Jesus
in the world in which he or she ministers."
Turning to the phrase ‘in uncertain times,
In necessary things, unity; in uncertain
things, freedom; in everything, compassion.
This was the ancient maxim that Archdeacon
Roger Bush took as the theme of his sermon
at the ordination service in the Cathedral on
2 July.
Addressing the eight new priests, he told them that
"priests often inhabit an ambiguous and ambivalent
role in the world ... but it is precisely that ambiguity
that makes the fact of priesthood so essential. And
why the calling and ordaining of priests is such a
wonderful response to the promptings of God".
Archdeacon Roger referred too to the words of the
well-known hymn, Ye holy angels bright, and how its
author, Richard Baxter, the 17 th century Puritan
divine, had held great store by the maxim. He
described Baxter as an overwhelmingly pastoral man
who understood, and was tolerant of, the
waywardness of human nature. "His theological
sternness never incarcerated a compassionate heart,"
he said. Speaking of the paradox of the unity of
Jesus, he explained that we can only see it in the
diversity of the world around us. "If we believe in the
Dear Perran,
Thank you so much for once again organising two superb services.
I know that both the Deacons and Priests found the services
very moving and the words “moving and awesome” kept
cropping up in their descriptions. I would also like to thank all
your staff for making the candidates so welcome and for putting
them at their ease. It can be a very tense and nerve wracking
experience and everyone made sure that they felt comfortable
and secure so that they could fully enter into the worship.
Many many thanks for all that you and your team did for the
ordinands.
Best wishes, Julia Wilkinson
Diocesan Director of Ordinands
freedom', Archdeacon Roger warned of the dangers of
romanticising the past.
"We would all love to live in a mythological and
illusory past," he said, "but that is what the past tends
to be when we become defensive: mythological and
illusory. And our myths will only have the effect of
incarcerating us, imprisoning us in a rosy glow,
whereas the reality of the situation is here and now,
and demanding that our Gospel values and our
Gospel commission make us engage with the world in
all its contradictions and uncertainties."
"Priesthood is not about having all the answers; it is
about engaging with the reality of the present with a
never-ending yearning to discern more about the truth
of God in what we do," he added.
‘In everything, compassion'. Archdeacon Roger
suggested that this was, on the face of it probably the
easiest of the three maxims to consider. "We wouldn't
be here now if we didn't have some feeling for the
people we want to serve. Absolutely. But in some
respects this is the most challenging of the lot, because
it involves the heart, the very self. "We are all full of
contradictions. None of us has a clear, linear view of
the way in which we live our lives or live out our
ministry. The theme will be too high for all of us. But
those of us privileged to be priests bring our
contradictoriness to the altar, the pulpit, the font, the
place of blessing, the place of forgiveness, the place
where the love of the marrying couple is celebrated,
where the sick are anointed and where the dying are
commended; and it is in those places, and elsewhere,
that the crucible of life, our thoughts, our feelings, our
uncertainties and anxieties, the people and the
situations we are facing, are magnetised by the fact of
our priesthood to the extent that we can make a little
bit more sense of ourselves and our place in
the world."
11

St Petroc’s Society
25th Anniversary Service
Saturday 9th July 2011 at 2.30pm
Steve Ellis (St Petroc’s Chief Executive)
gave this address at the Service.
Good afternoon and may I say thank you to you all
for joining us on this special day.
When thinking about what I was to say today, the
difficulty was not so much what to say but what to
leave out. Put simply, the history of St Petroc’s is so
Cornish Sculptor, Richard Austin, created this ultra lifelike sculpture,
‘Invisible Sleeper’, to help draw attention to the plight of homeless
people in Cornwall.
rich and compelling and is filled with so much
imagination, innovation, trust, hard work and, in
huge supply, faith.
I think it is important that as we are in this magnificent
Cathedral, we acknowledge that the bedrock of the
work of the Society is a faith in a set of values and
principles of Social Justice for all. The St Petroc’s of
2011 has grown and developed into an asset for the
Cornish Community, as the Society is here for all
those who experience the isolation and loneliness that
being homeless brings.
25 years ago that pioneering group who put their
skills, efforts and minds to trying to address
homelessness have left a legacy that they can all be
proud of.
12
For the values and ethics they based their work upon,
have never had more relevance than they do today. The
need for honesty, the ability to continue to work with those
who cannot access help from anywhere else, to never
refuse to work with any individual, these statements flow
easily off the tongue, yet in reality are enormously difficult
to carry out.
But these building blocks put in place have allowed the
Society to work with distinction as it tackles the issues of
homelessness, and the supplementary issues often
including unemployment, family displacement, addiction,
poverty and abuse. Without a strong sense of purpose
and values, the Society cannot hope to succeed.
In our 25 years the Society has seen 24,534 new clients;
on average 2.69 new homeless every day. My feelings
when I consider this figure are mixed – shame that as a
Society we still regularly exclude those who have least in
terms of material wealth – and sadness that the
opportunities for those who become homeless are so
limited as they try to get back on their feet and be
contributors to our community.
The compensation for these feelings is offset by the
staggering amount of
kindness and
thoughtfulness of the same
members of our Society. St
Petroc’s is the beneficiary
of some of the most
generous and giving you
can imagine; food, clothes,
‘Invisible Sleeper’ (close up) furniture, skills, time and
money all given on a daily
basis – all much needed and truly appreciated.
The balance between falling into despair and then
receiving help and assistance is difficult to maintain. St
Petroc’s for these last 25 years has developed a way of
trying to maintain this balance. The number of homeless
today is significantly higher than in the mid 1980’s; St
Petroc’s has had to adapt and innovate to provide
services we can all be proud of.
The support has been equally innovative as it has had to
be, to ensure that no-one should have to live with the
anxieties and despair of homelessness. As St Petroc’s will
do all it can to make a difference.
The debt and gratitude to the vision and courage of our
colleagues over the last 25 years cannot be calculated
and we today are privileged to continue their work.
Thank you for listening to me, thank you for your
continued support and on behalf of all homeless people,
thank you for being St Petroc’s as without you I have no
idea where we would go.
For more information see www.stpetrocs.org.uk

THAG
When the Truro night shelter closed in the spring of 1998,
it was recognised that there remained a need for the
homeless to have access to regular meals and hot drinks
together with non-confrontational contact with members of
society. A group of volunteers formed THAG and initially
served hot drinks and sandwiches every morning from a
corner of the old bus station.
Eventually, THAG was able to operate from Zebedee’s
Cafe and then the Salvation Army Hall which meant that
not only could hot food be served but also the clients
could warm up after a night outdoors, use proper toilets
and socialise with each other in a welcoming
environment. Full festive lunches were provided at
Christmas.
In May 2008, THAG moved to St Pauls Hall offering the
same breakfast and Christmas facilities A full English
breakfast is available at a cost of £1. Hot drinks and
toast are available free of charge. Meal vouchers for new
arrivals to the city are issued both by St Petroc’s and Truro
Methodist Church. In addition, toiletries, socks and other
sundries are issued free of charge. New thermal
underwear is available during the winter months.
THAG is run purely by volunteers and relies totally on
individual contributions and larger more formal grants..
Some donations are in kind with one person contributing
a supply of new socks every week. At Christmas, a local
farmer donates a free range turkey and various local
organisations such as the Lions Club provide some of the
Christmas niceties that the rest of us come to expect.
Major financial grants have been received from The Lord
St Leven Fund, The Rosemullion Trust, The Diocese of
Truro, St Mary’s Church, The Church of our Lady of the
Portal and St Piran and Truro Methodist Church.
THAG has always endeavoured to be a good neighbour
and liaises with other homeless organisations and values
the support of the police who arrange informal visits from
the local PCSOs.
Once again, because of the pending change of use of St
Paul’s Hall, it is necessary to move premises and
negotiations are underway to relocate to St John’s Hall
where both the Rosemullion and Diocese grants will
enable the necessary alterations to be made to facilitate
the service.
THAG still has two of its founder members, Paddy
McParlane and Ann Boorman and continues to encourage
new volunteers to keep the service alive. It remains the
only group in Truro that provides a hot meal for the
homeless 365 days a year.
More help is needed from volunteers for one duty
a week from 7.30 am – 9.00 am serving
breakfasts.
Please contact Peter Dexter on 01872 261614 if you can
help in any way.
Celebrate with the country’s foremost charity St
John Ambulance on Saturday 17 September at
2.30pm in Truro Cathedral with a Re-dedication service.
This charity has a history of over 1000 years commencing
in The Holy Land where monks ran a very
large hospital in Jerusalem for visiting pilgrims and
in its hey day could accommodate up to 2000 patients.
It still maintains an Eye Hospital there today.
The Order of St John is an Order of Chivalry with
The Queen as Sovereign Head and received its charter
from Queen Victoria. It differs from other orders
of the British Commonwealth in that its members
have an obligation of charitable service. In England
this is mainly through St John Ambulance, well
known for first aid training and for first aid duty at
public events.
Since 19449 the governing body of the Order has
visited a different county each year for a service of
Re-dedication in its Cathedral and this year for the
first time in 25 years it will be in Truro. This also will
be the last public appearance of Lady Mary Holborrow
(who has been a member of the Order of St
John for many years) before she retires as Lord Lieutenant.
In the morning prior to the service there will be on
display outside of the Cathedral many of the activities
undertaken by St John Ambulance.
Free tickets to attend the service are available from
the Cathedral Office or St John Ambulance 01726
815967.
13

New Bells peal out
across Truro
On Sunday, 5 th June the long-awaited first ever
ring of twelve bells in Cornwall, broadcast live on
Radio Cornwall, rang out over the city at 9.20 for
the Sunday 10 am Sung Eucharist.
Left to Right, Alan Sharples, John Davis, John Pladdys, Anthony Davidson,
Jacqueline Davis, Barbara Sharples, Hilary Davis, Nicky Carveth, Robbert
Perry, John Roberts, Chris Davis, Roger Pengelly, Nicky Moxon
The Cathedral ringers were at full strength, and
following the opening ring on all twelve bells the
new lighter ring of ten bells, made possible by the
addition of the two semi-tone bells, were then
rung. The three bells given in memory of Stanley &
Isabel Davidson, Valerie Pengelly and Frank &
Arthur Roberts were rung by members of their
respective families, as the splendid photograph
published in the West Briton records. The new bells
and completed project will be dedicated by Bishop
Tim at 4pm Solemn Evensong on Sunday, 20 th
November.
Cathedral Ringers
Open Day
Saturday 10 September
Cathedral regulars will know that the Cathedral
bells were silent between early January
and the end of May, while a major
engineering operation took place in the
bell chamber as the metal bell frame was
altered and the position of the existing
10 bells was adjusted to make room for
the four new bells which give us a
diatonic ring of 12 bells with 2 semitones
for additional combinations and
flexibility. We now have a glorious
peal of bells which will serve the
Cathedral for very many years to come.
The ringers are delighted to be able
once again to ring before the main
Sunday services and on other occasions,
and on 12 bells now rather than "just"
10. We invite all members of the
congregation and anyone else interested to look
behind the scenes on Saturday 10 September
between 10.30am and 5.30pm when we shall
be pleased to show you the ringing chamber
and (for those willing to climb another seventy
steps!) the bells themselves. We intend to
have CCTV set up amongst the bells to show
what happens when a bell is rung, together with
displays which explain something of the history
of bell ringing in the Cathedral.
Please look out for further publicity nearer the
time, but book the date now and we look
forward to seeing you on the day.
Robert Perry
Cathedral Ringing Master
Bell donors get to ring their bells. L to R Anthony Davidson,
Roger Pengelly and John Roberts.
14
Anyone interested in finding out
more about bell ringing should
contact Robert Perry, Master of
the Ringers, 01872 277117.

Cornwall Guild of
Weavers, Spinners
& Dyers
Bell ringer's Jigsaw
A special wooden jigsaw has been commissioned
to celebrate the Cathedral bells Centenary. It is
based on a banner produced by students from
Penair School, Truro.
Sarah Hughes, the Cathedral's Education Officer,
said, "the original idea was to create a banner
that celebrated the centenary of the bells. We
wanted to take a fresh look at bell ringing so we
asked students from Penair School if they'd like to
participate. Art practitioners Cloth of Gold
helped to facilitate the project, the resulting banner
has been much admired with the image used
to make a testing jigsaw.”
A grant from the Central Council of Bell Ringers
has enabled a limited number of jigsaws of the
banner to be produced.
The jigsaw is priced at £20 and is
available from the Cathedral Office
on a first come first served basis.
The Cornwall Guild of Weavers, Spinners &
Dyers has been in existence since 1951, and is
one of the oldest Guilds in the country. 2011
will see them celebrating their 60th anniversary.
We have a vast and varied array of talents that has
been showcased over the years at various
exhibitions. Not least to say that members designed
and created the cushion which sits on The Bardic
Chair of the Grand Bard in Truro Cathedral, also in
the Cathedral is a curtain, designed and woven by
our members, depicting life in Cornwall.
We are a teaching Guild and among the aims of the
Guild we try to encourage the ongoing traditional
art of hand spinning, weaving & dyeing, to promote
and increase the public interest and awareness
within these crafts. We are also aware of bringing
the crafts into the 21st Century, so we have started
with a website www.cgwsd.btik.com
We promote our crafts at many events held around
the County during the summer season and actively
encourage people to participate in the mini
workshops that we run at these events.
Alongside the spinning and weaving, we
demonstrate affiliated crafts such as felting.
We hold two meetings a month; on the 3 rd Friday at
Tresillian Village Hall which is our main venue and
where we invite speakers and tutors, experts in their
field, to run lectures or workshops.
Our second venue is Chacewater W.I. Hall on the 4 th
Saturday. As the hall is not large it lends itself to
more informal and cosy meetings.
To celebrate our Diamond Anniversary, we are
holding a travelling exhibition with the first of these
having been held in Penryn Museum. The first
President of our Guild was Violetta Thurstan, who
was a great weaver and dyer and resided in Penryn,
her loom sits within the museum and her house is on
the Penryn Historical Trail, so it seemed fitting that
we started there. The other major sites for the
exhibition are Truro Cathedral 8 th – 22 nd August,
and at Wheal Martyn Clay Museum 10 th – 31 st
October
Audrey Durrant
15

on friendship and the values that true friendship demands.
Over 400 Year 6 Leavers visited the
Cathedral to take part in a celebration
of ‘Friendship’.
Celebrating 200 years of school friends
Over 400 children from 17 different Church Schools
across the Diocese packed into the Cathedral on 27 June
to take part in a Year 6 Leavers event to celebrate the
200 th anniversary of the National Society. The overall
theme of the day was ‘Friendship’.
During an opening act of worship with Bishop Tim, ‘stones
of friendship’, each bearing the name of one of the children
or teachers, were placed on the Cathedral transept
steps. This was followed by a series of activities led by Jim
David and Joanna Petty from the Children’s Society – ably
assisted by members of the diocesan and cathedral education
teams – that underpinned the importance of friendship
and the responsibilities that went with it.
The children, who will all commence life at secondary
school in the Autumn, also took part in workshops giving
insights into historical aspects of education – some were
‘taught’ in a Victorian school, some were shown clothes of
the same period, whilst others were taken through a normal
day in the life of Tom, a young boy brought up in a
Victorian mining village.
Two groups of children heard about James Bubb (aka
Keith Sparrow), the first Clerk of Works at the Cathedral,
whilst others joined Canon Peter Walker as he explained
the role of a bishop and how the life of the Cathedral
functioned. Bringing things up to date, Canon Debbie
Harvey helped children to understand some of the basic
principles of sign language and how, by developing this
skill, they could engage with deaf friends who might otherwise
feel excluded. At the end of the afternoon, everyone
went home clutching a ‘goodie bag’ full of ‘useful
things’, and holding in their minds some new perspectives
New film on the Lost Arches of Truro
Year 9 students from Penair School worked with teacher
Annie May Roberts, Liz
Waller from the Apple
Mac suite at Truro Community
Library, Chloe
Phillips from Cornwall
Record Office and Sarah
to create a film about
Truro’s lost arches. The
film was inspired by a
donation to Cornwall
Record Office of a set of
photographs depicting
the temporary arches
which were created to
welcome Prince Albert Edward to Truro to lay the Cathedral’s
foundation stone on May 20 th 1880.
Duchy College
Following the success of last year’s visit, 44 Early years
students from Duchy College visited the Cathedral in
order to review our Early
Years provision and to give
us fresh ideas on how to
make it even better. Their
day included hands on experience
of our story tours
and spotter trails followed by
group work and presentations.
Lecturer, Laetitia
Mayne, returned to the cathedral
deliver an extremely
informative training session for the Learning department
on July 13 th .
Informal Learning Volunteers required to help
prepare craft materials
Do you enjoy craft activities? With over 1404 children
taking part in an informal learning activity so far this
year, we are keen to recruit new volunteers. In particular
we are seeking individuals who can help us to devise
and prepare craft activities for children. This work can
be done from home and the Cathedral will provide the
necessary materials. For further information, please
contact Sarah Hughes, Education Officer on 01872
276782 or education@trurocathedral.org.uk
Keith Sparrow and Murray Smith help young
visitors to learn about the life and work of
James Bubb
16

Learning Volunteers Murray Smith and Keith Sparrow
have helped to awaken interest in one of the characters
from the Cathedral’s past. Murray Smith has tirelessly
researched the life of James Bubb the Cathedral’s
first Clerk of Works. Keith Sparrow has used
this research to play him, so that school children can
learn about some of the challenges Bubb faced when
building the Cathedral. A pupil from Padstow wrote
“My favourite part was when we met Mr.Bubb, although
I still feel sorry for him.”
Interns
Sarah will be working with twelve voluntary interns
over the summer. They will be engaged in a wide
range of activities to further our knowledge of the Cathedral’s
history and to enhance our learning programme.
There are still voluntary opportunities for self
-motivated graduates who are interested in a career
in education or the heritage sector. For further information,
please contact Sarah Hughes, Education Officer
on 01872 276782 or education@trurocathedral.org.uk
Tardis Project
Liam Jolly has brought new life back to a much loved
building that during its 125 years has seen use as a
pump house, public toilet, office and now art gallery!
Not only has he created one of the quirkiest exhibition
spaces in the country but he did so with a work by
Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed.
Considering the outrage that Truro’s newest acquisition
has caused, sculptor Tim Shaw’s scantily clad
drummer on the city’s piazza perhaps Creeds Work
No. 227 : The lights going on and off which does
exactly what it says on the tin and consists of an
empty room with a solitary light bulb going on and off
every 5 seconds may have been a step too far for
Cornwall’s capital?
‘The project is about promoting contemporary art
practice, commercial art is well and truly catered for
within the region but this is an opportunity to show an
alternative…to have Martin Creed be our first artist
here at Tardis House is perfect…yes, I was expecting
some potential hostility towards what we are doing
here but apart from one lady who was quite obviously
angered by her experience we have had amazing
feedback and the project has been an overwhelming
success’ said Liam.
The show received healthy attendance figures with a
specific art audience and general passer by visiting
the space to experience the work in equal number.
‘The feedback has been phenomenal’ explained Liam,
‘the fact the space is being used for such a creative
use has really struck a chord with the local residents,
some of which have known the building for 50+
years, locally it’s such a iconic building and to couple
it with this internationally iconic art work has been the
perfect beginning to launch Tardis Projects’.
For the moment the future of Tardis Projects is a safe
one with full support from Truro Cathedral who own
Tardis House and are happy to support such an innovative
project. Cathedral Canon Perran Gay explained
‘Just as our art installations
in the Cathedral itself often
provoke questions and discussions
about some of the beliefs
and values that we hold
dear, this tiny building at the
edge of our Cathedral Green
can add its own contribution to that kind of dialogue
between art and faith.” Talking of its future plans Liam
explained ‘It’s really developed from a simple idea of
staging a series of regular shows into a real weighty
curatorial project that will happen when it ‘needs’ too.
It’s almost an extension of my own practice and
ideas’.
With the overall feedback being that this is a project
that deserves to be supported locally the future of
Tardis Projects is worth engaging in, Martin Creed
being the first artist is an incredible start and I for one
look forward to seeing what else is lined up for this
unique project. For more information visit –
www.Liamjolly.com and www.tardisprojects.co.uk
17

THE HIGHLIGHTS:
The Pilgrimage will follow in the footsteps of
Moses and the Hebrew people through Egypt,
spending time in the Sinai desert at Mount Sinai.
We will then cross the Red Sea, and travel
through Jordan, stopping to share Moses’s view
from Mt Nebo, and crossing the Jordan River to
enter Israel in Galilee.
You are invited to an evening of
18
questions
(and hopefully answers)
in the Pearson Room of the
Cathedral Office
on Thursday 6th October
at 7.30 pm
For a Brochure and Booking Form
pick one up in the Narthex
Or contact :
Rev Barbara Heseltine
barbara.heseltine@tiscali.co.uk
01872 870039
or
Canon Peter Walker
scillychaplain@btinternet.com
01720 423911
for more information.
In Galilee we will visit Nazareth, the town where
Jesus grew up, and Capernaum, the fishing village
which became the centre of his Galilean
ministry. We will walk beside the Sea of Galilee
and journey north to Mount Hermon and Caeserea
Philippi, where his close friends first came
to understand Jesus’s special significance as
God’s son. Then we shall travel up to Jerusalem,
as he would have done many times, to the place
where he spent his last days on earth. We will
walk down the Mount of Olives, rest in the Garden
of Gethsemane, travel the Way of the Cross
to Golgotha, and remember his resurrection in
the quiet of the Garden tomb.
The timing of our pilgrimage will mean that we
celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem!
Our journey will be one of prayer and reflection,
with good companions on the way. There will be
times of quiet contemplation, bustling activity and
great fun. All of this will play an important part
in our continuing pilgrimage towards God.
We shall plan our journey to include time to
spend listening to, talking and worshipping with
the people who live today, in what has become
(and maybe always has been) a troubled area.

So it is very important to us that those studying
for ministry hear the questions, and learn from
the thinking, of those who are not candidates for
recognised ministry. This process also works in
reverse - 'public students' get to hear how the
latest candidates for ministry are thinking and
approaching their task.
Who teaches this programme?
The modules are taught by a collection of
experienced teachers, some associated with the
University of Exeter, some with SWMTC, some
retired from senior positions.
Encountering Theology is a programme of
academic theology, taught at evening classes in
Exeter and Truro and by distance learning. The
terms can be studied individually or together, and
either for credit towards a University of Exeter
award, or by 'sitting-in' without the need to do any
assignments. A parallel programme at Certificate
level is available through University College
Plymouth St Mark and St John.
The year 2011-12 is the 'bible' year at Certificate
level - study of the Old and New Testaments and
of the history of Christianity. At diploma level we
offer in-depth study of the Gospel of Mark,
examination of the shape of 20th Century
theology, and a focus on ecotheology and
ecojustice.
FAQs:
www.encounteringtheology.info
Why is the South West Ministry Training
Course offering this provision?
SWMTC is strongly committed to the exploration of
theology as a public discipline - one that makes
truth-claims and experiences challenges not just
within the Christian church, but out in the world.
Why should I study ET rather than other
Christian courses?
We do not seek to persuade prospective students
to abandon the many other programmes
operating in the region - for example the courses
of the Peninsula Gospel Partnership, the Diocese
of Exeter's 'Exploring Christianity', or the
Diocese of Truro's 'Windows into the Christian
Faith'. These are good and thoughtful courses
and all of them meet the needs of many
explorers.
ET is for you if you want to learn and to use the
tools that academic theology has developed to
think critically about biblical texts, and about the
many ways Christian thinkers have used to try
and understand God's ways with the world.
ET is for you if you agree with us that that
learning should take place not just in the context
of the Church, but in 'the public square'.
ET is definitely for you if you want to pursue that
learning towards an award with a major
university with an international reputation for
theology. (It may also be that you are asked to
study modules on ET if you are thinking of
candidating for recognised ministry.)
For full details on the course visit:
www.encounteringtheology.info
or pick up a leaflet in the Narthex
19

Penmount Crematorium
“The Crem”
Penmount Crematorium held an Open
Day recently. Primrose Peacock
reports on a Sunday well spent.
Penmount Crematorium is situated just outside
Truro on the Newquay Road. It is the largest and
for many years the only such place in Cornwall.
Now there are smaller crematoria in Bodmin and
one recently opened in Camborne. Penmount,
which is owned and run by Cornwall Council, has
been developed from an eighteenth century
mansion with twenty-eight acres of grounds of
which eleven are now gardens of remembrance.
They include several large rose gardens in addition
to a woodland area, arboretum and a pond.
Fourteen members of staff are employed of which
three are gardeners. About 2,500 cremations take
place annually.
On the last Sunday in June, Penmount held an
Open Day from 3pm. This is apparently an annual
event but new to me. ‘Knocking’ Council activities is
a frequent pastime, but in this instance they cannot
be faulted.
Even the weather was perfect, the roses in full
bloom and the staff had made a real effort to
oversee all aspects of the event with pleasant
dignity. The Gweek Silver Band provided gentle
music, there were reasonably priced cream teas on
offer in a tent and the opportunity to take a guided
tour round the whole premises, including ‘back-
20
stage’. Attendance was fair, despite competition
from Wimbledon.
A free full colour brochure provided not only
general information but also offered the answers to
the most frequently asked questions. Additional
written notes were provided for the backstage tour.
This commenced in the smaller of two chapels,
known as Kernow, which seats 60 persons plus
standing room and is primarily used for Christian
services. The larger chapel called Trewlawney can
accommodate 100 people plus standing room, and
with no fixed religious artefacts it can be used for
any type of service, including other faiths or
persons of no faith. Both chapels are well furnished,
decorated with beautiful floral arrangements and
have music facilities. Kernow was reserved for quiet
prayer and remembrance on Sunday.
The actual process of cremation, which was
explained in detail, is now highly technical,
computerised and involves extremely elaborate
environmentally controlled equipment. Shovelling
coke into boilers has long gone. But the most
important aspect was the programme of care
involved with over five countersigned checks to
ensure that no errors or mix-ups occurred. The
senior member of staff who led the tour exhibited
not only a pleasant dignified objective attitude, but
succeeded in giving the impression that he really
cared about his work and treated all his clients as
though they were his relatives. There was nothing
mawkish, disturbing or sentimental in either the
notes or his commentary. We left feeling that
perhaps in due course, when our time came, we
would be in good kind caring hands.
Nearby there are flower rooms in various
categories, open-air display sites for short-term
memorials and a child remembrance area with
teddy bears. The Council is to be congratulated on
the way in which it operates this spotlessly clean
facility.
Outdoors the roses were magnificent and had
obviously benefited from recent rainfall. The
gardens are open to the public daily and earlier in
the year visits to the bluebell wood are popular.
They are also a site where one can be certain there
will be no noise or bad behaviour and very
adequate seating for those who wish just to
contemplate, remember, or as I used to do,
photograph nature.

Bert Biscoe has just had
published a book of
poetry focusing on the
place he loves most—
Truro. Here is a poem
taken from the book and
some reviews.
On the Rising Tide come Swans
At its gate proudly boasts words which declare
This cathedral to be built of stones quarried by Cornish hands!
Two wet-eyed men read and shake their tired heads:
‘Not true! Not true! Half’s from Somerset – English stone!’
They recoil disbelieving, and read again, then turn
To march away, and turn again, false words compel.
The lie, like soil and water to seed, entices roots
To search among particles, to navigate stones, draw nitrogen
To plunge deeply, to edge towards the truth’s heat.
‘If twas all Cornish, there’d be no rub
‘Tween sandstone and granite, no wearing of soft lintels
By harsh quoins – the place would rest well on its foundation!’
The two chuckle. Fresh water and salt coil within each other.
On the tide come swans to observe the puffs and blows
Of conflict; to soothe the ache of Earth’s revolt.
An intriguing no punches pulled, assessment of
Cornwall’s only city – redolent of its past glories and
unique inheritance; here is a poet whose outspoken dicta
cannot be ignored. Read and savour it – but beware:
this is no light bedtime reading. It may make you think.
Donald Rawe
‘TRURRA!’ is a heartbreaking passage through all that
Cornwall is and was – a poignant and rebellious journey
confetti’ed with astonishingly graphic and profound
images that embrace rage, helplessness, death and loss,
as well as having intense beauty embedded in each
piece. This is the work of a poet who cares with an
unfailing passion about the land he belongs to, and
expresses over and over again how the baton of
ownership is being passed on from the old to the young
west of the Tamar. It is a collection filled with music and
ancient magic, displaying veteran word-power.
Agnes Meadows
Books are available from Waterstones and Truro Tourist
Information Office.
WINDOWS INTO
THE CHRISTIAN
FAITH courses
These short courses are designed to give
you a snapshot into basic Christian beliefs.
Windows into Church
History
This 6 week course looks at the history of
the Church from AD 100 to 2012,
reflecting on how we got from there to
here, and seeing how our history relates to
Christian Faith today.
The course is six weeks long and
will take place on the following
10th, 17th, 24th & 31st
October 7th and 14th
November
Mondays in the Pearson Room of
the Cathedral Office (entrance via
blue door opposite entrance to
Cathedral car park) from 7.30-
9.30pm, including a coffee break.
This course will be led by
the Cathedral’s Canon Theologian,
Rev Dr Stephen Dawes.
The cost will be £10 per course.
No booking necessary.
We really want to open windows into these
big topics, so that you can enjoy and
appreciate the view!
21

What has happened...
GARDEN SAFARI – SATURDAY 11 TH JUNE
During the days leading up to this event there was
some pretty intensive gardening taking place by those
who had volunteered to take part but it really did pay
off. Saturday dawned bright and sunny, just as the
forecast said it would, and final preparations were put
in place. Helium balloons were secured to every
garden involved but there were several loud bangs as
some of these popped – we might settle for a jolly flag
or two next time – and polite notices advising people
“To please mind the steps” were placed at strategic
points. Then the cake and plant stalls were prepared,
gates were thrown open and the Safari was launched.
From that moment the afternoon glided gently on with
visitors able to wander between gardens, buy a plant
or a cake and then enjoy a delicious cream tea served
so nicely by our cheerful volunteers. As one of our
visitors put it “I cannot think of a nicer way to spend a
sunny Saturday afternoon” and we raised £250 for the
Cathedral.
THE ANNUAL BOAT TRIP – TUESDAY 5 TH JULY
I think we will all agree that the weather has not been
particularly like the summers of old but nevertheless 87
stalwart souls cheerfully boarded The Enterprise Boat
for the Friends’ annual
trip down the Fal on the
evening of Tuesday 5 th
July. It was dry and
reasonably bright but by
no means balmy but that
did not dampen the
spirits one jot. We were
delighted to see Mr and Mrs. Attree and their dog
Millie once again and who as visitors from Kent were
definitely are most distant guests. The Music
COFFEE MORNINGS
IN THE PEARSON ROOM
(Wednesdays 10 – 11.30am)
department was well represented with Chris Gray, Luke
Bond, the Scholars and the Organ Scholar-in-waiting.
Then there was the Pirates’ Bounty Raffle which made
the staggering amount of £100 – a big thank you to
everyone for their support. When the pasties came on
at Falmouth they were piping hot and very tasty. These
were consumed whilst we chugged across to St Mawes
where we were able to disembark for three quarters of
an hour. This time was well spent in a variety of ways:
at The Victoria Inn, enjoying an ice cream, strolling
along the sea front with a container of chips – what
more did we need? Then all aboard for the journey
home and that wonderful view of our Cathedral as we
approached the City – what other Cathedral can boast
such a perfect picture? We have already been asked to
do the boat trip again next year so if you missed this
one be sure to sign up next time. Last, but not least, a
very big thank you to Peter Hewson for arranging the
trip and the pasties. Maybe next year he might do a tiny
bit better with the weather?!
Treats in store...
WINE TASTING – FRIDAY 23 RD
10 th August 2011
14 th September 2011
Bring and Buy/Raffle. Good chance to chat to
Friends and make new ones.
Entrance via blue door opposite Cathedral car park gates
SEPTEMBER
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE FROM FRIDAY
16 TH TO FRIDAY 23 RD SEPTEMBER
There will be a Wine Tasting Evening at the home of
Roger and Lois Bush on Friday 23 rd September at 7pm.
HOW TO BOOK TICKETS FOR ALL EVENTS
1. By calling in person at the Friends’ Office 21 Old Bridge Street, Truro TR1 1AH (open each Wednesday 10 – 12 noon) or
by post.
2. By telephoning the Friends’ Office 01872 274986. There is a 24 hour answer machine.
3. By email – office@friendsoftrurocathedral.org.uk
4. By completing a Ticket Request Form available on the Friends’ Board in the North Transept or the Narthex at the West end
of the Cathedral
22
If sending a cheque please make it payable to ‘The Friends of Truro Cathedral’ and send c/o Cathedral Office,
14 St Mary’s Street, TRURO, TR1 2AF
Any enquiries please call Roberta Evans as above. Thank you.

David Holt will be talking about the wines and
available to answer all your questions. The tasting
will be followed by a three course buffet supper
accompanied, of course, by the wines we have tasted.
This event is limited to 25 max and the cost for the
evening will be £20 per ticket to include the wine and
the buffet supper.
Christian
Meditation
FILM NIGHT 2011/2012 – NEW SEASON
Thursday 22 nd September – Mr Hulot’s Holiday
Thursday 27 th October – Iris
Thursday 24 th November - Calendar Girls
Thursday 26 th January - The Illusionist
Thursday 23 rd February – The Silence of the Lambs
Thursday 22 nd March – Shirley Valentine
Please note that the first film is on 22 nd September not
11 th as shown on some lists.
We look forward to seeing you at some of these
events.
All enquiries to the Friends Office, 21 Old Bridge
Street, Truro
01872 274986
Thursdays at 12.10pm
in the
South Quire Aisle
(All welcome)
THE FRIENDS OFFICE
We are very grateful to Chapter for giving the Friends
Office space and we realise that we shall soon need
to open it other than on a Wednesday morning. In
order to do this we need more volunteers to staff it so
if you would be willing to offer a couple of hours
please contact Roberta Evans or Delia Holt on 01872
274986. At present the office is open every
Wednesday 10am – 12noon and is in the annexe
opposite the entrance to the Cathedral car park –
through the blue door. So please pop in to join the
Friends, pay your subscription, buy tickets and find
out about the social events which the Friends
organise.
THANK YOU
The Friends have had a busy season recently and all
our events are beautifully advertised with the posters
on our board and then there are the accompanying
tickets all themed and matching. We are very
grateful to Mr Tony Northcott who happily produces
these for us, coping with all our demands, bright or
not so bright ideas and sudden panic requests for
extra copies. Thank you Tony very much.
Do you have more questions than answers?
Would you like an opportunity to share
Questions and issues about God, Faith and
Christianity?
There is an informal group that meets to
share a coffee and chat over these and other
issues.
Second Sunday of each month at 8pm
In the Pearson Room of the Cathedral Office
or contact Rev Canon Dr Stephen Dawes
01872 223181
23

Mary Holifield reports on the
activities of the local branch of the
Mothers’ Union.
“Christian Care for Families”.
If we survive the Family Fun Day on 17 th August
[see notice opposite] we shall be meeting on
Thursday 15th
September
when we shall
be delighted to
welcome Sarah
Hughes, the
Cathedral
Education
Officer to talk
to us about her wonderful work with children,
helping them to understand a little more about
Christian Worship and Cathedrals.
Her talk will be entitled:
“ A Year of Learning at Truro Cathedral”
Thursday 15th September
2.30pm in the Pearson Room
Sarah is an inspirational leader and we can all
learn from her lively
approach to and
encouragement of the
children who visit the
Cathedral. As always
we welcome visitors to
our meetings and
enquirers as to what
we are about. Yes, tea
and biscuits and chat,
but also prayer and
support for our
members in less favourable parts of the world
where the MU IS the social service.
24
Family Fun Day
Wednesday 17 th August
11am-3pm
Cathedral Green- Cathedral if wet.
We’re all feeling the pinch so here
is a chance to have fun without it
costing money!
We invite everyone to bring children and
a picnic and spend an hour or two on the
Cathedral grass doing silly things, games,
competitions, crafts, stories and all for
free!
There will be a tombola and a cake stall,
for the MU “Cakes for Brakes “ appeal,
but we hope this will be a simple, jolly,
family occasion and the answer to that
“What can we do today” question so often
asked in the holidays.
The event is being organised by the Deanery
branches of the MU and the Cathedral
Education Dept. but we are very open to
offers of help from you all. Physical
presence and/or donations of cakes and
child friendly tombola prizes would be
much appreciated. [And prayers for a fine
day, yes I know God doesn’t do that….
Usually] Contact Mary Holifield 01872
520716, Mary Butler 01872 276014

Chris Ramsey, Chairman Truro and
Falmouth Amnesty International Group,
looks back at a busy early summer.
Between 25 May and 7 June the result of 12 months
work with Canon Philip Lambert finally came to
fruition with a series of events in and around the
Cathedral to celebrate the vision of British Lawyer
Peter Benenson in 1961 that lead to the creation of
Amnesty International, the worldwide movement of
people who campaign for internationally recognized
human rights for all.
At the heart of the celebrations was an exhibition in
the Cathedral of art work by Cornish secondary
school students on human rights themes generated
from a competition run with the aid of artist Phil
Whiting. This gave us the opportunity to work with
over 200 14 and 15 year olds in seven schools and
we were incredibly impressed by how they engaged
with such difficult issues as torture, the abuse of
women and child trafficking and created an amazing
range of art work of such maturity and impact.
The opening reception in the Cathedral included a
spine tingling performance of new work from local
composer Russell Pascoe entitled “The Harrowing of
Hell”. Taking as its starting point the story of Christ
descending into hell and freeing the dead, the work
explores the nature of suffering for those whose
torture does not have a miraculous end and thus has
a strong resonance
with the work Amnesty
undertakes to remove
the continuing
worldwide scourge of
torture.
On Amnesty’s
effective 50 th birthday
(Saturday 28 May) the
United Nations
Association, Christian
Aid, Medical
Foundation for torture
victims and local Quakers joined us at High Cross
offering the public opportunities to take action on
human rights issues. The Mayor of Truro cut our
birthday cake and joined us in a toast to freedom,
and during the course of the day we managed to
persuade 50 passers-by (including a plucky Canon
Lambert ) to be photographed in our Amnesty cage
prison.
At the final event on 7 June there was an evening of
Theatre and Discussion in the Chapter House. This
began with a performance of a piece entitled
“Rendition Monologues” by London based human
rights theatre company ICEANDFIRE based on the
horrendous practice of flying people suspected
(sometimes on quite tenuous grounds) of involvement
in terrorist activities to countries where they could be
tortured away from the gaze of western media and
public opinion. This was followed by a “Question
Time “ style event at which Kate Allen (Director of
Amnesty International UK) joined Bishop Tim on the
panel to discuss questions on contemporary human
rights issues raised by members of the audience.
The Truro and Falmouth Amnesty Group were
absolutely delighted with the success of our 50 th
birthday events. Philip Lambert and all the Cathedral
staff we worked with could not have been more
supportive and helpful.
The organisation’s 50 th birthday is a once in a
lifetime opportunity to really promote the work of
Amnesty International and engage with the
community about the myriad of human rights abuses
that still plague the world. Perhaps most important is
that it gives us the opportunity to show people that we
can do something about these abuses and that by
acting together we can make a real difference to the
lives of individuals thousands of miles away from the
beauty and peace of Cornwall who may be enduring
terrible suffering.
FUTURE DATES:
Saturday 22nd October at 7.30pm
The Benson Lecture given by Dame Anne Owers will
cover some of the issues of unjust imprisonment and
human rights.
Sunday 11th December (World Human Rights Day)
The Revd Professor Nicholas Sagovsky former Canon
Theologian of Westminster Abbey will be preacher at the
Morning and Evensong services.
Truro and Falmouth Amnesty International Group
We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at
7.30pm in the church hall of the RC Church of St Piran and
our Lady of the Portal, St Austell Street, Truro. Alternatively
we can be contacted through our secretary, Margaret
George either by e-mail at mmargaretg@gmail.com or by
telephoning 01872 240253.
25

In the world…………………...
Cathedral World
Development
Group
Mike Fuller helps organise the work of
the World Development Group. This is
an update of where they have got to.
It is a sad fact of life that on our troubled
planet the memory of one natural disaster is soon
replaced by another event; the people of another
'corner' of the globe are overcome by the harsh
vagaries of nature. So now, as we complain
about the changing moods of our summer, the
less fortunate people of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia
and South Sudan are hit by drought and famine.
Britain's Disasters Emergency
Committee launches another
appeal (See Right).
recently established a
new overseas project on
which to work and need
help and ideas to
promote it. This is the
Cathedral's support for
the development and
improvement of educational facilities of the
orphaned children who sing in the Pearl of Africa
Children's Choir. If you were fortunate to hear the
Head Teacher Annet Kaigwa speak in the Cathedral
in June, you would learned of the very basic
conditions in which these children are taught and
live. However, these children will once again
(Oct.16 th ) be filling our Cathedral with their joyful
singing. An improvement to their school's amenities
would be a lasting 'thank you'. But more about that
later.
More information is available from Mike Fuller at
mc68tland@hotmail.co.uk.
Cornwall's ShelterBox once
again swings into action
preparing boxes of
essential, basic items to
alleviate the sufferings of
refugees.
The work of the
Cathedral's World
Development Group (WDG)
is, however, not to badger people into donating
towards another worthy cause. The media has, I
hope, tugged at the necessary heartstrings on
that issue. Though money is essential to the work
of overseas aid agencies, the WDG would rather
simply highlight some of the needs of people and
places worldwide: raise awareness of how
suffering can be alleviated and living or working
environments improved: and encourage a fairer
distribution of the world's resources.
Last month the WDG sadly lost the services of
Richard Hichens and Priscilla Reeve; which
moves me, once again to make a plea for new
members for our working group. We have
26

Somalia has long been very difficult but was never
impossible. Following an announcement that
restrictions in the area would be eased our member
agencies have been seeking to build on their existing
work to reach more of those worst affected by the
famine. Today’s announcement makes clear quite how
critical those efforts will be if we are to avoid deaths
on a massive scale. If we can increase the number of
people we are reaching at the epicentre of this
catastrophe we can still save many lives.”
DEC announces
East Africa Crisis Appeal
DEC member agencies are continuing to scale up
their work in south and central Somalia in response to
what the UN has now recognised as the first famine in
the region since south Sudan in 1998.
The UN declared a famine this morning in the regions
of Bakool and Lower Shabelle with other areas
expected to follow as more information becomes
available and the situation continues to deteriorate.
The UN said malnutrition (GAM) has reached 50% in
some areas. A level of 15% is considered an
emergency, with 30% or more being one of the
indicators of famine. In addition, more than six
children under five per 10,000 are dying each day.
Ten of the 14 agencies that make up the DEC are
working in Somalia directly or through partners,
including in some cases in the south or centre of the
country.
DEC member agencies and their partners operate
under strict rules of humanitarian impartiality and
independence to ensure continued safe access to as
many people in need of help as possible but the
situation in Somalia is exceptionally challenging.
Disasters Emergency Committee Chief Executive
Brendan Gormley said: “Access to south and central
The humanitarian crisis in Somalia has been caused
by a combination of factors including severe drought,
rising food and fuel prices, chronic poverty and
conflict.
The United Nations has called for aid agencies to
increase their work in Somalia to ensure help gets to
those who need it. This followed last week’s
announcement by one party to the conflict that it
easing access to foreign agencies working in the
areas it controls.
Activities of DEC members and their partners in
Somalia include:
CARE is providing assistance with food, water, wells
and cash to the most vulnerable households in
Puntland and Somaliland.
Concern Worldwide is working in south and central
Somalia providing food vouchers, water, household
items and healthcare for malnourished children and
mothers.
British Red Cross’ partner in Somali is providing
healthcare in Puntland and Somaliland, food for the
most vulnerable and wells. It has also distributed
seeds and tools in south and central Somalia ahead
of hoped for rains.
Merlin is providing emergency healthcare and food in
central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland.
Save the Children is providing supplementary feeding
for vulnerable children and cash to vulnerable
households in Somaliland and Puntland.
Islamic Relief is providing food, water, sanitation and
healthcare in Mogadishu, Somaliland, Puntland and
South Central Somalia.
Donations can be made at www.dec.org.uk by phone
0370 60 60 900 or by texting ‘CRISIS’ to 70000 to
donate £5 or by post at PO Box 999 London EC3A
3AA.
27

In the world…………………...
Stories from Bethlehem
- a city besieged
The Rt Revd Richard Llewellin, former Bishop of St
Germans, has just returned from three months as
an ‘Ecumenical Accompanier’ as part of a
programme to monitor human rights abuses
undertaken by the World Council of Churches
NONE of us found it much fun getting up at three in the
morning to be at the checkpoint before four o’clock. Every
working day, about 2500 Palestinians from Bethlehem and
the surrounding villages have to pass through this
checkpoint to reach their place of work in East Jerusalem
(still part of the West Bank, but
appropriated by Israel as part of
“greater Jerusalem”), or further
afield. The checkpoint is a miserable
place, especially on a cold and
windy morning. To get to work on
time, the earliest arrivals are there by
3 a.m. Even at that early hour, long
queues form, and movement through
the checkpoint is often very slow.
Our task was to count as accurately
as possible each half-hour the
The Rt Revd Richard Llewellin number of people passing through,
and, where possible, to encourage
the soldiers at the checkpoint to allow people to pass
through more quickly. Our logs were forwarded each week
to such organisations as the Red Cross and United Nations
representatives in the area, to afford them independent
evidence in their discussions about checkpoints with the
Israeli authorities. I happened to meet one woman whom I
had accompanied through the checkpoint a few days
28
Over 409km of ‘separation barrier’ has been built (3X the length of
the Berlin Wall) with another 300km due to be built.
More than 24,000 Palestinian homes have been destroyed since 1967.
previously. “Going through that checkpoint with you at five
o’clock has taught me more about the occupation than any
other experience during my time in the Holy Land.”
IN EACH of the villages we visited, there was our contact,
someone accustomed to meeting successive teams of
accompaniers. The occupation has severely disrupted life
in many villages, especially those affected by the
separation barrier. Much of the barrier does not follow the
1949 armistice line between Israel and the West Bank: in
places it bites deep into Palestinian territory, not only to
encompass illegally built Jewish settlements but also to
enclose considerable swathes of Palestinian farming land.
A number of Palestinian villages have been cut in two by
this barrier, dividing Palestinian from Palestinian and
cutting off villages from neighbouring villages and from
their local town. This has had devastating effects on the
local economy. THEN there are the house demolitions.
Palestinians find it exceedingly difficult and expensive to
obtain a building permit. Many build without a permit,
knowing that they risk demolition, but having no other way
of housing their families. They hope that, in the lottery of
demolition, they will be spared. Some are not. Since
1967, more than 24,000 Palestinian homes have been
demolished by the Israelis (the figure is supplied by the
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions).
Villagers living near Jewish settlements are frequently
subjected to harassment by the settlers. Some of the Jews
believe that the whole of the land from the Mediterranean
to the River Jordan, and from Lebanon in the north to
Egypt in the south, belongs to them by divine right. For
them, the sooner the Palestinian Arabs leave for other
Arab countries the better. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is
often less than zealous in preventing the harassment of the
villagers.
WE ALSO visited refugee camps, of which there are three
in Bethlehem. These started out as tented villages erected
by the United Nations after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war,
when 513 Palestinian villages were destroyed by the

advancing Israeli forces, and about 700,000 Palestinians
were made homeless.
There is a large variety of NGOs working in the West
Bank. One of the most impressive is a Jewish body called
B’Tselem (based outside the West Bank), established in
1989 by a group of prominent academics, lawyers,
journalists, and Knesset members. It endeavours to
document and educate the Israeli public and policy-makers
about human-rights violations in the Occupied Territories.
Its facts and figures are always carefully checked, and is
full of useful and reliable information.
ONE way in which we supported peace activists was by
joining non-violent demonstrations against the occupation.
These were Palestinian demonstrations, not ours, and our
role was one of accompaniment and support, so we stayed
towards the back of the gathering. But our presence was
visible because we always wore waistcoats with a
distinctive logo, wherever we went.
The IDF would inevitably be there in strength, and would
sooner or later bar the way, after which the outcome was
unpredictable. Much depended on the attitude of the
officer in charge. Tear gas and sound bombs were
sometimes used to disperse the crowd.
It was during these demonstrations that I met Jewish
Israelis who were completely opposed to the occupation.
These valiant people told us that they were glad of our
support. WHAT good did we do? Without a doubt, our
presence was valued by the Palestinians we came to know
in the relatively short time we were there, and by Israeli
peace activists. And I am convinced that our duties at the
checkpoint were important, providing reliable and
objective statistics. We did not go to Israel/Palestine to
“take sides”. My respect and regard for Jewish people
remain unaltered. And I grew to admire the resilience and
humour of Palestinians. I am, without apology, deeply
critical of the policies of the Israeli government towards
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Its legitimate
concern for the security of Israeli society cannot justify most
of the restrictions and humiliations and discriminatory
policies it has imposed on the Palestinian population. I will
do all in my power to persuade people that the continued
military occupation is unjust, and does damage to both
societies, Palestinian and Israeli.
See www.eappi.org for more details
Bishop Richard Llewellin is giving a talk and
slide show in the Pearson Room, drawing on his
recent experiences in the occupied territories.
There are two options. One at 2.30pm or one at
7.30pm on Monday 19 September.
Places are limited, free tickets are available from
the Cathedral Office.
Truro Cathedral
presents
The Benson
Lecture 2011
Truro Cathedral is continuing the
celebration of Amnesty International’s
50th anniversary through the choice of
our Benson Lecturer this year. Dame
Anne Owers who was until 2010 Her
Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Dame Anne is now chairman of Clinks,
Christian Aid and the T2 Alliance (T2A is an
Alliance, led by the Barrow Cadbury Trust,
campaigning for young adults (18-24 yearolds)
in the Criminal Justice System).
She was also the “castaway” on a recent
edition of the radio programme, “Desert
Island Discs”.
Her lecture will cover some of the issues of
unjust imprisonment and human rights.
Saturday 22nd October at 7.30pm
In Truro Cathedral
29

WINDOW, TRANSFERS
INTO CARDS
Mike Swift approves of the latest
image to be used on the Cathedral’s
Christmas Card.
For the past few years the official Truro
Cathedral Christmas card showed the city in
snow – perhaps provoking the worst winters for
years! This year James and his team have
produced a more traditional image, using one of
our superb stained glass windows.
The scenes from the lancet in the Retro-Quire,
showing the Adoration of the Magi and the
Annunciation to the shepherds, are available
both as a card and a window transfer (it is in my
study window as I write, incongruously at the
height of summer!) These are some of the finest
windows in the
cathedral, and have
been excellently
photographed and
reproduced. The Magi
scene is wonderfully
intimate (no ox and
ass), whilst by
comparison the
Detail from the lower part of the
window.
Shepherds with their flock in a moonlight scene
are a glorious group of rustics.
So, if like me you are fed up with bland charity
cards of endless snowmen, robins and holly, give
yourself a treat this year and send to all your
friends and relations a card that has the true
Christmas message and which is a splendid
advertisement for one of the treasures in our
cathedral. Also, the window transfer really does
brighten up a room!
Hello from the Cathedral Shop
Summer is well and truly with us (oh
yes it is) despite some very wintry
weather and what better way to
brighten your day than the 2012 Truro
Cathedral Fundraising Calendar.
Packed full of beautiful pictures taken
by Philip Trevennen from across
Cornwall this makes the ideal gift for
loved ones home or abroad to remind
them of this stunning county.
I hope you have enjoyed Michael
Swift’s article on the new stained glass
window transfer and would like to
mention that this will also be our
Christmas card for this year and is
available now.
Wishing you happy summer holidays
from all at the Cathedral Shop.
30

Retreat: The full Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Monday 8th - Friday 19th of August
Led by Rosemary Moffat and Fr. Peter Kelly M.Afr.
A residential silent retreat.
Please note this retreat is now full, if you wish to
be put on the waiting list please contact the office.
Tel: 01872 272249
or email: bookings.epiphanyhouse@keme.co.uk
Retreat: "The Art of Seeing: God, Self and the
Mysterious Universe"
Sunday 21st - Friday 26th of August
Led by Fr. Gero McLoughlin and Julia Ling
A residential silent retreat reflecting with some
materpieces of Western art and contemporary
perspectives of the cosmos.
Pilgrimage retreat: ‘Holy Springs: seeking God's
refreshing’. Led by the Epiphany House team
Saturday 10 Sept 2pm – Friday 16 Sept 11am
This residential retreat seeks to make a physical
and spiritual journey by exploring some of
Cornwall’s springs and holy wells.
Quiet Day: ‘A Theology of Fiction: a novel way
into the mystery of God’
Saturday 17 September 10am to 4pm
Quiet Day led by Fr Mark Skelton
Cost £10
For more information and to book a
place for this event please contact
Epiphany House, Kenwyn, Truro TR1
3DR Tel: 01872 272249 or email:
bookings.epiphanyhouse@keme.co.uk
Practicall Musicke
Lunchtime Concert on Thursday 11
August 2011 at 1.00pm
Practicall Musicke takes its name from Thomas
Morley’s 1597 treatise “A Plaine and Easie
Introduction to Practicall Musicke”, and is a
chamber
ensemble
currently
focussing on
music mainly
from the 17 th
century for
various
combinations of
voice, violins, viols, recorders, harpsichord
and organ. Based in Sussex, the ensemble was
founded some 25 years ago by its director,
Maurice Rogers, a noted editor, publisher and
performer of music for viols. He is joined by
his daughter Anna Liza, a talented young
Baroque violinist, and organist and
harpsichordist David Force and his wife Ruth,
who sings and plays recorder. The group’s
programmes feature English, German and
Italian repertoire representing an exciting time
in the evolution of chamber music when the
technique of instruments such as the violin and
recorder were being developed as the vehicle
of virtuoso performers, and new and
experimental compositional styles were being
tried out by composers. Practicall Musicke aims
to bring this fascinating process to life by
giving an insight into the instruments and
techniques of the time through attractive and
accessible works by the leading composers of
the period.
31

CITY OF TRURO
MALE CHOIR
City of Truro Male Choir will be performing at High
Cross on the Saturday mornings of 20 and 27 August
as part of our own fund raising efforts. In addition we
will have stalls selling plant, cakes and books.
Although we only became the City of Truro Male
Choir in 2003, we can trace our singing forefathers
back to two local village choirs formed in the 1940’s.
These were Chacewater and District Male Voice
Choir, and Carnon Vale Male Choir, which combined
in 1991 to form the Chacewater Carnon Vale Male
Choir. The new ‘City of Truro’ name was adopted
when the choir moved to improved practice facilities
at Truro School.
The choir focus is on its tone combined with an
entertaining repertoire including the traditional with
dramatic dynamics and modern works. Our current
membership is over seventy with our youngest
member being a teenager and our oldest eighty-nine,
and includes a ‘father & son‘as members. About a
third of our members now live in the City itself. The
majority of the rest come from the surrounding
dormitory villages although we also have members
coming from Falmouth, St Austell, Par and Penzance.
We were delighted last year, to be invited to join the
Truro Cathedral choir in a St. Piran’s Day Concert.
This was the first time the Cathedral Choir had ever
shared a concert with a local male voice choir and
Chris Gray said he was so pleased with the result that
he would like to invite us back in the future. We also
sang in the Cathedral this May as part of the opening
concert of the Cornwall International Male Choral
Festival and apart from the Cathedral Choristers were
the only male choir from the UK performing. We have
a busy twelve months ahead and are planning to go
on a tour in Spain in 2012 . Full details of the choir’s
activities are to be found on the choir’s website
www.cityoftruromalechoir.co.uk
32
As part of the Royal British Legion's 90th
Anniversary year, a series of concerts is being
staged in virtually every Cathedral in the
country. Cornwall is no exception and Truro
Cathedral will be hosting an anniversary concert
on Saturday 24th September 2011.
The title of the concert is 'Heroes' and the VIP's
for the evening will be families of those
servicemen who have made the ultimate sacrifice
for their country in recent conflicts in Afghanistan
and Iraq.
The concert, which will be a golden opportunity
for the general public to show their appreciation
for all that our Armed Services do for us, will
feature the renowned Central Band of the Royal
British Legion, the excellent Cornwall Junior
Choir and solo performances featuring the
Cathedral's magnificent organ, pianist Jonathan
Delbridge and guitarist, Steve Panter.
This unique concert, which promises to be a
fantastic night to remember, will hopefully be a
fitting tribute to both our fallen 'Heroes' and for
Tickets available from
the Hall for Cornwall
or on line at www.hallforcornwall.org.uk
They are priced at £10 each with all
proceeds going to the Poppy Appeal.
Group discounts are available at 20% off for
groups of 10 people or more.

Wrasslin!
The Annual Truro Cornish Wrestling
Tournament will take place on the Cathedral
Green from 10.30am on Saturday 10 th
September 2011.
This annual event has become an established
highlight of the Cornish Wrestling calendar and
evokes memories
for a number of the
now-older and
retired afficianados
of the sport who
first wrassled on
this grassy knoll
when they attended
Truro Cathedral
School in the
1950s.
Be moved… be calmed…
be inspired… be uplifted…
One such was Cornish Wrestling Association
Secretary, Peter Sheldon, who said:
“It’s great to see local businesses working
with Truro Old Cornwall Society and Truro
Cathedral to celebrate Cornish wrasslin’. It
is one of the oldest known sports in Britain
which has been handed down through the
generations, and is part of a tradition
shared by different cultures throughout the
world. I’m always heartened to see young
people from all sorts of backgrounds come
together to watch and participate on this
spot, where I first learned the sport, and to
see the best practitioners today competing
for the Light Heavyweight Championship.”
The Truro Wrasslin Tournament
is sponsored by Winter Rule.
The event is organised by Truro Old Cornwall
Society in conjunction with the Cornish wrestling
Association.
Enquiries:
Peter Sheldon 01872 242004 (Wrestling)
Bert Biscoe 01872 242293 (Event management)
We welcome Charles Timberlake back again
for a free piano recital on Thursday 25th
August at 1pm in the Cathedral.
Charles’ gentle, reflective music and unique style of
playing bring a sense of deep inner peace into the
heart of the listener. Charles started formal piano
lessons at the age of six and began improvising and
composing eight years later. It was not until his midtwenties
that people gained access to his soulful music
through performances of two musicals he scored at
Yardley Court, the school in Kent where he was
teaching at the time and where he was writing carols
for performance by the school choir. He was
encouraged to record his first album of solo piano
compositions, Between the Worlds, in 1991. Nine
years ago he met songwriter, composer and musical
director John Daniels. Since that meeting they have
collaborated on five CD albums of piano and
instrumental music, with John adding his haunting
orchestral arrangements to Charles’ piano tracks. 2 nd
April this year saw the release of their latest album, A
Time for all Things - a collection of their own
compositions, worship songs, hymns and well known
ballads. It is hoped that this new compilation , where
they record for the first time their arrangements of
popular ballads alongside religious pieces, will
appeal to those of all faiths and none; and that in
these troubled times, where many are experiencing
hardship, their music may provide an encouragement
for the listener to reflect and to deepen their
relationship with God. Their music is played regularly
on Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday with Aled Jones.
33

AUGUST
Friday 5
Monday 8
1.10pm Ben Comeau (Truro) free lunchtime organ
recital
10-5pm Cornwall Guild of Spinners, Weavers and
Dyers 60 th anniversary Exhibition until
23 rd August
Wednesday 10 10.00am Friends' Coffee Morning in the Pearson
Room (10-11.30am) All welcome
Thursday 11 1pm Practicall Musicke Informal Concert
featuring 17 th C repertoire for violin, viola,
voice, recorder, harpsichord and organ.
Free with collection
Friday 12
1.10pm Paul Goodman (Devon) free lunchtime
organ recital
Wednesday 17 11-3pm Family Fun Day organised by the Mothers’
Union on the Cathedral Green
Friday 19
Saturday 20
1.10pm Georgina Sherriff (London) free lunchtime
organ recital
11-2pm City of Truro Male Choir Fundraising
Concert on High Cross
Thursday 25 1pm Charles Timberlake informal lunchtime
piano recital Free with collection
Friday 26
Saturday 27
Monday 29
SEPTEMBER
1.10pm David Davies (Exeter Cathedral) free
lunchtime organ recital
11-2pm City of Truro Male Choir Fundraising
Concert on High Cross
9.30am BANK HOLIDAY Cathedral opens at
9.30am
Friday 2 1.10pm John Davenport (All Saints’ Church, Bristol)
free lunchtime organ recital
Saturday 3 7.30pm Cornish Male Voice Choir Fundraising
Concert Join some of the best Choirs in
Cornwall as they provide a rousing evening’s
entertainment. Raising funds for
Inspire Cornwall. Tickets £10 from Hall For
Cornwall Box Office, tel 01872 262466 or
www.hallforcornwall.co.uk
Friday 9 1.10pm Michael Edwards (Cornwall) free lunchtime
organ recital
Saturday 10 1-4pm Cornish wrasslin' on the Cathedral
Green Traditional Cornish sport including
stalls, food and drink.
Saturday 11 4pm Hope Springs Eternal a Memorial Service
for the Victims Evensong and tenth anniversary
commemoration of 9/11
Saturday 11 8pm Open to Question – An informal chance
to reflect on issues of Faith with Rev
Canon Dr Stephen Dawes in the Pearson
Room. Free
Weds 14
From
10am
Friends' Coffee Morning in the Pearson
Room (10-11.30am) All welcome
Thursday 15 2.30pm ‘A Year of Learning at Truro Cathedral’
A talk by Sarah Hughes, the Cathedral’s
Education & Interpretation Officer. MU
meeting in the Pearson Room.
Friday 16 1.10pm Greg Morris (The Temple Church, London)
free lunchtime organ recital
Friday 16 7.30pm Rick Stein at Truro Cathedral Your
chance to sample a four course gourmet
dinner prepared by multi-award winning
chef and his team. For further information
and details ring 01872 245006. An
Inspire Cornwall fundraising event.
Saturday 17 2.30pm The Priory of England and the Islands of
the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital
of St John of Jerusalem Service of Rededication
(entry by ticket) tbc
Sunday 18 10am Morning Eucharist with thanksgiving for
the work of Cathedral volunteers
Monday 19
2.30pm &
7.30pm
Stories from Bethlehem—a city besieged
A slide show and talk by Rt Revd Richard
Llewellin, former Bishop of St Germans.
In Pearson Room Tickets from Cathedral Office
Thursday 22 6.30pm Friends’ Film Club in the Pearson Room.
Mr Hulot’s Holiday is a comedy film starring
and directed by Jacques Tati. Tickets
in advance 01872 274986
Friday 23 1.10pm Philip Davey (Truro Methodist Church)
free lunchtime organ recital
Saturday 24 7.30pm Heroes Concert A variety of musical entertainment
and reflections of our heros.
A concert organised by the local Royal
British Legion. Tickets HFC 01872 262466
Tuesday 27 7.30pm Transition Truro Meeting in the Pearson Room
Weds 28 5.30pm Solemn First Evensong of Michael and
All Angels
Thursday 29 7pm Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Budhist
Group Open Meeting
Friday 30 1.10pm Colin Andrews (Indiana University) free
lunchtime organ recital
If you would like to receive advance notice about events at Truro Cathedral
please email info@trurocathedral.org.uk or let Anne Marie know your address and
she’ll put you on the Events database.

Organorak
DIVERSE DELIGHTS
(AND DOUBLE ENTENDRES)
ORGANORAK’S ‘SUMMERY VIEW’
Well, NOT very summery as I’m writing this (the Curse
of St Swithun?) but possibly less relentlessly Cornish by
the time you read it. More than halfway through the
Friday Recital season now, and there have indeed been
delights, notably several David Briggs pieces – I
particularly enjoyed ‘Le Tombeau de Duruflé – and all
the fun of Organ Discovery Day (TWO days actually,
with a special schools event at Truro Methodist Church
and the Cathedral) culminating in a multi-organic
experience – duets, duels, trios – and Luke Bond playing
the Widor Tocc blindfold (but could he see the pedals
through holes in his sox?)
The concert season has been equally rewarding, from
Saint Mary’s Singers’ heady mix of Bach, Stravinsky,
Copland and VW, via Tavener’s ‘Towards Silence’ with
the combination of antiphonal string quartets plus
Tibetan singing bowl having a profound effect on some
listeners; then a truly monumental Greig Piano Concerto
(fortunately not accompanied by ‘offstage’ drumming
from Lemon Quay!) to the recent rare combination of
violin and organ from the Gough Duo, in which
‘authentic’ works by Rheinberger, Liszt and Karg-Elert
were contrasted with Rupert Gough’s own splendid
arrangements.
Howard Goodall has been a great advocate for Truro
recently, so it was great to meet him again at the
premiere of ‘A New Heart, a New Spirit’ which he
composed to display the talents of the four Cathedral –
based choirs – up to 13 parts lively organ writing, four
languages and one of the most memorable ‘alleluia’
melodies ever – more than a month later I still catch
myself singing it! The rest of the concert, featuring the
choir singly or in combination was also a truly
glorious showcase of Cornish choral excellence – I
only wish the whole evening could have been
recorded. And we’ve had two other World Premieres
recently – the commemoration of 50 years of Amnesty
International was marked by ‘The Harrowing of Hell’
by Russell Pascoe, a searing and evocative work for
vocal quartet and centrepiece of the Cathedral’s first
ever Evensong Webcast, an innovation which will
gladden the hearts of the choir’s worldwide fans.
By now, my regular readers (yes, both of you!) will be
wondering what happened to the promised ‘double
entendres’. In fact I meant it literally – we have had
the chance to hear some works twice, but in slightly
different forms. It’s been fascinating to contrast Julia
Hwang’s sublime ‘Lark Ascending’ at the SMS concert
with the Gough Duo version with organ (Mother
Willis provides some wonderful imitative wind, but
even she can’t manage a triangle!) Rachmaninov’s
‘Vocalise’ featured in Marcus Wibberley’s organ
recital in his own arrangement, and again in the
Gough Duo’s concert – Rupert Gough admitting he’d
been influenced by David Briggs’ own transcription
recorded at Truro (and in all our CD collections).
Truro Choral Society’s splendid Brahms Requiem was
followed a month later by Three Spires’ magnificent
performance of the version with piano duet
accompaniment (The Amazing Comeaus, of course!)
And at the Friday recitals, Marco Lo Muscio’s ‘Lord of
the Rings’ – inspired suite appeared again, played
by its dedicatee Alessandro Bianchi (we don’t see an
Italian organist for years and then two come along at
once.)
A final thought – why are we not getting the ‘big’ St
Endellion concert at the Cathedral in August – do they
really believe Wagner will sound better in the Hall for
Cornwall? As a protest, I hope to arrange for the
Operanorak Ensemble to perform the original version
of Wagner’s only true Cornish work – ‘Tristan on ‘is
‘Oliday’.
INFORMATION
For more information visit our website www.trurocathedral.org.uk
or contact the Cathedral Office, 14 St Mary’s Street, Truro, TR1 2AF
(Open Monday to Friday 9am –5pm)
tel: 01872 276782
Articles or adverts for the Oct / Nov edition should be submitted
where possible by email to philip@trurocathedral.org.uk by Friday 16th Sept