March 2013 - Archdiocese of Glasgow

FLOURISH • MARCH 2013
FEATURE 19
Penilee hall
The old Nissen-style hall
Below: Anne Barr cuts the ribbon,
watched by Fr John McGinley
scheme netted £70,000 and
parish bonds £40,000. Grants
from local and national bodies
contributed some £65,000.
“We even managed to make
money from the official opening
with a raffle for the honour
of cutting the ribbon,” Mr
IT’S 2013 and the Year of
Faith is under way but
for five ordinary people
in Glasgow, life goes on
as always… until they
end up in Lourdes together.
Following the success of
past productions like The
Martyrdom of St John Ogilvie
(2012) and The Turnaround
(2011), AGAP Community
Theatre returns to Lentfest
with a sensitive, moving and
Graham explained.
The honour went to parishioner
Anne Barr and another
£1275 was added to the funds.
Fr McGinley said: “Anne
was representing parishioners
past and present who have
worked tirelessly and given
generously to make the dream
of a new hall become a reality.
“Parishioners and members
of the local community who
use the hall are delighted with
the facility.
“It is a place to meet, take
part in discussions, enjoy the
arts and to celebrate family
and community milestones. In
all these things, we hope it reflects
the beauty and joy of
our faith built upon the love of
Christ.”
The Pilgrimage on tour to parishes
sometimes funny production
about faith, hope and karaoke.
Join Joanne, Margaret,
Monica, Peter and Tom as
they share their lives with you
and have them changed by
one another.
Thursday 7th March: St
Michael’s Hall, Parkhead
Friday 8th: St Mungo’s,
Townhead
Saturday 9th: St
Gregory’s, Wyndford
Lentfest – hitting the high notes
BUGLES, trumpets, trombones
and horns combined
to fill the church of
Our Holy Redeemer in
Clydebank with graceful
music to mark the start
of Lentfest.
The concert, given by the
Royal Conservatoire of
Scotland Brass, also marked
the 125th anniversary of the
old ‘shipyard parish’ and 110
years of the church where
God’s praises have been
sung down the decades.
The church is home to a
magnificent 146 year-old
Mirrlees organ which guest
organist Calum Robertson
did justice to with a recital
of James MacMillan’s
Meditation and Rory
Boyle’s Toccata.
Long-time organist at
OHR, and concert organiser
Tom Logue, said: “These
scintillating pieces certainly
showed off the Mirrlees
organ at its best, and though
very demanding pieces to
play, were brilliantly executed
by Calum Robertson,
a young musician of quite
prodigious ability”.
The concert concluded
with another spectacular
piece for brass and organ,
Saints Ascend, specially
composed for the occasion
by Chris Gough, of the
Royal Conservatoire.
Sunday 10th: Our Lady &
St George’s, Penilee
Friday 15th: St Paul’s,
Shettleston
Saturday 16th: St
Margaret’s, Clydebank
Sunday 17th: St Margaret
Mary’s, Castlemilk
Thursday 21st: St
Martin’s, Renton
Friday 22nd: St Lucy’s,
Abronhill
All performances begin at
7.30pm
Mr Logue added: “To
have a world-premiere performance
in OHR, especially
of a piece of this
quality, was beyond my
wildest dreams.”
Parish priest Canon
Gerard Tartaglia welcomed
Archbishop Tartaglia, the
Provost of West Dunbarton
Douglas McAllister, local
MSP Gil Paterson, musicians
and an appreciative
audience to the Sunday
evening concert.
Our Holy Redeemer’s is
one of a number of parishes
hosting a range of musical,
artistic and theatrical productions
during this year’s
Lentfest.
A taste of some of what is
on offer was provided on
Ash Wednesday at a media
launch in the Eyre Hall,
Silk
trail
Clyde Street.
It began with a most
prayerful rendition of The
Beatles classic Let it Be
sung by guitar-playing
Taylor Logan, a gifted pupil
of St Mungo’s Academy.
The involvement of fellow
St Mungo pupils in an
extract of The Pilgrimage
highlighted the talent ready
to be tapped in promoting
the arts as part of the
Church’s witness in society.
Delighted to acknowledge
his own association with St
Mungo’s, as a former pupil,
Archbishop Tartaglia described
Lentfest as “an opportunity
for believers to
propose something of the
beauty and truth of Christian
thought to a wider public”.
He said it reflected the
‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’
initiative proposed by Pope
Benedict where believers
and non-believers can share
in the beauty, truth and
goodness which is common
to the human spirit.
The ability of music to inspire
fresh expressions of art
was illustrated by painter
Sandy Moffat who sketched
a pastel drawing as opera
singer Martin Aelred stirred
up emotions with a rendition
of Puccini’s Messa di
Gloria.
Archbishop Tartaglia welcomed
Archbishop Conti,
his predecessor and founder
of the Archdiocesan arts
project (AGAP), and
thanked Lentfest’s director
Stephen Callaghan for his
commitment to “this important
aspect of the mission of
the Archdiocese.”
Archbishop Tartaglia with St Mungo’s pupils
Rebecca Murphy, Keiran Vernel, Joanna
McGee, Chloe Ferris and Taylor Logan
Pictures by Paul McSherry
WHILE it looks fragile and weak, silk is a
strong and expansive fabric.
And by using the material in art, Brilliance
in Brokenness helps demonstrate the
resilience of people and their communities.
Pauline Edmiston has spent 20 years
volunteering and working in communities
labeled ‘deprived across Glasgow. Through
the use of silk and other materials she
creates artwork which helps demonstrate that
there is much more to these communities
than meets the eye.
“The lack of access to economic resources
causes many to fall into a life of poverty,”
said Pauline who is part of Faith in
Community Scotland’s Transformation Team.
“But, in my experience, when the grey and
jagged realities hit them or their neighbours,
folk dig deep and often find the strength and
resolution to stand up against the challenges
and in that moment we see humanity at its
best.”