good_news_2012_02 - Bloor Street United Church

New Festival Antependium by Bridget Hough
The new “white” antependium for festivals such as
Christmas, Easter and Baptism is made almost entirely
of recycled fabrics in shades of white, cream, gold, silver and
beige. The quilters contributed scraps from their projects, or
from family collections such as wedding dresses, bridal veils,
and lace curtains. Robert Thoen gave a stack of discarded
upholstery fabric samples which
he rescued. The design features the
universal Christian symbol of the
cross which divides the antependium
panel into four. Each panel
represents a different domain of the
environment. The left upper panel is
the sky with stars, clouds, rain and
snow. The right upper panel is the
forest, featuring the branches and
leaves of a tree. The right lower panel
is the water domain, with waves,
New White Festival
Antependium
Photo by Don Payne
fishes and shellfish, and the left lower
panel hexagons are based on the basalt
of the Giant’s Causeway, topped
by man-made stone or concrete buildings. Construction
and quilting was by Velma Davis, Nancy Gordon, Heather
Hilliard, Bridget Hough and Pat McPhee of the Bloor St.
Quilters. Designed by Bridget Hough, the white antependium
was first hung in the sanctuary for
the Christmas Day service.
New Stole for Alydia
A second quilting project
designed and created by quilters
Irene Hunter and Dawn Lee was
presented to our former minister
Alydia Smith on January 8.
Alydia’s new stole features
imagery from the liturgical
seasons of the church year,
beautifully combined in a very
Alydia Smith & her mother
special stole. Alydia can wear admire her new stole
Photo by Harold Durnford
the stole all year. The stole is
reversible as the back is white with an embroidered cross.
The white side can be worn for festival Sundays. Alydia has
completed the requirements for ordination.
Haydn and Hovhaness by Lynda Moon
On Sunday evening November 20, the
church sanctuary resounded with the
music of Haydn and Hovhaness as David
Passmore led the Bloor Street Choir and an
orchestra in performance of choral works.
Featured soloists were: Jennifer Taverner,
soprano; Michelle Simmons, mezzo soprano;
Damien Villeneuve, tenor; and Matthew
Cassils, baritone, who filled in for Geoffrey
Keating. Amy Rand played the organ, and
several guest choristers, including Martha
ter Kuile and Chuck Baker, rounded out
the choir. The cantata The Thirtieth Ode of Solomon by the
American composer Alan Hovhaness opened the program. It
was a wonderful opportunity to hear this evocative mystical
work during the 100th anniversary year of the composer’s
birth. Among the effective features was the sombre
sonority created by linking the trombone and baritone
solo. Hovhaness was influenced by the musical language of
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his father’s Armenian heritage. After
intermission we were treated to a
stirring performance of Haydn’s Nelson
Mass complete with trumpets, timpani
and organ. One of six late masses that
Haydn composed for his patron Prince
Nicolaus, this work became associated
with the name of the famous admiral
of the British Royal Navy. From the
foreboding atmosphere of the opening
Kyrie (Lord have mercy), we were led
on a journey through the movements
of the Mass to the hopeful conclusion Dona nobis pacem
(Grant us peace).
Following the performance a reception was held in
McClure Hall, giving the opportunity for audience members
to mingle with the musicians. David Passmore, the Bloor
Street Choir, soloists, instrumentalists and concert volunteers
are to be congratulated on a very successful evening!
Concert Soloists Damien Villeneuve
& Jennifer Taverner Photo by
Harold Durnford