THE
P RTAL
February 2019
Page 21
Epiphany Carols
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane were at the Epiphany Carols
organised by the Friends at Warwick Street
T
his, now regular, event has become a fixture in the Ordinariate calendar. The church in Warwick
Street looked stunningly beautiful. We all held lighted candles, and the sanctuary was also lit by candle
power. The choir, under the direction of Keith Brown, was excellent, and the organ playing by Paul Davis
inspirational. The music chosen was well thought out. It included some old favourites and some pieces not so
well known. A setting of The Coventry Carol by Philip Stopford was especially welcome.
In addition to those pieces sung by the choir, we were
also treated to the traditional Epiphany Hymns. The
readings were beautifully read, clear and easy for the
congregation to listen. All closed with Benediction,
beautifully given by our Ordinary, The Right Revd
Mgr Keith Newton.
After the carols, we were all invited to the Challoner
Hall for a reception. Here we enjoyed drinks and
Galettes des Rois. All was organised with the aplomb
we have come to expect from the Friends of the
Ordinariate. We spoke to one of the readers, The Hon.
Mrs Michael Hodges. We were given leave to use her
Christian name, Veronica. We complimented her
on her reading, “Thank you very much,” she replied.
“It’s a very high note. Yesterday we were down in
Folkestone with Fr Bould. He did the most wonderful
act of worship. Just a mass but that evening they were
going to have their equivalent to this Carol Service. It’s
obviously very much an Ordinariate format. They are
having Evensong and Benediction as well. The choir
here always have something original there but they
always have some old favourites as well.”
story. It was so peaceful and wonderful. The Church
looked wonderful. I liked just having my own candle
and to read hymns by candle light.”
We spied an old friend. Robert Tickle. “It was
absolutely fantastic,” he enthused. “It brought out the
truth of the incarnation in a very beautiful way ending
with Benediction. I think that this is really part of
our patrimony; the music and Benediction itself. Our
patrimony includes not just Anglo-Catholicism and
Newman, but patristic studies of the Oxford school
and also the witness of the Catholic Martyrs in England
and the pre reformation English Church.
We could not resist a word with the Director of
Music, Keith Brown, another old friend. We told him
that we thought the music wonderful and he graciously
replied, “Thank you. We always really enjoy it too.
Stopford’s Coventry Carol is super. After a hard day’s
work, it is good to come and hear all this music. When
I was conducting some of that stuff tonight, there were
some emotional moments. It’s magical.”
We enjoyed the soloist for Cornelius’ ‘How brightly
Veronica’s husband is one of the Trustees of the shines the morning star!’ Keith told us that it was Jack
Friends. We asked if she gets involved in other things. Lawrence Jones. Keith continued, “I thought it was
She told us that sometimes she is able to attend the important to get a bit of everything in there. I decided
Tuesday Rosary. “I do come down to the breakfast to use a metrical version of the songs because the
club on occasion. Whenever they have events we try congregation like to sing.” All in all, it was a wonderful
to follow them.”
evening. Thank you to everyone involved, and to the
Friends who organised it all.
Another one of the evening’s readers was The Revd
Mother Winsome of the SBVM. She too thought the
You are invited to join the
event was a highlight of the Ordinariate year. She told
us, “It is pure joy to be able to celebrate Christmastide
Rosary Fellowship
at the proper time and in the proper way. This is
For full details and an application form
something that’s very rare these days. Something like
please contact Br Robert Augustine at:
this actually emphasises that Christmas isn’t just about
The Retreat of Our Lady and St Benedict,
a single day, it’s a whole journey.”
63a Wells Road, Walsingham NR22 6DX
[email protected]
01328 820130
Ava heard about the Carol Service because she was
with one of the “guys in the choir!” She is not a singer,
Please could clergy bring this initiative to the attention of any of
but just came to enjoy. “I enjoyed the following of the
your people who do not have access to this publication