Association |
Association |
Newsletter - Spring 2011From the printed edition, reformatted for the web
In this issue:
1. Happy Birthday to The Friends
2. The Friends’ Masonry Apprentice
5. A "Thank You" to The Friends
6. Visit to Chartreuse National Park
8. A Concert of Carols by Candlelight
This year (2011) we celebrate our 75th anniversary. The Association was formed in 1936 and the first Friends were the then Duke and Duchess of York, who became in the course of that year, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
We are honoured that the Earl of Wessex agreed to become our honorary Friend.
We have planned a Festival weekend to celebrate our 75 years. This will take place on Friday 17th to Sunday 19th June 2011.
On Friday we shall hold a celebration three course dinner with wine included, in the Chapter House, with a special guest of honour. Catering will be provided by the Cross Keys Restaurant. Black tie, £40.
On Saturday 18th June 2011, at 2.00pm we shall be holding our Annual General meeting, and at 7.30 our Festival Concert.
Charles Harrison who is organising the concert for us writes:
“The concert will be a glorious celebration of the work of the Friends of Lincoln Cathedral as they celebrate their 75th anniversary. The cathedral’s choirs have enjoyed a sparkling renaissance in recent years, which has been made possible in no small part be the generous and consistent support of the Friends. Perhaps the most ambitious single performance yet undertaken by the choir, the concert will include world premiers of two new works commissioned by the Friends, as well as Handel’s early masterpiece “Dixit Dominus” and his anthem, “The King shall rejoice", composed for the Coronation of George ll in 1727. An orchestra of top international professionals and a team of leading young soloists will join the choir for an evening of excitement and excellence.”
On Sunday 19th there will be a special Eucharist at 9.30am to celebrate and to dedicate the Friends gifts during which our specially commission anthem will be sung.
To further celebrate this milestone we have taken over the financing of a set of copes to be known as the Friends’ Jubilee copes which Dilys Jones has designed and which the embroidery guild are presently making.
The Friends’ Masonry Apprentice
Adam has recently completed another of the two week block courses at Molton College, Northampton, where he extended his studies of block mouldings and technical drawing.
Now back in Lincoln he is working on the cathedral where he has just fixed a column and his next task is to fix some blocks on the bottom stone course.
(column being fixed) 
(cathedral scaffolding)
The Galilee Porch
The Galilee Porch is on the south side of the Cathedral. As the old bishops’ palace was on the South side, the ruins of which are in the care of English Heritage, this may have been the ceremonial entrance. Certainly it is very grand with fine carvings.
Unfortunately, of recent times it has become prey to vandalism and unsuitable behaviour. It provides a dark and isolated refuge for youths with nothing to do in the evening. An electronic device has been fitted to discourage young people from congregating there but plans are being investigated to erect gates to preserve the interior.
They will be robust and of a design in keeping with the porch and will protect the interior once cleaning and restoration has been done.
This may well be a project upon which the Association will look favourably.
topAt the end of March we say "Farewell" to the Cathedral's Chapter Clerk and Chief Executive, Roy Bentham. He has been a steady helmsman through successive changes of pilot and has always been encouraging and supportive of the Friends.
We wish him and his wife a very happy retirement. He writes:...........
One of the many delights of working at Lincoln Cathedral is its ‘Friends’ organisation. The 1500 members of the Association of the Friends of Lincoln Cathedral, located across the world, share a love of this very special place and express that in important ways. Whether it is funding for a harpsichord, the Chapter House heating system, the west front turrets or our splendid new loos, their input is generous both in substance and spirit. We sometimes face problems and challenges that are outside the capability of our budgets and the Friends frequently step up to the plate with help.
And I would like to use this valedictory piece to pay tribute to their Secretary, Keith Jones. In all of our dealings he has properly guarded the ethos and remit of the Friends and sometimes has to say ‘no.’ Yet this is always done with a grace and humour that respects and builds productive relationships. I shall miss dealing with Keith… always a delight.
I am grateful to, and shall miss, all my Lincoln friends.
Visit to Chartreuse National Park
Many of you will remember with pleasure the visit of our friends from the Church of St Hugh in Vence. This was their biennial pilgrimage “In the steps of St Hugh”.
Their next pilgrimage will be from Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th September to the Chartreuse National Park, the area in which St Hugh spent his first forty years.
The group will stay for three nights at the Hotel Skiers in Sappey en Chartreuse. (€110 single and €140 double room).
Visits include Avalon, St Hugh’s birthplace, where there is a tower which overlooks the estates of his father who was the Sieur of Avalon, Pontcharra and Villar Benoit and St Pierre en Chartreuse.
Accommodation is offered in Vence before departure as is the shared cost of transport.
Details from the Friends' Office. Email
The Friends web site
Early in 2002 I set up a website for the Friends with Graham Jackson as webmaster. When Graham had to retire in 2009 a small group of interested members looked carefully at the web site and a few alterations were made. Mair Allen-Williams became webmaster with Aidan Hopkins as deputy. Mair, after being awarded her PhD decided to take time off to travel and Aidan is now keeping the website up to date and I am most grateful to him for taking this on. Aidan is the son of a former Vicar of Scothern and he was also a member of the Cathedral Choir so has a particular interest in the Cathedral.
I have set up a number of web sites for various organisations and my main aim has always been to make information readily available to any visitor by making the navigation as easy to use as possible. I have myself often been frustrated by websites which seem to take a delight by making basic information difficult to find.
I am very conscious that we have Cathedral Friends world-wide and have therefore included such items as the Chapter Letter, Bishops’ monthly letter and the Cathedral Community publication InHouse. These are excellent sources of information for all those who have an interest in the Cathedral no matter where they live.
I would be delighted to include letters from our overseas members telling us about their present whereabouts and their connection with the Cathedral.
Please visit the website which can be found here: http://lincolnfriends.org.uk/
John R Ketteringham
A Concert of Carols by Candlelight
Over 1000 people attended our concert on a bitterly cold night and we were pleased to welcome our friends, not only from this county and others more distant but some of our Friends from Canada, France, the United States and The Netherlands.
A recording was made of the communal carols and in January the choir recorded their pieces for our CD which we hope will be ready in time for our Annual General Meeting. It will also be on sale at the County Show.
Order forms will be sent out with our Annual Report in May. Price will be £12.50 and £1 for postage and packing.