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Bill Thomson

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Hanover Band

Cuthbourne Festival?

On Saturday 22 June we had a remarkable opportunity in St Andrew’s & St Cuthman’s to hear a major concert by one of the country’s finest baroque music ensembles.

The Hanover Band played all six of Bach’s Brandenburg

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Cuthbourne Festival?

On Saturday 22 June we had a remarkable opportunity in St Andrew’s & St Cuthman’s to hear a major concert by one of the country’s finest baroque music ensembles.

The Hanover Band played all six of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. The afternoon began with three concertos, Nos 1, 2 and 4. This was followed by a picnic with prosecco, wine or juice in the Vicarage Garden – echoes of Glyndebourne – before the early evening return to the church for concertos 5, 6 and 3 (finishing with the best known and most stirring of them all). The acoustics of our Norman building proved ideally suited to the instruments like the harpsichord, recorders and viola de gamba.

Many thanks to the Friends of Steyning Parish Church as well as our own volunteers for making this very special event possible.

Bookshop event 17 June 2024

A very special event

Many thanks to our friends at Steyning Bookshop who, to mark Independent Bookshop Week, arranged a Crime Writers’ Forum in Steyning Parish Church on 17 June. Over 150 people attended the sell-out event, which featured well-known

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A very special event

Many thanks to our friends at Steyning Bookshop who, to mark Independent Bookshop Week, arranged a Crime Writers’ Forum in Steyning Parish Church on 17 June. Over 150 people attended the sell-out event, which featured well-known author William Shaw interviewing local crime writer Elly Griffiths and ‘borderline National Treasure’ Revd Richard Coles.

Elly and Richard (William too) had new books to discuss and to sign afterwards. We learned a lot about the authors, their different methods and their history – who knew that William first interviewed Richard (then of the Communards) for a music publication in the 1980s? Or about the pencilled notes from her editor in the margins of Elly’s manuscripts (or that Beeding Cement Works features in her latest book)?

Hanover Band

Hanover Band – 22 June

The Hanover Band returns to Steyning Parish Church on Saturday, 22 June. The Band will perform all six of JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos in church over two sessions – 3:30pm and 6pm. Concert prices start

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Hanover Band – 22 June

The Hanover Band returns to Steyning Parish Church on Saturday, 22 June. The Band will perform all six of JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos in church over two sessions – 3:30pm and 6pm. Concert prices start at £25 to cover both performances. Picnics cost £12 per head, or feel free to bring your own. Concert tickets for under 25s are free for this amazing concert.

Hanover Band

The Hanover Band orchestra comprises some of the best period instrument specialists in the UK, and the acoustics of our church lend themselves particularly well to this type of performance. The players are considered to be among the best in their field  – as anyone who heard Handel’s Messiah in Steyning from the Hanover Band in December of 2022 can testify.

Tickets can be booked here.

Pastoral care team inaugurated

Pastoral care team inaugurated

On Sunday 2 June at the 9:30am Eucharist, our pastoral care team was formally commissioned by Fr Mark. The service included specially-chosen hymns and readings appropriate to the occasion. The sermon was preached by Revd Steve

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Pastoral care team inaugurated

On Sunday 2 June at the 9:30am Eucharist, our pastoral care team was formally commissioned by Fr Mark. The service included specially-chosen hymns and readings appropriate to the occasion. The sermon was preached by Revd Steve Gurr, who led the training of the team. Revd Steve’s sermon can be viewed on our YouTube channel here.

If you are, or know somebody in the locality who may be, unwell, feeling lonely, or in need of friendship and prayers, please email: care@steyningparishchurch.org.

Bookshop Event, Richard Coles and Elly Griffths

A very special event – 17 June, 7:30pm

In conjunction with our friends from Steyning Bookshop, to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week and their 40th year in business.

Fabulous crime writers’ event – not one, but three star writers will be

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A very special event – 17 June, 7:30pm

In conjunction with our friends from Steyning Bookshop, to celebrate Independent Bookshop Week and their 40th year in business.

Fabulous crime writers’ event – not one, but three star writers will be at Steyning Parish Church.

Revd RICHARD COLES and ELLY GRIFFITHS will be in conversation with WILLIAM SHAW.

The Revd Richard Coles will be celebrating the release of Murder at the Monastery, the third book in his best-selling Canon Clement series.

Elly Griffiths will be celebrating the release of The Man in Black and Other Stories, a collection of short stories featuring all her best-loved characters.

The discussion will be chaired by fellow thriller writer William Shaw, whose latest book The Wild Swimmers will be on sale on the night. All tickets include a copy of either Murder at the Monastery or The Man in Black. 

More information and tickets available from Steyning bookshop, or online here. This event has NOW SOLD OUT but there is a waiting list. For more information ring 01903 812062.

June 1/2 events

Special events in church for the weekend of 1/2 June

Organ Extravaganza

Saturday 1 June, 4pm, in church. Free admission, but with a retiring collection for the Friends of Steyning Parish Church, in aid of the building improvements.

choir-brian

Brian Sawyer,

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Special events in church for the weekend of 1/2 June

Organ Extravaganza

Saturday 1 June, 4pm, in church. Free admission, but with a retiring collection for the Friends of Steyning Parish Church, in aid of the building improvements.

choir-brian

Brian Sawyer, director of Music at Steyning Parish Church, plays several popular pieces of organ music, incuding ‘Three pieces in Jazz Style’ composed recently by the Canadian organist Denis Bedard and finishing with the very popular piece by Mons Leidvin Takle: ‘Power of Life’.

An audio recording of the concert is available below;

Special Sung Eucharist to include commissioning of the Steyning Parish Church pastoral care team

Sunday 2 June, 9.30am, guest preacher is Revd Steve Gurr, former Chaplain to St Barnabas House Hospice and currently Chaplain to Ford Prison, who kindly facilitated the team’s training.

 

Steyning Festival Closing Service

Churches Together in Steyning & District, Steyning Festival special service on Sunday 2 June at 6pm (NB not 6:30pm as stated in the printed programme). This will include an interview with the Chair of the Festival, a reprise of some poetry and music performed during the past week, and choral and organ music written by Rutter, Stanford, Takle and Vaughan Williams.

Chanctonbury Chorus May concert

Chanctonbury Chorus – 11 May

Join us for the next Chanctonbury Chorus concert. Tickets as below, or from Canon Nigel after 9:30 Sunday services.

maying-large
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Chanctonbury Chorus – 11 May

Join us for the next Chanctonbury Chorus concert. Tickets as below, or from Canon Nigel after 9:30 Sunday services.

maying-large

Families and children’s worker

Families and Children’s Worker Appointed

Gary PWe are delighted to announce that Gary Pickett, who has many years’ experience establishing work with children and families, has accepted the new post of our Families & Children’s Worker. Gary will begin full-time work

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Families and Children’s Worker Appointed

Gary PWe are delighted to announce that Gary Pickett, who has many years’ experience establishing work with children and families, has accepted the new post of our Families & Children’s Worker. Gary will begin full-time work at the end of the summer holidays. 

Gary writes: “I am 39 years old and have been a paid church youth worker for the last seven years. Within this role I have looked after six churches and four schools, and built up lots of other great community relationships in that time. I have also done voluntary youth work for many years, helping to lead many youth groups, junior church groups and serving on tech teams, as well as helping out anywhere else I can. Before I became a youth worker I was a retail manager, so am very much used to lots of hard work! Come and talk to me if you see me around – even before August.
Currently I am studying on a part time basis and hope to finish my course before I join you in August. This will give me a higher certificate in Theology, Ministry and Youth Ministry. As someone who has only just been found out that they are dyslexic because of my study on this degree level course, I now have an explanation as to why I always get told off for my bad grammar and spelling, so hopefully you are all going to be very forgiving for this.
I have four godsons, I love kayaking and running mission trips to Uganda where I have been supporting a local school for the last six years. I have been on other mission trips for the last 14 years.
I am really excited about coming to Steyning and building relationships with you all in church, but most importantly building relationships with the local community. Together we can work to reach the goals of the five-year vison that you have all put together. I’m looking forward to exploring Steyning and seeing how St Andrew’s & St Cuthman’s can support the mission of building God’s kingdom in the local area.”

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