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Peregrine News 2017

Robert — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 09:38:47 +0000

Sun 25 Jun Thanks to Nick Dixon for his fascinating talk to the 30 people who packed into the St Clement’s Chapel during the Big Bash event, and thank you all for coming.

One piece of ‘hot’ news is that our young male JN from 2015 has been seen around Taunton with a female peregrine hatched at St John’s RC Church in Bath the same year. We know this thanks to our ringing programmes, and hope they may find somewhere to establish a nest site.

Fri 23 Jun As far as we know, both PP & PM have fledged and are around the Church being fed by the adults. PP stayed put in the nest box for rather longer than expected after PM had left, but eventually seems to have fledged with minimal fuss in the early morning of Tue 20 Jun, I think.

If you’re in the area, please visit St Michael’s Church on Sat 24 Jun, particularly from 2.30pm onwards, when Nick Dixon should be present to answer questions and point things out, with a formal Q&A session timed for 3.45pm. It’s all part of the St David’s Big Bash of Community Events around St David’s Hill.

Thurs 15 Jun After lots of balancing on the edge of the trefoil and wing flapping, PM fledged at 4.17pm on Wed 14 Jun. She went as far as the nearby flat roofs of Dinham Crescent, and spent the night there.

Thursday morning, Elizabeth found PM on the Church Choir Vestry steps; not a safe place with the School Run about to start. Local resident Tony carefully gathered PM and put her in a box for safety. About 9.30 our friendly Vet kindly came to give the juvenile a quick check-over and put her up on a roof. She seemed fit and strong and immediately flew off further down Dinham Crescent.

Around midday Nick Dixon found her down towards the Mill on the Exe, and later in the afternoon PM, now named PoppyMay by the children of St David’s School during Assembly with Curate Christopher, was spotted back near the Church.

Although she has gone quite long without food, she is flying well and roosting near the Church, so hopefully she will get the idea of returning to the Church Tower to be fed by the adults.
Meanwhile PP, named Princess Peach by the schoolchildren, has not yet fledged…

Tue 13 Jun At 6 weeks our 2 strong female chicks have developed their full juvenile plumage, with just a few hints of white fluff left. There is serious wing flapping practice going on, some of it jumping off the rock in the box, other precariously close to the trefoil opening, as they show increased interest in the outside world.

They are also now feeding themselves and fighting over food brought in by the adults. On fine days the adults seem to be absent for long stretches, probably clearing ‘their airspace’ of intruding or overflying threats, like buzzards, as fledging gets near.

While Thursday is our best guess for fledging from previous experience with female chicks, it could be any minute or any day now.

Congratulations to Nick & Jason’s Peregrine installation at Woking for successfully fledging 5 chicks this year.

Tue 23 May Our 2 chicks are 3 weeks old and the camera will be switched off for a while around 5pm this afternoon while they are weighed and ringed under licence. They look to be growing and developing well, starting to pad around the nest box & flexing their wings, and showing signs of feather development.

Also to inform that the 2 unhatched eggs will be removed under licence and sent for analysis. Thanks for your continued interest in the St Michael’s Peregrines. Richard, Nick, Jason.

Weighing and ringing went fine – we have 2 females this year who have been given coloured leg rings PP & PM. They are now exploring the whole of the nest box, some of which is out of sight of the camera – so don’t panic if occasionally you can’t see them. We are not expecting them to fledge until around 14-17 June.

Wed 10 May – so, a week on from the hatching of one egg around 3.30pm Tue 2 May and a 2nd egg around 11am Wed 3 May, it’s clear that the other 2 eggs are not going to hatch. This follows a similar pattern to the past 2 years where just 2 out of 4 eggs have hatched.

This may result from our adult Peregrines being relatively old now, meaning not all eggs are fertilised or develop well. However, it should give our adult a good chance to feed and raise 2 strong young chicks towards fledging in mid-June.

Enjoy the next few weeks on camera as the 2 fluffy chicks hopefully grow strong and pretty, and then go into the slightly messier stage of developing proper feathers.

I’ve had occasional issues with the video stream not displaying properly, but found that clicking the “full screen” symbol lower left in the image and back again usually recovers the nest box picture if refreshing the webpage doesn’t do the trick.

One of Nick & Jason’s other webcams, at Woking, is now watching a large group 5 chicks grow!

Sat 22nd April – and it’s high time I started a blog for this year’s Peregrine activity up on the Spire here at St Michael’s.

This is the 21st consecutive season of egg-laying at St Michael’s Mount Dinham; the first 11 used an external NE-facing shelf, since 2008 in the nest box mounted inside the SE-facing trefoil opening high in the Spire. This year Jason Fathers of Wildlife Windows and Nick Dixon have installed a new HD Camera in the nest box with a wider view including the trefoil opening from where the adults like to look out on their domain. After various issues with our broadband connection, the pictures have been clear and reliable since egg-laying began.

This is probably the “third generation” of breeding adults, with present male since 2005 and present female since 2009. There are pros & cons to Peregrines using such an enclosed breeding site. Indeed, are there any similar ones elsewhere? Adults, eggs and chicks have more protection from spring gales and summer storms during the breeding season, and from predators. But there may be risks from accumulation of debris (we have virtually no chance to clean it) – only 2 out of 4 eggs hatched again last year. But overall their record is good.

So, they laid their first egg at about 2am Fri 24 Mar, the same day as last year, just a few hours earlier.

A 2nd egg was laid about 2.45pm on Mothering Sunday 26th Mar, about 60 hours after the 1st, and a 3rd egg at 11.55pm on Tuesday 28th Mar, 57 hours later.

The 4th & final egg was laid at 10.16am Fri 31 Mar – Wendy Bartter has kindly made a youtube video of it (as she has of the other 3 eggs being laid). Wendy has a Peregrine specific YouTube account, and also links from her and the @StMikes_Exeter twitter accounts. And use the “Peregrine Falcons” link across the top of this Blog page to go to the Webcam view.

The adults are now just over 3 weeks into the task of Incubation, and seem to be doing it well as usual. There should be just under 2 weeks till hatching, which if timings are similar to last year would most likely be on 2nd or 3rd of May…

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June Festival Final Week

Robert — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 01:40:56 +0000

The warm mid-June Monday evening past, about 120 of us heard the technical brilliance, musicality and sheer joy of David Briggs (www.david-briggs.org) in his spectacular Inaugural Recital on our new Organ. I think every pipe, pedal, key and stop was played, individually and all together!

Neil Page introduces David Briggs

Starting with a Fanfare by Graham Keitch, the Bach Prelude & Fugue showed the new Organ’s clarity in the classical repertoire, while the delicate Haydn pieces for musical clock showed its gentler colours. Briggs’ own variations on Greensleeves illustrated a different palette again, while the familiar Cocker Tuba Tune did what it said and the MacDowell Sea Pieces touched the romantic notes.

The words of Star Trek’s Chief Engineer Scotty, “She cannae take any more, Captain!”, came to my mind as David Briggs reached the climax of his transcription of Dukas’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (made famous by Disney’s Fantasia) to end the first half of his tremendous Opening Recital. Thankfully it could, and after the interval David returned to talk about his training in France in the art of improvisation. In response to ideas from the audience, he created an Organ Symphony from “I got rhythm”, “We’ll meet again” and “Westminster Chimes”. Bach’s Air on a G string provided a calming encore to conclude a wonderful evening celebrating what can now properly be called the St Michael’s Organ.

David Briggs at St Michael’s

Many thanks to Tim Trenchard, our organ builder, for a year-long labour of love cleaning, renewing, reconfiguring, installing, voicing and tuning, to Nigel Browne for overseeing the project, to Neil Page for arranging such a fitting opening Recital, and to all who have encouraged and supported us in this task. David spoke movingly about the history of this organ in Birmingham, much of it played over 5 decades by his grandfather, and his pleasure at seeing it rebuilt in our beautiful church to be used in liturgy, recitals, concerts and teaching. Our HLF guest, Evelyn Stacey, was impressed with what we have achieved.

Richard Barnes, David Briggs & Tim Trenchard

Please now support:-

Sunday 22nd June, Music Sunday, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Little Organ Mass. Motet: Insanae et Vanae Curae. (Unhealthy and vain cares invade our minds; What profit, O Mortal, in worldly things, if you neglect the heavens? But all things are favourable to you, if God is for you.) Both by Franz Joseph Haydn.

Sunday 22nd June, 6pm Evensong & Dedication of the new Organ. With Bishop Richard Hawkins – special order of service, preceded by a 20 minute mini Organ recital. Much of the choir’s music will feature bold organ accompaniments in Balfour-Gardner’s Evening Hymn and a Stanfordfest of Psalm 150 and the Canticles in C. We are grateful to Heritage Lottery Fund, Viridor Credits and our many generous donors.

Wednesday 25th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Paul Morgan (Exeter Cathedral Organist Emeritus) on the Life and Achievements of Samuel Sebastian Wesley. Hear about the eccentric SSWesley, who was Organist of Exeter Cathedral in the 1830s and, as well as composing well-known hymns and anthems, set about improving the musical life of the CofE. He is buried just below the Catacombs in the cemetery across the valley from St Michael’s.

John Dinham, died June 27th 1864

Friday 27th June, 7.30pm Requiem Mass. In memory of the 150th Anniversary of the death of John Dinham, Exeter Tea Merchant, Philanthropist and Founder of the Mount Dinham development. Weather permitting, after the service, Richard Parker & I hope to lead a procession to the tomb of John Dinham, and his wife Susannah, in the cemetery above Exe Street.

Tomb of Susannah and John Dinham

Please remember also to support a new generation of organists at our Young Organists’ Competition on Monday14th July at 7.30pm. We have 9 applicants who will each play a short selection of pieces to our panel of three judges; Devon organists Jonathan Watts, Andrew Daldorph and Neil Page. Prizes include the opportunity to perform in Exeter Cathedral, in our St Michael’s Recital series, and lessons with Cathedral organists Andrew Millington and David Davies. We thank Exeter School, Exeter Festival Chorus and Budleigh Music Festival for sponsorship.

Organ Console

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Fledging & Festival Updates

Robert — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 07:01:11 +0000

By midday on Sunday 8th June both the female Peregrine chicks (HeBe & HeiDi) had fledged and flown too. With no need for monitoring from us on the ground this year, it’s been hard to keep track of their first movements, but it seems all 3 are already able to fly to high points around the spire to roost and be fed.

Many took the opportunity to observe the Peregrines before attending Nick Dixon’s talk. A cameraman from the BBC’s One Show has been on hand too, so we hope there will be a feature on St Michael’s Peregrines in due course.

However, on Thursday 12th, the young male was found down, with some damage to his primary feathers; he has been taken to an RSPCA unit for treatment and rehabilitation, and we are still hopeful for a good recovery.

Heritage & Music Festival 2014

The Music & Heritage Festival is in full swing with choral concerts on Wed 11th and Fri 13th; please pull out all the stops to come and hear David Briggs, exciting player and entertaining speaker, performing on our new pipe Organ on Monday 16th June – all these at 7.30pm.

David Briggs – International Organ Virtuoso

If you need to park at the church, please get a pink parking permit when you arrive. Otherwise, the closest Exeter City car parks are Harlequins – free after 6pm, open till 11pm; Mary Arches Street – £2 after 6pm, staffed until 12pm; but NOT Guildhall, which closes at 9pm.

Meanwhile on Sunday 15th June, again at 7.30pm, we can learn more about the fascinating history of the part of Exeter we now call Mount Dinham, from Roman Camp and virtuous Victorians to melodious musicians and eloquent educators, from archaeologist and historian, Richard Parker.

Church and Episcopal School

It’s also great that the number of applicants for our Young Organists’ Competition, organised by Alex West, had swelled from a couple to 9, by the time entries closed last weekend. We look forward to an entertaining evening with our competitors and judges on Monday 14th July.

Organ Rebuilt

Finally, a reminder of Trinity Sunday 15th June, 10.45am Mass. Setting: now Mass in F by Charles Wood. Motet: Duo Seraphim by Guerrero. (Two Seraphim, from Isaiah 6, with 3 intertwining 4-part choirs representing the Holy Trinity)

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Heritage & Music Month – June 2014

Robert — Sun, 25 May 2014 14:47:13 +0000

Hopefully you’ve seen the Posters in the recent News Update blog. This is the same information in Diary form combined with the Music List for June. We have now had a myriad (10,000) views of the blog, from 65 different countries – thank you.

Meanwhile, keep watching our Peregrine chicks, live on the internet at our website thanks to generous sponsorship of the streaming costs by Devon Birds ( www.devonbirds.org ). The 4-week old juveniles are quite mobile around the nest box, starting to feed for themselves on what the adults bring in, and looking rather untidy as they grow their proper feathers; they are due to fledge in the second week of June.

Heritage & Music Festival 2014

So, this is when we bring most of the Project together with a wonderful variety of entertainment, education and worship. Please come and enjoy this exciting month with us at St Michael’s. We will also shortly be launching a new, enhanced website at www.stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk . Don’t miss David Briggs on Monday 16th June; he is one of the world’s most exciting concert organists.

Thursday 29th May, Ascension Day N.B. 7.30am Matins. Plainsong sung from the West Gallery; followed by Breakfast.

Thursday 29th May, Ascension Day 7.30pm Mass. Setting: Mass in C & F. Motet: Coelos Ascendit Hodie, both by C V Stanford.

Sunday 1st June, Easter VII 10.45am Mass. Setting: Missa Dixit Maria, Hassler. Motet: God is gone up with a merry noise, Hutchings (1906–1989)[Ascendit Deus, Philips]

Sunday 1st June, 6pm Evensong and Benediction. Responses: Sumsion. Psalm 47. Canticles: Stanford in G. Anthem: To My Request and Earnest Cry, by S S Wesley. (A substantial Bach-like piece, written in Exeter in 1836, setting the last 8 verses of Psalm 119 from Tate & Brady’s metrical “New Version”.) O Salutaris Hostia & Tantum Ergo: Plainsong.

Wednesday 4th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Dr David Oates on the Colourful Arms of Devon’s colourful Gentry.

Sunday 8th June, Pentecost, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Missa Brevis Laetatus Sum by Browne. Motet: Exultate Deo by Palestrina.

Sunday 8th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Nick Dixon (Raptor expert) on 20 years with Exeter’s Peregrine Falcons at St Michael’s, including new video footage from the nest box camera. Indeed, the young Peregrines should be on the threshold of fledging.

Juveniles at 3 weeks

Wednesday 11th June, 7.30pm Charity Concert. Exeter Rotary presents Torbay Police Male Voice Choir in a programme of Gilbert & Sullivan and popular songs. (Admission £6.50 on the door.)

Friday 13th June, 7.30pm St Michael’s Recital. Exeter Chorale, conducted by Dr Nigel Browne and accompanied by Dr Paul Evans & Alex West (piano duet), return with a summer programme of Madrigals, Partsongs & Glees. (Admission £7.50/£4 on the door, children free.)

Sunday 15th June, Trinity Sunday, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Spatzenmesse (Sparrow Mass) by Mozart. Motet: Duo Seraphim by Guerrero. (Two Seraphim, from Isaiah 6, with 3 intertwining 4-part choirs representing the Holy Trinity)

Sunday 15th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Richard W Parker (our own Architectural Historian) on the long History of Mount Dinham and St Michael’s.

Monday 16th June, 7.30pm Inaugural Organ Recital. David Briggs (International Organ Virtuoso, Artist-in-Residence at Toronto Cathedral, and Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral) will perform a varied programme on our newly installed, restored pipe organ. David will include 3 pieces played by his grandfather when the organ was re-dedicated after a re-build in 1952 at St Jude’s Church, Birmingham. Don’t miss this exciting Concert; see organrecitals.com for details. (Admission £10/£8 on the door.) David’s Finale will be an improvised Symphony, from themes suggested by the audience!

David Briggs – International Organ Virtuoso

Thursday 19th June, Corpus Christi, 7.30pm Mass with Procession around Mount Dinham. Setting: Mass in F by Rheinberger. Motet: Panis Angelicus, Cavalli/Leppard

We hope also to include prayers used by Bishop Ernest Barnes from the 1952 Organ Re-dedication Service at St Jude’s, Birmingham. We are grateful to Heritage Lottery Fund, Viridor Credits and our many generous donors.

Wednesday 25th June, 7.30pm Heritage Lecture. Paul Morgan (Exeter Cathedral Organist Emeritus) on the Life and Achievements of Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

Friday 27th June, 7.30pm Requiem Mass. In memory of the 150th Anniversary of the death of John Dinham, Exeter Tea Merchant, Philanthropist and Founder of the Mount Dinham development.

Sunday 29th June, SS Peter & Paul, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Anglican Folk Mass by Martin Shaw. Motet: Tu Es Petrus, Palestrina.

As usual at St Michael’s, virtually every event will have Refreshments afterwards, with voluntary donations. Unless otherwise stated, entrance is free with a voluntary collection as you leave. This celebratory month of diverse events is the climax of our 18-month Heritage Lottery Funded project (with other donors) to make Heritage, Music, Education, and indeed Religion, lively on Mount Dinham, now and for the future, in the spirit of our Victorian forbears, John Dinham, Rev Theophilus Toye and William Gibbs.

Northernhay Gardens – John Dinham statue (1866)

I’m not sure what John Dinham would make of a Requiem in his memory; he seems to have been of a more puritan, evangelical persuasion than those who built this church to his memory. What all had in common, though, was a fervent Christian faith demonstrated in the worship of God and the welfare of their fellow citizens.

Richard Barnes.

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News Update

Robert — Wed, 21 May 2014 07:53:08 +0000

A quick update on exciting current and forthcoming events.

Church and Episcopal School

Tonight! Wednesday 21st May, 7.30pm. St Michael’s Recital. Alex West (Organ). See Organ Recitals for details.

Application date for Young Organists’ Competition extended to Sat 7th June. See details here

Peregrine chicks weighed, measured and ringed, all three are healthy, developing well and getting around the nest box. See website and click Peregrine link. And yes, I’ve unofficially named them after their leg-rings HeCtor, HeBe & HeiDi!

Poster now available for Celebrity Recital by David Briggs, International Organ Virtuoso, to launch the our new Organ, on Monday 16th June at 7.30pm.

Opening organ concert on reconstructed organ formally in St Jude’s Church, Birmingham, where David’s grandfather was Organist, inspiring him as a child to learn to play and to improvise.

David Briggs – International Organ Virtuoso

Click image to enlarge.

It is a real coup for St Michael’s to have David Briggs come and formally open our newly installed pipe organ next month. It will be a thrilling opportunity to hear one of the world’s foremost organists perform pieces from J S Bach to Dukas’ the Sorcerer’s Apprentice (from Disney’s Fantasia), and to improvise a Symphony from themes suggested by the audience!

And a beautiful poster for the whole of our busy Festival Season.

Heritage & Music Festival 2014

Click image to enlarge.

We hope to see those who live near enough at St Michael’s as we celebrate.

Best regards, Richard.

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Week Three Rings

Robert — Thu, 15 May 2014 00:44:27 +0000

Yes, it’s week 3 for our Peregrine chicks, rapidly becoming juveniles, growing well thanks to good parental hunting, with Mum making sure all get their fair share of pigeon etc.

Female peregrine feeding 3 young chicks

They have started to move around the nest box, if rather ungainly, flex their young wings, spend a lot of time unattended and at least some time not all huddled together. Also preening and projectile excretion have been observed.

The adults have started using the top of the spire as a lookout and are patrolling their airspace, so buzzards and other aerial passers-by watch out.

This Saturday, as licensed ringers, Jason and Nick plan to measure, weigh and leg-ring our 3 young, 3 week old eyases. This should also confirm the expectation of 2 female and 1 male again this year. (The 4th, unhatched egg is still there, but now ignored by the adults.)

Accessing the Nest Box at St Michael’s

Advanced notice of Nick Dixon’s talk here in St Michael’s Mount Dinham on Sunday 8th June at 7.30pm, illustrated by recorded (and live) footage from 6 weeks in the nest box. That is unless any juveniles have just decided to fledge the nest, in which case we may all adjourn outside for a view of their first tentative flights.

Enjoy the next 3 weeks of growth and development at close quarters on the Devon Birds’ sponsored live stream available on St Michael’s website.

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May at St Michael’s

Robert — Thu, 01 May 2014 11:56:41 +0000

St Michael’s on a May morning

We start May with two of the most joyful and uplifting Anthems for Easter from the Anglican Choral tradition; I wrote about “Ye Choirs” this time last year. Singing Samuel Sebastian Wesley’s “BBGF” is always a treat (the male recits, the girls’ antiphony, the massive organ chords and the final full-on fugue), but especially when one is just 200 yards North of his grave by the Exeter Catacombs.

We end the month with Ascension Day Matins and Sung Mass. In between is our usual diet of excellent music, plus a Lecture and a Recital to feed the mind as well as the soul. (Alex should have a choice of the old Wyvern electronic and the restored St Jude’s pipe organs for his recital.)

Meanwhile the programme for a month-long Heritage and Music Festival on Mount Dinham in June to celebrate the (near) completion of our Heritage Lottery Fund project, and the 150th Anniversary of John Dinham, will be released soon. We are thrilled that International Organ Recitalist David Briggs will be coming on Monday 16th June to inaugurate the rebuilt Organ which he knew as a child at St Jude’s Church, Birmingham.

Please also consider prompting any keyboard players aged 21 or under to enter the Young Organists’ Competition – the judging will be gentle and there’s no obligation to commit to giving a recital, just the opportunity. Likewise, keep an eye on the progress of our Peregrine chicks via the live webcam stream, sponsored by Devon Birds.

Devon Birds

Sunday 4th May, Easter III 10.45am Mass. Setting: Mass in F, Sumsion. Motet: Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem, Stanford.

Sunday 4th May, 6pm Evensong and Benediction. Responses: Radcliffe. Psalm 48. Canticles: Stanford in C. Anthem: Blessed be the God and Father, Wesley. O salutaris: Rossini. Tantum Ergo: Fauré (in Gflat).

Sunday 11th May, Easter IV 10.45am Mass. Setting: Missa O Quam Gloriosum, Victoria. Motet: Psalm 23, Schubert.

Wednesday 14th May, St Michael’s Lecture 7.30pm. Dr Sarah Goldingay (Univ of Exeter, Dept of Drama) Performance/Placebo – 21st Century Adventures in Culture, Medicine & Healing.

Sunday 18th May, Easter V 10.45am Mass. Setting: Mass in F, Darke. Motet: Surrexit Christus, Praetorius.

Wednesday 21st May, St Michael’s Recital 7.30pm. Alex West (Organ Recital). See Alex West on organrecitals.com

Sunday 25th May, Rogation Sunday 10.45am Mass. Procession around Mount Dinham. Setting: Missa Brevissima, Casciolini. Motet: If Ye Love Me, Stopford. STOP PRESS! Motet changed to “God looks on nature with a glorious eye”, words by poet John Clare (1793-1864), music by in-choir composer, Graham Keitch.

Thursday 29th May, Ascension Day 7.30am Matins. N.B. Time reverted to 7.30 to allow for climbing the tower and breakfast (Please note the new time.) Sung from the West Gallery; followed by Breakfast.

Thursday 29th May, Ascension Day 7.30pm Mass. Setting: Mass in C & F. Motet: Coelos Ascendit Hodie, both by C V Stanford.

Sunday 1st June, Easter VII 10.45am Mass. Setting: Missa Dixit Maria, Hassler. Motet: Ascendit Deus, Philips.

Sunday 1st June, 6pm Evensong and Benediction. Responses: Sumsion. Psalm 47. Canticles: Stanford in G. Anthem: To My Request and Earnest Cry, SSWesley. O salutaris & Tantum Ergo: Plainsong.

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Three chicks and an egg

Robert — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 22:02:10 +0000

Having waited expectantly since mid-week, our holy Peregrines have again seen their eggs hatching on the last Sunday in April, just like last year, and exactly 34 days after laying their 3rd egg.

It was a wet and windy night but, with a touch of late night peregrinitis, it looked to me like one of the eggs had cracked around midnight and by 1am on the 27th the female was removing the shell and eating some of it, but nestling so well that I couldn’t see any chick. An automatic recording at 3.30am showed her removing a second shell and gave hints of some fluffiness under her breast.

At 8.30am Nick Dixon caught a swapover on the live webcam and saw 2 chicks and 2 eggs. At 12noon, accompanied by the church bell ringing for the Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven), Kim confirmed this at another changeover of adult birds. Fittingly Sunday’s Mass setting was by William Byrd.

By 3.30pm I was suspecting maybe a third hatchling, and this was clear at 4.45pm when the female left the 3 chicks unattended in the nest for about 10 minutes. Two chicks were stretching upwards and squauking, with the third smaller chick less vocal; two female and a male?

It was a little worrying that the adults kept the chicks warm but showed no sign of attempting to feed them at all on Sunday, though they looked quite comfortable and active. Today, Monday, feeding has started with breakfast and tea observed; it will be a day or 2 more before we know whether the 4th egg will hatch.

Inside the Spire of St Michael & All Angels

The Heritage Lottery Funded camera mounted by Wildlife Windows in the nestbox 35 metres up St Michael’s spire gives a wonderful opportunity to observe these beautiful birds at close quarters, but remember that feeding might be messy. So go to http://www.stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk/ click on the Peregrine image and then the “play” button, and watch our Peregrine family.

We are hugely grateful to Devon Birds for sponsoring the live-video-streaming. Please also visit their website to learn about the wider bird scene in Devon.

It’s not cheap (sorry for the pun) to run the streaming, so a little donation to one or both of St Michael’s and Devon Birds would be much appreciated.

Congratulations also to the educated Peregrines of Nottingham Trent University who hatched 3 eggs on St George’s Day, last Wednesday; they now have 4 chicks.

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Highlights of Holy Week and Easter

Robert — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 13:01:23 +0000

Manifold thanks to Fr David Hastings and assisting Clergy, to Servers, Choir, Conductors, Organist, Readers, Cantors, Flower Arrangers, Cleaners, Welcomers and Refreshment providers, for another memorable Holy Week; and to all who visited St Michael’s physically or digitally, once or several times. Please come again.

These are my highlights.

Stations of the Cross – 6pm Spy Wednesday

Thanks to Erika, Rachel and Matthew for the beautiful Pergolesi “Stabat Mater”.

Tenebrae candelabrum – 4am Fri 18 Apr

I’m sure several churches keep a watch with our Lord through the night of Maundy Thursday into Good Friday. Did any also sing plainsong Tenebrae at 4am? With Richard, David and Lucy, it was an inspiring Office.

Early in the morning; just as day is dawning.

On Good Friday morning I left St Michael’s to Venerate the Cross without me, and instead took my daughter to the Exeter Passion Perambulation. Arriving too late for the okay Kendrick “Meekness & Majesty” and the dubious theology of a “Jesus bore God’s Wrath” worship song, we left the Cathedral with a crowd of 800+ to see the drama unfold in the city. “When I survey” and “Amazing grace” seemed even fuller of meaning in contrast.

Exeter Passion – Jesus before Pilate & High Priest

Exeter Passion – Crucified on Cathedral Green

Good Friday evening Tenebrae sung from the West Gallery is one of St Michael’s “signature” services, and the congregation of over 50 were not disappointed with Plainsong Psalms and Responds, the Hebrew alphabet illuminated by Lassus, the remarkable set of Readings, by Richard Parker in Latin and Fr Andy Atkins in English, from Lamentations, Wisdom and the Letter to the Hebrews, and the final Miserere Mei (Ps 51) by Palestrina.

Tenebrae – 8pm Good Friday

Holy Saturday’s Easter Vigil of Readings, New Fire, Paschal Candles, Exsultet, Renewal of Baptismal Vows and First Mass of Easter was moving as ever, but even more so as the new Pipe Organ (still work in progress, but needing to be run in) was unleashed liturgically for the first time at the Gloria Fanfare while the High Altar candles were lit.

Easter Vigil – New Fire & Paschal Candles

Easter Vigil Mass – Frs Andy, David & Tom

Easter Morning’s Voluntary was the glorious Bach Fantasia in G – the new organ was used again and is sounding very promising and very loud.

Dr Nigel Browne with Estella – Bach’s Fantasia in G on the new HLF Organ

Organ builder, Tim Trenchard, at work before Easter

Happy Easter! RB.

Easter Garden – Empty Tomb
Christ is Risen; He is Risen indeed, Alleluia.

Out attention now turns to the Eggs being incubated by our Peregrine Falcons and due to hatch later this week or next weekend. See them live online at http://www.stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk/#

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Stations of the Cross – 3

Robert — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 08:30:34 +0000

Not in 2020 or 2021 – Good Friday, 8pm Tenebrae – an ancient service with texts from Lamentations and Psalms, sung in Latin and English from the West Gallery to plainsong and polyphony by Lassus (1532-1594) and Palestrina (1525-1594), ending in darkness and silence to symbolise Jesus’ descent to the dead.

At St Michael’s we try not to anticipate Feasts, so Easter services are listed after the final four Stations.

Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross

Hymn – Jesus, the Crucified, pleads for me

Jesus, the Crucified, pleads for me,
While he is nailed to the shameful tree,
Scorned and forsaken, derided and curst.
See how his enemies do their worst!
Yet, in the midst of the torture and shame,
Jesus, the Crucified, breathes my name!
Wonder of wonders, oh! How can it be?
Jesus, the Crucified, pleads for me!

IV “Verily I say to thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.”

And one of the malefactors which were hanged, railed on him, saying, “If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.”

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing amiss.”

And he said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.” And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say to thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.”

Jesus dies upon the cross

V “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” – VI “I thirst.” – VII “It is finished. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

There was darkness over all the land. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, saith, “I thirst.”

When Jesus had received the vinegar, he saith, “It is finished. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” And he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Jesus is laid in the arms of His Mother

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?
Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

O come unto me – this awful price, redemption’s tremendous sacrifice – is paid for you. Oh! Why will ye die? O come unto me.

Jesus is laid in the Sepulchre

Hymn – All for Jesus

All for Jesus – all for Jesus,
This our song shall ever be;
For we have no hope, no Saviour,
If we have not hope in thee.

All for Jesus – thou wilt give us
Strength to serve thee hour by hour;
None can move us from thy presence,
While we trust thy love and power.

All for Jesus – at thine altar
Thou wilt give us sweet content;
There, dear Lord, we shall receive thee
In the solemn Sacrament.

All for Jesus – all for Jesus –
This the Church’s song must be;
Till, at last, her sons are gathered
One in love and one in thee.
Amen.

Holy Saturday 8pm – The Easter Vigil for the whole Parish. We kindle the New Light, prepare and bless the Paschal Candles for St Michael’s and St David’s, hear the Exsultet, the proclamation of Christ’s Resurrection, and renew our Baptismal Vows.

Out of the stillness – A poem by Jonathan Draper, former Dean of Exeter Cathedral.

Out of the stillness of dark before dawn,
In the still and the quiet and the damp of the night,
The morning star glimmers alone in the sky:
Signal of day, herald of light.

Deep in the stillness of anguish and fear
Lie hopes that were shattered by death and by doubt,
The husk of a dream lies empty and crushed,
Mind seeks for meaning, heart flickers out.

Out of the stillness the dawn comes again
Darkness is vanquished and hope is renewed
The sun has arisen, never to set,
A new day is dawning with heaven suffused.

Death with its terrors at last overcome
By one burst of light, by one gift of love.
Wholeness and healing and hope in his arms,
The sun has arisen with life for the world.

Not in 2020 or 2021 – EASTER DAY 10.30am Festal Mass and Blessing of the Easter Garden.

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