In practice this means…

Recorded, streamed or Zoom Services only until Sunday 7 March, Lent III.

Tuesdays, 6pm Plainsong Vespers still only on “Friends of St Michael’s” Facebook group.

Resume Public Worship in St Michael’s Church. 

Wed 10 Mar. Worshipers may attend 9.30 Matins, 10am Mass in St Michael’s Church.

 Sun 14 Mar in St Michael’s, 11am Mass for Laetare & Mothering Sunday, Lent IV. Communion wafer will be brought to you in the Pews.

 Wed 17 Mar, St Patrick, 9.30 Matins, 10am Mass in Church.

 Sun 21 Mar, in Church, 11am Mass for Passion Sunday, Lent V.

 Wed 24 Mar, Eve of Annunciation, 9.40 Matins, 10am Mass in Church.

 Sun 28 Mar, in Church, 11am Mass for Palm Sunday. Blessing of Palms but no Procession. Sung Passion Gospel.

 HOLY WEEK – reduced to allow approx. 48 hours between Services in each Church.

 Tue 30 Mar, 6pm Plainsong Vespers on Facebook group

 Wed 31 Mar, NO Stations of the Cross. 9.30Matins, 10am Mass in Church.

 Thu 1 Apr, 7.30pm Mass for Maundy Thursday at St Michael’s. Probably NO Foot-washing. Stripping of Altar and Altar of Repose, to be decided.

 Fri 2 Apr, Good Friday, NO Liturgy of Presanctified or Veneration of the Cross.

Service of Good Friday Readings and Reflections at St David’s Church.

NO Evening Tenebrae Service – there is a recording available.

 Sat 3 Apr, Holy Saturday, 8pm Easter Vigil Mass – Ceremonies of the New Fire, Paschal Candle, Exultet, Renewal of Baptismal Vows. At St Michael’s.

 Sun 4 Apr, Easter Day, NO Mass at St Michael’s.

9.30am Easter Eucharist at St David’s Church.

The provision of Music for Sundays and Feast Days will depend on Resources and Church of England Rules. Currently Organ music and up to 3 Cantors are allowed. Congregational singing is not allowed.

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All Church Buildings are now also CLOSED until further notice. Please DO NOT COME to St Michael’s, but continue to pray, and mark Holy Week & Easter at home.

Fr Nigel will pray the Daily Office at the Vaicarage, and some Prayers & Reflections will be put on Facebook & Twitter accounts, as time permits.

This is what would have happened, but all events from 17th March are CANCELLED.

Wed 26 Feb, 7.30pm. Lent starts with Sung Mass for Ash Wednesday with Imposition of Ashes. Hymns: 84: 70: 67. Missa Brevis, Lotti. Miserere Mei, Lassus.

Thurs 27 Feb, 7.30pm. St Michael’s Lecture. Oliver Nicholson on The First English Christians: Four ways of reading Bede - introducing the book for this year’s Lent reading group, which will meet 7-8pm on subsequent Thursdays in Lent (see Poster/Pewsheet).

Sat 29 Feb, 9.30am. Men’s Breakfast at the Farmers’ Union.

Sun 1 March, Lent I, also St David’s Day. 11am Sung Mass. Litany, Hymns 383: 406. Missa de Angelis, Plainsong. Motet: Nolo mortem tecatoris, by Morley. N.B. NO Bountiful Table today.
6pm Sun 1 Mar, Choral Evensong & Benediction. Responses: Byrd. Psalm 50:1-15 Hymn 377. Canticles: Walmisley in D minor. Anthem: If ye love me, by Wilby. O salutaris, Tantum Ergo.

Wed 4 Mar, 9.30am Matins/Low Mass. 6pm Stations of the Cross.

Thu 5 Mar, 7-8pm, Lent Reading Group in Church on Bede’s History of the Earliest English Christians, led by Oliver Nicholson.

Sun 8 Mar, Lent II, 11am Sung Mass. Hymns 238, 378, 64. Mass in Phrygian Mode, Wood. I will lift up mine eyes, Walker. Bountiful Table today – Bakes, Preserves & Produce for Church Funds.

Wed 11 Mar, 9.30am Matins/Low Mass. 6pm Stations of the Cross.

Thu 12 Mar, 7-8pm, Lent Reading Group on Bede’s History, led by Oliver Nicholson.

Sun 15 Mar, Lent III, 11am Sung Mass. Hymns 67, 65, 74. Mass in Dorian Mode, Cabina. Like as the hart, Howells.

Wed 18 Mar, 9.30am Matins/Low Mass. 7pm Stations of the Cross.

Thu 19 Mar, 7-8pm, Lent Reading Group on the Venerable Bede, led by Oliver Nicholson.

Sat 21 Mar 7.30pm at St David’s Church. Exeter Chamber Choir, St John’s Passion by J S Bach. Tickets £18 on the door, £15 in advance.

Sun 22 Mar Laetare/Mothering Sunday, 11am. Hymns 186, 451, 63. Missa super Dixit Maria, Hassler. Ave Maria, Parsons.

Wed 25 Mar, Feast of the Annunciation, 7.30pm Sung Mass. Hymns 188, 185, 161. Mass for 4 voices, Byrd. The Angel Gabriel, trad. Basque.

Thu 26 Mar, 7-8pm, Lent Reading Group on the Venerable Bede.

Sat 28 Mar, 9.30am. Men’s Breakfast at the Farmers’ Union.

Sun 29 Mar, Lent V, 11am. Hymns 79, 137, 83. Mass for 4 voices, Byrd. God so loved the world, Stainer.

Wed 1 Apr, 9.30am Matins/Low Mass. 7pm Stations of the Cross.

Thu 2 Apr, 7-8pm, Lent Reading Group on the Venerable Bede.

Sun 5 Apr, Palm Sunday, N.B. 10.30am start for Blessing & Procession of Palms, and Passion Gospel according to Matthew. Verily I say unto you, Tallis.6pm Palm Sunday Evensong & Benediction. Byrd Responses, Gibbons Short Service. Solus ad Victimam, by Leighton.

Holy Week
Wed 8 Apr, Spy Wednesday, 7pm. Stations of the Cross, sung “Stabat Mater”.

Thu 9 Apr, Maundy Thursday, 7.30pm Sung Mass with Foot-washing. Missa brevis, Lotti. Ubi caritas et amor, Mealor. Ave verum corpus, Byrd.

Fri 10 Apr, Good Friday, 10.30am Veneration of the Cross. The Reproaches. Crux Fidelis.
Good Friday, 8pm Tenebrae sung from the Gallery, Plainsong & Polyphony.

Sat 11 Apr, Holy Saturday, 8pm Easter Vigil Mass with New Fire & Paschal Candle. Stanford in C&F. Unicorni captivator, by Ola Gjeilo

Sun 12 Apr, Easter Day, 11am Festal Sung Mass. Mozart in D. Billings, Easter Anthem.

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Our resident Peregrine Falcons have laid 3 eggs this year; we hope for chicks to hatch around 10th May.

Sun 7 Apr, Passion Sunday. 11am Sung Mass. Byrd for 4 voices. Verily I say unto you, Tallis. Fr Christopher Durrant.
Sun 7 Apr, 6pm Choral Evensong & Benediction. Byrd Responses. Ps 22:1-13. Gibbons Short Service. Solus ad victimam, Leighton. Fr Nigel Guthrie.

Sun 14 Apr, Palm Sunday. 11am Procession of Palms and Sung Gospel. Tallis in Dorian mode. Byrd, Ave verum corpus. Fr C.

Holy Week at St Michael’s
Mon 15, Tue 16, & Wed 17 Apr. 10am Low Mass.

Wed 17 Apr, Spy Wednesday, 7pm. Stations of the Cross, Pergolesi “Stabat Mater”.

Thu 18 Apr, Maundy Thursday, 7.30pm Sung Mass with Foot-washing. Casciolini in A minor. Durufle, Ubi caritas et amor.Byrd, Ave verum corpus.

Fri 19 Apr, Good Friday, 10.30am Veneration of the Cross. The Reproaches, Upton. Crux Fidelis, King John of Portugal.

Good Friday, 8pm Tenebrae sung from the Gallery, Plainsong, Lassus & Palestrina.

Sat 20 Apr, Holy Saturday, 8pm Easter Vigil Mass with New Fire & Paschal Candle. Darke in E. Ex ore innocentium, Ireland.

Sun 21 Apr, Easter Day, 11am Festal Sung Mass. Ireland in C. Billings, Easter Anthem. Fr C.

Sun 28 Apr, Low Sunday, 11am Sung Mass. Wood in F. This joyful Eastertide. Fr Dominic Cyrus.

Sun 5 May, 11am Sung Mass, 6pm Choral Evensong & Benediction.

A Holy Passiontide & a Joyful Eastertide from all at St Michael’s.

Richard Barnes.

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Sun 3 Mar, Quinquagesima/Transfiguration. 11am Sung Mass. Hymns 494, 234, 443. Little Organ Mass, Haydn. Motet: O nata lux, Tallis. Ven David Gunn-Johnson. Followed by the Bountiful Table.

Sun 3 Mar at 6pm, Choral Evensong & Benediction. Sung by University of Exeter Chapel Choir. Psalm 89:1-18. Hymn: 377. Sanders Responses. Mathias Jesus College Canticles. Balfour Gardiner, Evening Hymn.

Wed 6 Mar Ash Wednesday. 9.30am BCP Matins.
Wed 6 Mar, 7.30pm, Ash Wednesday Sung Mass with Imposition of Ashes. Hymns 84, 70, 67. Missa Brevis and Miserere Mei, Lotti.

Sat 9 Mar, 7pm at Salvation Army Temple, Friars Gate, Exeter. Bach’s St Matthew Passion – Exeter Bach Society & Exeter Chorale, directed by Jonathan Lucas Wood. £18

Sun 10 Mar, Lent I, 11am. Hymns Kitany, 307, 72. Mass in the Phrygian Mode, Wood. Lord, for Thy tender mercy’s sake, Farrant. Fr Nigel Githrie.

During Lent we are encouraged to spend more time in prayer and in study to deepen & broaden our faith. At St Michael’s we can use one or more Wednesdays (13,20,27 Mar & 3,10 Apr) for this. Stations of the Cross at 6pm is a prayerful 45min meditation on Jesus’ Passion. The Lent Reading Group at 7pm for an hour or so will explore the writings of Cyprian, 3rd century Bishop and Martyr in Carthage.

Sun 17 Mar, Lent II, 11am. Hymns 381, 62, 73. Mass in A minor, Casciolini. Turn Thy face from my sins, Attwood. Ven David Gunn-Johnson.

Sat 23 Mar, 9.00am Men’s Breakfast at the Imperial. Details from Ian Smith at St David’s.

Sat 23 Mar at 7.30pm, Exeter Chamber Choir Concert. Music for Lent. Admission £10.

Sun 24 Mar, Lent III, 11am. Hymns 276, 281, 468. Mass in C, Ireland. Like as the hart, Howells. Fr Christopher Durrant.

Mon 25 Mar, 7pm. Concert by Univ 0f Exeter Flute Choir

Sun 31 Mar, Laetare/Mothering Sunday, 11am. Rose Vestments & Simnel Cake. Hymns 185, 451, 63. Missa “Dixit Maria”, Hassler. O Lorde, the maker of al thing, Joubert. Fr Nigel, with Howard Friend preaching.

Advanced Notice of Holy Week at St Michael’s
April 17 Spy Wednesday, 7pm. Stations of the Cross, Pergolesi “Stabat Mater”.
Maundy Thursday, 7.30pm Sung Mass with Foot-washing.
Good Friday, 10.30am Veneration of the Cross. 8pm Tenebrae sung from the Gallery, Plainsong, Lassus & Palestrina.
Holy Saturday, 8pm Easter Vigil Mass with New Fire & Paschal Candle.
Sun 21 Apr, Easter Day, 11am Festal Sung Mass.

A prayerful & holy Lent to & from all at St Michael’s.

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Our new Vicar, Fr Nigel Guthrie, has requested that Sunday Mass start at 11am, so that he can lead worship at both St David’s & St Michael’s when necessary and get to know both congregations.

Fr Christopher Durrant will be on a placement at Silverton from Sun 18 Feb for 6 weeks gaining experience working in a different type of Parish – we wish him well. He will be back just in time for Holy Week with us.

This beautiful church of St Michael’s Mount Dinham was consecrated to the Glory of God on 29 September 1868, so this year sees its 150th Anniversary. Can we use this Sesquicentenary Year to encourage more people to visit, support and share with us in the activity and worship that takes place here? Come and See!

Thanks to all who have persevered with us through the past few months; visiting clergy & Fr Christopher, servers, our small but faithful congregation and those who visit occasionally, the rota of Organists and the choir that has kept singing and carried on, organised by Amy. We could do with a few more voices as we approach Lent & Holy Week. Come and Sing!

The Shepherds have returned to their flocks. The Geeks from the East have come with their Gifts and changed their understanding of power. The world thinks Christmas is all over. But it’s not all over until the old man sings Nunc Dimittis and the prophetess sees Jesus & Mary in the Temple at Candlemas. Come and Worship!

Fri 2 February at 7.30pm, 40 days after Christmas, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Candlemas. Mass in C – John Ireland. When to the Temple Mary went – Johannes Eccard. Fr Christopher Durrant.

Sun 4 Feb, Sexagesima, 11am Sung Mass. Mass in F – Harris. Our Conversation is in Heaven – Exeter born Walter Gilbert (1829-1910).
Sun 4 Feb at 6pm, Choral Evensong & Benediction. Smith Responses: Ps 65, Hymn 243. Sumsion in G. Abendlied – Rheinberger.

Thu 8 Feb at 12noon – Parish Lunch Club at Exeter College’s @34 Restaurant; sign up lists in both our churches.

Sun 11 Feb, Quiquagesima/Lent-1. 11am. Mass in F – Sumsion. O Lord increase our faith – Loosemore. Fr Nigel Guthrie.

Tue 13 Feb. 6pm Vespers. 7pm Choir Practice. 8.15pm Pancakes!

Wed 14 Feb. Ash Wednesday. Services Morning & Evening with Imposition of Ashes.
9.30am Matins. 10am Low Mass.
7.30pm Sung Mass. Tallis Dorian Mode. Lord, let me know mine end – Greene.

Sun 18 Feb, Lent I. 11am Mass. Cranmer’s Litany of 1544. Byrd 4. O Lord Thou art my God – Exeter composer Kellow Pye (1812-1901). NG

Wed 21 Feb, 6pm and each Wednesday in Lent, Stations of the Cross are prayed. Please join us for this seasonal devotion which lasts about 45mins. You may like to stay for…

Wed 21 Feb, 7.00-8.15pm. Lent Reading Group in church with Oliver Nicholson looking at the 4th century best-seller, the Life of St Antony. All welcome.

Sat 24 Feb, 9.30am. Men’s Breakfast at the Farmers’ Union by the Queen’s Street Clock Tower.

Sun 25 Feb, Lent II. 11am. Plainsong Missa de Angelis. Purge me, O Lord – Tallis. Ven David Gunn-Johnson.

Wed 28 Feb, 7pm. Lent Reading Group continues; also 3 Wednesdays in March.

Sun 4 Mar, Lent III. 11am. Missa brevis – Lotti. God so loved the world – Stainer. NG
Sun 4 Mar at 6pm, Choral Evensong & Benediction. NG

Richard Barnes. 28 Jan 2018.

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Wed 1 March, Ash Wednesday. Services Morning & Evening.
9.30am Matins, 10am Said Low Mass with Ashes. Fr Christopher.
7.30pm Solemn Sung Mass with Imposition of Ashes. Mass in the Dorian Mode – Tallis; Remember not Lord our offences – Purcell. Preacher Ven David Gunn-Johnson.

Sun 5 Mar, Lent I. 10.45am Sung Mass. Cranmer’s Litany of 1544 in Procession. Missa de Angelis; Purge me, O Lord – Purcell. Fr C.

Sun 5 Mar at 6pm, Choral Evensong & Benediction. Byrd Responses. Ps 50 vv 1-15. Short Service – Weelkes. Wash me throughly from my wickedness – SSWesley. Fr C.

Tue 7 Mar at 6pm, CBS Plainsong Mass, Saints Perpetua & Felicity, Martyrs at Carthage (203). Fr David Hastings.

Each Wednesday in Lent, 8,15,22,29 Mar & 5 Apr there is both Stations of the Cross at 6pm with a prayerful 40min walk around St Michael’s Church led by a different person each week, and the Lent Reading Group at 7pm for an hour or so exploring the life and thoughts of St Augustine through his famous autobiography, the Confessions, led by Oliver Nicholson.

Sun 12 Mar, Lent II 10.45am Sung Mass. Sarum Plainsong. God so loved the world – Goss. Ven David Gunn-Johnson. Fr Christopher and Preb Alastair Wheeler will be in church afterwards to talk about a Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April 2018.

Fri 17 Mar at 7.30pm, Exeter College Choral Society Concert – Poulenc Gloria and Mozart Solemn Vespers. Admission £10 adults, £5 students.

Sun 19 Mar, Lent III 10.45am Sung Mass. Merbecke. Sicut Cervus – Palestrina. Fr C.
Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus. Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks: so longeth my soul after thee, O God.

Sun 26 Mar, Lent IV, 10.45am. N.B. start of BST. Laetare, Mothering Sunday and Annunciation (transferred). Missa Aeterna Christi Munera – Palestrina. The Lord bless you & keep you – Rutter. Fr C.

Sun 2 Apr, Lent V, Passion Sunday, Crosses & Statues are veiled, 10.45am Sung Mass. Dorian mode – Tallis. Song of Christ’s Glory – Grayston Ives. Ven David Gunn-Johnson.

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Our nest box camera is back on the Peregrine page (you may need to “Allow Abode Flash”) hoping for egg laying around the Spring equinox, the Music List for March to May is online via the usual links, and our Interpretive Display Panel is in place.

Sunday 28 February, Lent 3, 10.45am. We sing the full Merbecke from his Praier Booke Noted of 1550, and Panis Angelicus arranged by our own Dr Nigel Browne from music by Cavalli.

Sun 28 Feb, in Exeter Cathedral at 6pm, take the opportunity to hear Exeter Bach Society’s liturgical performance of Bach Cantata 41 – Jesu, nun sei gepreiset (Jesus, now be praised),

Monday 29 February, a day once every four years to remember St Oswald, not the 7th century King of Northumbria commemorated on 5 August, but the 10th century Danish nephew of Archbishop Oda of Canterbury, who became a Benedictine monk at Fleury in France, then reforming Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of York, and died 29 February 992 while washing the feet of the poor.

Tuesday 1 March at 6pm, CBS Mass at St Michael’s Mount Dinham with plainsong & hymns for St David’s Day. This is followed at 7pm up at St David’s Church by the Launch Event for their HLF sponsored Repair and Transformation Project to which all are welcome.

Plainsong Vespers and Meditation take place at 6pm on other Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout, and Stations of the Cross will be prayed at 6pm on Wednesdays 2, 9, & 16 March. Low Mass is said on Wednesdays at 10am, preceded by Morning Prayer.

Thursday 3 March, 7.30pm at St David’s Church, Robert Pocock talks about General Alexander Cavalie Mercer, Hero of Waterloo, whose recently restored grave is in St David’s Churchyard. Free entry.

Sunday 6 March, Lent 4 is Laetare or Mothering Sunday using our Rose Vestments, 10.45am. All welcome; posies will be blessed & presented. Mass in the Dorian Mode, by Tallis; “View me, Lord, a work of Thine” by Lloyd.

Sun 6 March at 6pm, this Choral Evensong & Benediction falls right in the middle of Lent and will feature music suitable to the Season. Singers who enjoy a good Choral Evensong are welcome to join us at 4.45pm to rehearse the music.

Today is also the 50th Anniversary of the closure of the Somerset & Dorset Railway.

Thursday 10 March, 7.30pm at St David’s Church, Dr Todd Gray talks about the Veitch family, famous Exeter horticulturists. Free entry.

Sunday 13 March, Passion Sunday when the Crosses and Statues are covered. 10.45am Sung Mass. “Missa Brevis” by Lotti; “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” by Ogden.

Wednesday 16 March at 7.30pm. St Michael’s Lecture. Revd Dr Barry Norris, “Reflecting on the 2016 Primates Gathering: What does it means for Anglicanism?” All welcome, entry free.

Saturday 19 March at 7.30pm, Exeter University Singers give a Concert of a cappella music. Their programme of ‘Songs from the British Isles’ will include pieces by Parry, Elgar, Byrd and others. Admission £5 non-students, £3 students.

Sunday 20 March, Palm Sunday, 10.30am (N.B. earlier start). Sung Mass with Procession of Palms. Sung Passion Gospel. Darke in F; “When I survey the wondrous Cross” by Wilby.

Wed 23 March at 6pm, Spy Wednesday when Judas arranged to betray Jesus. The traditional 14 Stations of the Cross are prayed along with the singing of the devotional poem Stabat Mater Dolorosa to music by Charpentier.

Maundy Thursday, 24 March, Sung Mass at 7.30pm. We remember Jesus and his Disciples in the Upper Room, the Foot-washing, how the Last Supper became the First Holy Communion, the words of Jesus to his followers, and the Betrayal. Wood in F; Ubi caritas, Mealor; God so loved the world, Stainer.
At the end of the service the High Altar is stripped, and you may wish to watch at the Altar of Repose for part of the all night Vigil.

Friday 25 March, Good Friday Liturgy 10.30am. Reproaches, by Upton. Veneration of the Cross. Crux Fidelis, attr. King John IV of Portugal.

Good Friday, 8pm Tenebrae. An ancient service sung in Latin and English from the West Gallery to plainsong and polyphony by Lassus (1532-1594) and Palestrina (1525-1594). This profound and beautiful service takes us into the depths of Christ’s sufferings through Scripture and Music, ending in darkness and silence to symbolise Jesus’ descent to the dead.

Saturday 26 March, Holy Saturday 8pm – The Easter Vigil then brings us back from darkness into holy brightness. We kindle the New Light, prepare and bless the Paschal Candles for both St Michael’s and St David’s, hear the Exsultet, the proclamation of Christ’s Resurrection, and renew our Baptismal Vows. Stanford in C&F; Out of the Stillness, Shephard.

Easter Sunday, 27 March at 10.45am (N.B. Clocks will have gone forward 1 hour overnight!), Festal Sung Mass and Blessing of the Easter Garden. Introit – Sing out this Eastertide, Keitch; Mass in G, Schubert; Haec Dies, Byrd.

St Michael’s wishes you a Happy and Blessed Easter. Christ is Risen; He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In case you were wondering, the intricacies of Julian & Gregorian Calendars and Paschal Moons mean that Orthodox Easter is on 1st May this year, a full 5 weeks after the West.

Sunday 3 April, Low Sunday, 10.45am. Sung Mass. Darke in E, Easter Anthem by Billings, and maybe an Easter Bonnet parade afterwards.

Sunday 3 April at 6pm – Choral Evensong & Benediction. Canticles: Stanford in C. Anthem: S S Wesley ‘Blessed be the God and Father’.

Monday 4 April please come to the Feast of the Annunciation transferred from Holy Week. Sung Mass at 7.30pm. Missa Aeterna Christi Munera, by Palestrina; Ave Maria, by Parsons.

And finally, interesting thoughts from Br Michael’s Lecture that for Jesus the Passion started alone (while his 3 closest disciples doze) with his mental agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Thy Will, not mine be done) and with the Crown of Thorns as a symbol of both inner and outer suffering, before his eventual Easter victory.

For a lighter view of Lent, revisit last year’s St Pythag’s Lent Course with a few words of wisdom leavening the humour; it’s probably less obscure that Archdruid Eileen’s Lenten Study on Genesis (the rock band).

Richard Barnes.

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In the spirit of such reports, I have been developing a Lent Discipleship Course with our sister church, Santa Croce in Extremis, based on the game of Croquet, beloved of Edwardian Vicarage lawns. The Genesis of Croquet is hidden in the long grass of time, but when I did Croquet it was played by earnest young men and intelligent little old ladies; a microcosm of the CofE in its heyday.

Croquet is like a cross between Snooker and Quidditch, played on grass, and is a parable of the religious life with many hoops to be run, hopefully with a partner ball, before you peg out. Each of the 6 hoops offers the disciple 2 spiritual lessons.

1. Liturgical colours – save for purple (Advent/Lent), the balls cover the whole set of liturgical colours; blue (Our Lady) and black (All Souls) play red (Martyrs) and yellow (golden Christmas & Easter), while in a second game white (Our Lord) and pink (Gaudete/Laetare) play brown (Lenten Array) and green (Trinity/Ordinary). I can sing a rainbow.

2. Integrities – with primary and secondary colours, 2 games can be played on the same lawn; like 2 Integrities in the same Church.

3. Roquet – when one ball strikes another; useful for puns like “Roquet of Ages, cleft for me” and “What cheese do croquet players like? Roquefort”.

4. Croquet – place your ball against the roqueted ball and strike it so both move; you will achieve more by playing constructively to build a break using balls of many colours, rather than banishing balls to the long grass, however tempting it may seem.

5. Temptation – even though the CofE has written the Devil out of its Baptism promises, the Dark Lord will still try and tempt you by “laying a tice”; playing his ball a tempting distance from yours to entice you to shoot and miss and hinder your progress around the course.

6. Fellowship – to win at Croquet, you have to help your partner ball to run all the hoops as well as you; isn’t the Christian life a bit like a game of Croquet?

At this half-way point the course offers a variety of activities, depending on which option you are playing.
a. Alpha – receive your teeth-whitening and Songs of Praise smile.
b. Emmaus – special afternoon tea with Jesus before returning to Jerusalem.
c. Pilgrim – historical visit to Stonehenge to stand where Merlin taught Dumbledore to play Wizards’ Croquet.
d. Scientist – tax-free visit to the Large Hadron Croquet facility at CERN where relativistic roquets result in non-Newtonian behaviour of the balls. Find a Higgs boson and celebrate Mass.
e. Social media – visit the Land of Pure Tea-lights that is home to the Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley for a retweet led by Archdruid Eileen.

7 (known as 1 back). Stewardship – you like playing Croquet, so consider joining the Club as a regular member; ask the Treasurer about subscription options.

8 (2 back). Disappointment (the bit some other courses miss out) – no one wins every game and very few get through all the hoops of life without setbacks; when you’re experiencing the Long Grass of the Soul or feeling short-changed by God, seek help, try changing your grip or your swing, or even change your Club, but above all persevere.

9 (3 back). Meditation – while sitting out (when the opponents are in play) you may crochet a lacy cotta for a server.

10 (4 back). Theology – from here one player can, with considerable intellectual and physical skill, peel their partner ball though the last 3 hoops while running their own hoops in a feat of joined-up play known as a Triple Peel.

11 (Penult). Inclusive/Welcoming – with the help of bisques (free turns, not soup) all ages and genders can play Croquet on a level cathedral green; is your Church – sorry, Club – a community which welcomes new players, explains how to play and offers coaching if wanted?

12 (Rover). Vespers – the end is nigh; get the thurible going so you can incense any wasps that try to spoil your enjoyment of felicity at the heavenly bun-fight.

Peg-out – and go to the club-house banquet for tea and cucumber sandwiches (Evangelicals) or prosecco and strawberries (Anglo-Catholics). Join the Lord of the Dance and do the Roquet-Croquet.

Into the growing Oxford Movement English Dictionary, I can add:-
Aga Father – the Vicar’s divine cookery course.
Chair Practice – replaces Choir Practice when a Church is re-ordered.
Choroclasm – destruction of robed choirs in the late 20th century to be replaced by worship groups.
Petanque – a French Expression of Croquet.
Subjunctivitis – a pedantic need to use the correct mood of the verb, if there be a conditional clause.
Taize – a French Impression of Church.
West Gallery Band – historical worship group.
Wolf Whistles – Tudor Organ Music.

On BBC4 Dr Janina Ramirez has been exploring Britain’s monastic history from the asceticism of the Celts to the successful organisations which flourished prior to the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. Her first revelation was that the Celtic Church was not led by grass-roots, tree-hugging eco-activists, but by sons of wealthy clan chieftains, given land and money to found monasteries as powerhouses of prayer. Effective evangelism started with converting the king, or his wife, and then faith would trickle down through the court and out to the folk.

In a spin-off programme, PyTV presents “I’m a Celibate, get me out of here.” A dozen ascetics from all faiths and nuns compete in tasks like Baking honey & locust cakes, Strictly liturgical dancing (remember the diaphanous 1970s), the Chant, and the Great Cistercian Sewing Habit, overseen by a black-robed Scottish bishop with a Raven-headed crozier; let the challenge … begin.

The Pythagoras Institute for Indisciplinary Studies is disappointed that no fragments of “Fulge Jesu Fulge” have turned up in the Oxyrhynchus papyri or indeed in the Ipplepen Roman cemetery.

However, for Latin Lovers, our Codex Dinhamensis contains a fragment from Carmina pueri puellaeque, Children’s Songs, found in De Revolutionibus Wheelsondibus by Nickelodeon Copernicus published in 1543 just before tea-time. In particular
“Caput umeris genua et digitos genua et digitos,
oculos et aures et os atque nares”
makes me wonder whether medieval choirboys warmed up with a few verses of “God be in my head, shoulders, knees and toes” before practising
“Deus in capite et in intellectu meo, Deus in oculis meis et in aspicientibus …”, familiar to us through the music of Walford Davies and John Rutter.

Maths Angle – the Church of England is now like a quadratic equation with 2 valid solutions, see Hoop 2 above. E.g. x^2-9x+8=0, (x-1)(x-8)=0, so x=1, for those who cannot accept women as priests or bishops, and x=8, for those who have accepted women as priests and bishops. Writing a cubic equation that includes gay bishops is left as an exercise for the reader.

Punctuation Point – advert seen in the Church Times.
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School – Nurturing Excellence – in apostrophes, presumably!

What did the dough say to the baker? It’s nice to be kneaded.
No hedgehogs or flamingos were harmed in the making of this blog.

Richard Barnes.

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There’s a touch of “Wolf Hall” musically for the first few weeks of Lent with the Plainsong of the Sarum Rite and Missa de Angelis, and indeed Martin Shaw’s strangely named Anglican Folk Mass, an Edwardian take on Merbecke’s 1550 work for Cranmer’s Prayer Book, giving way to motets and canticles mainly in English by Farrant, Tallis and eventually Purcell. For more information about Cranmer’s First Liturgy in English, explore from this link.

Monday 16th February, 7.30pm, starting at the City Gate Hotel, sees a pre-Lent Pub Crawl, with moustaches and optional fancy-dress, arranged by St Michael’s Social Committee.

Shrove Tuesday, 17th February, 6pm Vespers & Meditation, 7pm Choir Practice, 8.30pm Pancakes in church.

Ash Wednesday, 18th February, is marked with Matins at 9.30am and Low Mass with Ashes at 10am, and in the evening at 7.30pm by Sung Mass with Imposition of Ashes.
Setting: Mass for Four Voices by William Byrd and Anthem: Versa est in luctum by Alonso Lobo, My harp is tuned for lamentation, and my flute to the voice of weeping. Spare me, O Lord, for my days are as nothing.

Sunday 22nd February, Lent 1, 10.45am. Mass features Cranmer’s Litany of 1544 sung in procession, Plainsong Sarum Mass and Farrant’s Hide not thou thy face from me O Lord.

Tuesday 24th February at 6pm, in place of Vespers, Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass for St Matthias’ Day sung with Plainsong Propers and Hymns. All welcome, as we are able to use the St Clement Chapel for worship again following a big tidy-up now that the Organ build is finished.

A reminder that Stations of the Cross are prayed on Wednesdays in Lent at 6pm (except 25 Mar, Annunciation), and Vespers continue to be sung on other Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6pm.

Wednesday 25th Feb at 7.30pm, the St Michael’s Lectures welcome Dr Clare Bryden (Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter) to talk about Particulart: Or the art of knitting, chemistry, meditation and gentle protest.

Sunday 1st March, Lent 2, 10.45am. Mass. The full Anglican Folk Mass by Martin Shaw and O Nata Lux by Thomas Tallis.

Sunday 1st March, 6pm. Evensong and Benediction will be more penitential, with Tallis Responses & Canticles, Allegri’s sublime Miserere and Plainsong Benediction Hymns.

The nest box camera should also be back online on the Peregrine Falcons page of the website at the beginning of March, hoping for egg laying around the Spring equinox.

Sunday 8th March, Lent 3, 10.45am. Plainsong Missa de Angelis and Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, by Henry Purcell.

Friday 13th March at 7.30pm, the Recital@StMichael’s is a Schools’ Recital. A programme of chamber music performed by young musicians from Exeter School and the Maynard School. Tickets: £5/£3.50, please support.

Sunday 15th March, Lent 4 is Laetare or Mothering Sunday using the Rose Vestments, 10.45am. Missa “O quam gloriosum” by Victoria and Ave Maria by Parsons.

Tuesday 17th March at 6pm, in place of Vespers, Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass for St Patrick’s Day sung with Plainsong Propers and Hymns. All Welcome.

Wednesday 18th March at 7.30pm. St Michael’s Lecture by Dr Morwenna Ludlow (Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter). On Theological Writing as Art & Craft; Is Writing a Theology Book a bit like Making a Pot?

Sunday 22nd March, Passion Sunday when the Crosses and Statues are covered. 10.45am. Mass in A minor, by Casciolini and the Anthem, Crucifixus etiam pro nobis, by Lotti.

Annunciation Window – St Michael’s Mount Dinham

Wednesday 25th March please try and come to the Feast of the Annunciation. Sung Mass at 7.30pm. Missa “Dixit Maria” by Hans Leo Hassler. Anthem: Hymn to the Virgin, by Benjamin Britten.

Thursday 26th March Concert at St David’s Church in aid of their Transformation Fund, given by Exeter Police and Community Choir at 7.30pm, with refreshments. Tickets £5 on the door.

Sunday 29th March, Palm Sunday, 10.30am (N.B. earlier start and the clocks will have gone forward an hour overnight!) Sung Mass with Blessing and Procession of Palms. Sung Passion Gospel. Mass in D by Leighton. Anthem: Pueri Hebraeorum, by Victoria.

As Canon John Thurmer often said, homo sapiens is primarily a story-telling species, so it is always good for us to re-tell and re-enact the story of salvation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Mirrored here may our lives tell your story, one might say.

The website also has details of services for Holy Week and Easter at the start of April.
RB

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