In God’s Grand Design, His Son Jesus was born in an Extension of the local pub in Bethlehem, and we extend a warm inclusive welcome to you to join us at St Michael’s over the Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of the Christ-child, in whom God mends the gap between humanity and holiness.

Thursday 18th Dec, 7.30pm at St Michael’s. A traditional Service of Nine Lessons & Carols. Hymns, Carols, Bidding Prayer and Readings telling the great story from Adam & Eve to Mary, Joseph and Jesus, the Shepherds and the Magi.

Saturday 20th Dec, 7.30pm. Exeter Chorale visit with a Concert of Christmas Music from 17th Century Venice & Saxony. The exciting sound of 8-part singing, recorders and strings will echo around St Michael’s. And the Christmas Story will be re-told to the music of Heinrich Schutz, with guest soloist, Tony Yates, from Topsham. Tickets £7.50 on the door, including refreshments.

Sunday 21st Dec, Advent IV, 10.45am Mass. The Readings concentrate on Mary, and the choir’s music goes European. Setting: Missa “Dixit Maria”, Hans Leo Hassler. Motet: Hymne a la Vierge, Villette.

Sunday 21st Dec, St Michael’s Choir is delighted to have the opportunity to go Carolling at Killerton House. We will be entertaining visitors to this National Trust property in the Music Room with Carols, old and new, from 2pm to 4pm. Supporters welcome.

Wednesday 24th December, Christmas Eve, 11.30pm Mass. Preceded by Carols from the Gallery at 11pm. Setting: Missa “O magnum mysterium”, Victoria. Motet: A babe is born, I wys, Anon.
If someone said on Christmas Eve, “Come; see the oxen kneel.” I should go with him in the gloom, Hoping it might be so. Thomas Hardy, The Oxen, Christmas Eve 1915.

Thursday 25th December, Christmas Day, N.B. 10.30am Mass. Setting: Mass in C & F, C V Stanford. Motet: O little one sweet, J S Bach.

On Friday 26th, the Feast of St Stephen, and Saturday 27th, St John the Evangelist, Low Mass will be said at 10am, but those who sing 6pm Vespers will have a well-deserved rest until Tuesday 6th January Vespers for Epiphany.

Sunday 28th Dec, The Holy Innocents, 10.45am Mass. Setting: Missa L’Hora Passa, Viadana. Motet: The Coventry Carol, Trad. Whether the killing of infants in Bethlehem by King Herod is fact or myth, the Church and the World have continued to abuse and hurt the innocent and childlike for too long, and caused women to grieve. Only the just and gentle rule of Jesus Christ can give us hope.

Sunday 4th January 2015, Christmas II, 10.45am Sung Mass.

Sunday 4th Jan, 6pm, Choral Evensong and Benediction.

Tuesday 6th Jan, Epiphany, 6pm Plainsong Vespers, 6.30pm Choir Practice, 7.30pm Sung Mass. Motet: We Three Kings, arr. Alex West.

The Recitals @ St Michael’s Series is re-launched in 2015 with a monthly Friday Evening slot. Friday 9th January at 7.30pm will feature Eleanor Little and Ralf Ayling-Miller, the winners of our Young Organists’ Competition, so that promises to be a splendid start to the New Year. Admission £5 (£3).

The St Michael’s Lectures for 2015 commence on Wed 28th Jan with Dr Nigel Browne giving an Illustrated History of Church Music in Devon, featuring West Gallery Musicians and the St Michael’s Choir.

Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a peaceful New Year from all at St Michael’s.

P.S. The Church of England in her wisdom has extended the office of bishop to women as well as men, and has announced Revd Libby Lane to become suffragan Bishop of Stockport, in succession to our Bishop Robert Atwell; we pray for her. People holding both (all?) views on this issue worship together at St Michael’s.

Speaking personally, I welcome this, not as a new era but a natural extension; a matter of wholeness rather than equality; the result, not so much of 40 years of lobbying, but of 150 years of development since our Anglo-Catholic forefathers founded convents and colleges so that their daughters could have education, independence and as full a religious life as Victorian constraints allowed. And I think many of them will be rejoicing too. RB.

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The main result of the YOC on Monday 14th July was a feast of music making on our new pipe organ from the 9 talented competitors for some 70 people gathered in St Michael’s. Thank you all.

Young Organists

In the Open category, Eleanor Little, Joseph Gooddy, Josh Hughes, Katherine Whitcher, Laurie Kirkcaldy and Nick Tall, each played 10 minute programmes. They showed the full range of dynamics and tonal colours our new instrument can produce, both in what I as an amateur would term the classical German repertoire and a variety of more recent pieces, and each organist produced many moments of musical delight for us.

I particularly enjoyed the works by Rinck, Seeger, S S Wesley, Franck, Mathias and Boellmann. The judges were looking for choice of programme, as well as technique and musicality.

It was good to welcome the Chairman of Budleigh Music Festival, one of the sponsors of the YOC along with Exeter School and Exeter Festival Chorus. In a short interval, members of St Michael’s church choir sang familiar motets by Tallis, Pitoni and Parsons. New choir members are always welcome.

In the Advanced category, Jack Oades, Ralf Ayling-Millar and Rory Moules, each played a substantial Bach work and contrasting pieces by Langlais & Fletcher, Jeanne Demessieux and Edward Elgar respectively. All gave the organ a thorough work-out and the judges a very difficult task.

Alex and the Judges

While we enjoyed refreshments (thanks Sophie and team), our guest judges, Andrew Daldorph,
Simon Honeyball and Jonathan Watts, deliberated at length. They rightly commended all the competitors, reminded us that each had had only one hour’s practice on this particular instrument, and highlighted several excellent individual performances.

Young Organists & Judges

In the Open category they declared Eleanor Little as winner, with Nick Tall as runner-up, while in the Advanced category they judged Ralf Ayling-Millar as winner, but could not split Jack Oades and Rory Moules.

Young Organists and Judges

Congratulations to these, and many thanks to all the competitors, their parents and supporters for travelling to St Michael’s, to the judges for their work and feedback, and especially to Alex West, our assistant conductor and organist, for all his hard work in setting up the event and making it so successful.

On the evidence of Monday evening, the future of organ playing, and hopefully its place in the musical life of our churches, is in good hands.

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Neil Page introduces David Briggs

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

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

Tomb of Susannah and John Dinham

Organ Console

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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

David Briggs – International Organ Virtuoso

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

Organ Rebuilt

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Church and Episcopal School

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

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

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

Best regards, Richard.

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Female Peregrine feeding 3 chicks; 1 egg unhatched.

While one chick, possibly a male, is noticeably smaller than the other two, all seem to be feeding and growing well at this stage.

Apart from a 2-hour outage on May Morning when the streaming server had some maintenance, the live webcam footage on St Michael’s Website generously sponsored by Devon Birds has been running uninterrupted for over 3 weeks with intimate viewing of our Peregrine family day and night.

On this Blog, April was a record-breaking month with nearly 1100 views from 360 viewers. It’s also good to see the Young Organists’ Competition post getting some hits – let’s hope we get a few applications too.

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St Michael’s on a May morning

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, 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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With our Heritage Lottery Funded Project to install a large, restored pipe organ at the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Mount Dinham, nearing completion, as one of our celebratory events we are holding a Young Organists’ Competition. Please see below for details.

Young Organists’ Competition

On the evening of Monday 14^th July 2014, the church of St Michael and All Angels, Mount Dinham, will be holding a competition for young organists open to all people aged 21 and under.  The event is being held to celebrate the installation of a new pipe organ at St Michael’s, to encourage the playing of the organ by young people, and to raise the profile of the instrument in the Devon musical world.

Who can apply?

Anyone who plays the organ at all, regardless of how long you’ve been playing!   We’ll expect to be hearing people of very wide-ranging abilities, and candidates will be divided into two categories prior to the competition by the judges to allow for a fairer comparison.  At the end of the day, how well you play your repertoire will be considered more important than how technically challenging it is.

The competition will be held as an informal public event on the evening of Monday 14^th July.  The contestants will play to a panel of three judges.  There will be an opportunity to hear feedback after the event, but individual performances will not be publicly criticised.  The winners of each category will be announced at the end of the evening.

(In the event of an extremely high number of applications, it may be necessary for heats to be held before the main event, in which case candidates will be notified well in advance.)

How do I apply?

Send in your completed form either by email to music@stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk, or by post to Flat 5, 2 College Road, Exeter, EX1 1TE.  The deadline for applications is now Sat 7th June 2014.

When you’ve sent in your form, we’ll ask you to make a 3-5 minute recording of your playing and send it to us.  You don’t have to do this, but if you’re able to then it will help us decide which category you should compete in.

A recording sounds complicated, how do I do it?

If you’d like some guidance on how to do this, contact us at music@stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk and we’ll offer advice.   You won’t be judged on the quality of the recording itself – as long as all the notes are audible, we’ll get a reasonable idea.  If you don’t have a dedicated device, most smartphones now have a device for recording.  You can send the recording by email either as a .wav or .mp3 file.

What will I be asked to do?

You’ll be notified as to which category you’ll be playing in within a week of applying.

If you’re assigned to the ‘Open’ category, you’ll need to choose a small selection of pieces, lasting no more than 10 minutes altogether, including at least one pre-1800 and at least one post-1800 piece.

If you’re assigned to the ‘Advanced’ category, you’ll need to put together a selection of pieces lasting no more than 15 minutes altogether, including:

• A piece from the German baroque
• A piece from either the French Romantic, German Romantic schools, or any piece written in the 20^th century.

If you’re unsure about whether a piece fits these requirements, contact us at music@stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk and we’ll be able to offer guidance.  For both categories, it’s fine to play single movements of longer pieces.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to the winners and runners-up of each category as follows:

With thanks to our sponsors.

Exeter Festival Chorus

“Exeter School is an independent day school for boys and girls aged 7-18 set in beautiful grounds in the heart of Exeter. With our newly refurbished music school, 500 individual instrumental music lessons each week and over 30 choirs, ensembles and orchestras, music flourishes at Exeter School. Well-established pastoral care systems and excellent teaching enable us to get the best out of our pupils; our balanced programme of subjects, cultural pursuits and outdoor activities is designed to challenge and inspire our young people.”

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