HOLY WEEK FESTIVAL
Malmesbury Abbey 15th –24th April 2011
Welcome
Artwork : I. The Garden of Gethsemane by Emily Clout
Each year the Abbey is transformed for 10 days for our Holy Week Festival. Drop in this year and you’ll find a fairtrade café, latenight concerts, drama, contemporary, classical and folk music, photography and poetry and the outstanding Stations of the Cross art exhibition from Malmesbury School. Alongside this you’ll find 24/7 and monastic prayer, visiting speakers, the Miracle Maker and a labyrinth designed for adults & children. You are welcome to come a join in with anything that is going on, most events are without charge. This booklet highlights what’s going on each day and as always, beginners are welcome.
The Birdcage Café is a popular part of Malmesbury Abbey Skate, our Children’s Holiday Club and now our Holy Week Festival. One of the real joys of the festival is simply to sit on leather sofa with a fresh fairtrade cup of coffee as the Abbey is filled with life, music and prayer. The Birdcage Café is normally open from 8.30am-11.30am, 2-4pm and 7-10pm. There will be a small licensed bar at the late night concerts.
From 9pm on Friday 15th April until 9pm on Good Friday St Aldhelm’s Chapel in the Abbey becomes a 24/7 prayer room—a creative space to reflect, worship, meditate, create and join with the generations who have prayed on the Abbey site since the 7th century. It’s possible to just drop in but better to sign up for an hour by contacting claire@malmesburyabbey.com
Friday 15th April 7.30pm Riding Lights presents
The NARROW ROAD
Tickets £7 & £3 (student/child)
A MOVING COMBINATION OF POWERFUL THEATRE, MEDITATION & CORPORATE WORSHIP – Commissioned by York Minster in 2010
15th April
Amid the heat and beauty of ancient Palestine, a man stands on a dusty road. An extraordinary journey will take place; one which will re-trace the footsteps of Jesus into a world of miracles and madness, violence and liberation. As The Narrow Road is walked, this turbulent world is turned upside down; its inhabitants confronted by an unexpected and surprising vision. Meeting the characters and re-living the events of the gospels, this passion story takes its audience back along that original road, through the place of the cross and into the challenge of a life beyond. Compellingly performed, The Narrow Road asks each of us to review the understanding and practice of our own faith in relation to that journey today. At intervals, the performance creates space for other expressions of worship, music and reflection arising directly out of the drama. Tickets available from the Abbey Bookshop.
7.30pm Riding Lights
9pm 24/7 prayer begins
9.30pm Birdcage Café
Saturday 16th April 10am STATIONS OF THE CROSS: MEET THE ARTISTS As our Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition formerly opens for the next few weeks, a chance over a coffee to informally meet the young artists from Malmesbury School and hear about their contemporary interpretations and the ancient texts that inspired them. Admission Free, open each day. Artwork left: VII. Jesus carries the Cross by Beth Wilson
LUKE LEIGHFIELD
16th April
& his band 7.30pm on 16th April Tickets £4
8am Morning Prayer
10am Meet the Artists
Luke has recorded live sessions for Huw Stephens at Radio 1 and John Kennedy at Xfm, as well as receiving support from Tom Robinson at BBC 6 Music who said of Luke’s latest album Have You Got Heart?; “If there’s any justice in the world, Luke Leighfield ought to be all over the Radio 1 playlist. Luke has completely upped his game on this new album. He’s got mainstream playlist appeal together with indie sensibility, which he still hasn’t abandoned.”
12noon Midday Prayer
4pm Evening Prayer
7.30pm Luke Leighfield
9.30pm Birdcage Café
Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is when the church globally remembers the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem prior to the events of Holy Week. Services in the Abbey today are: 8am BCP Holy Communion 10.30am Choral Holy Communion 4pm Informal Family Service 9pm Labyrinth Opening Prayer This evening the Labyrinth (see next page) arrives at the Abbey for the next 4 days.
LATE NIGHT: SALLY ARCHER
Palm Sunday
Sally Archer is an illustrator and soul/pop/ neo-soul singer songwriter based in London but originally from Malmesbury. After beginning her vocal career in 2007 on the stage of WOMAD, she has recently started writing and recording solo material with her band— Dan Cole on bass and guitar, Jadan ReevesBassett on keys and Matt Withers on drums. Playing a selection of both original songs and covers, this evening at 10pm promises a soulful and captivating performance for you to enjoy. Admission Free & Birdcage CafÊ.
8am 10.30am BCP Holy Choral Communion Communion
4pm Informal Service
9pm Labyrinth Opens
10pm Late Night: Sally Archer +
Monday 18th April THE LABYRINTH: From Monday through to the late afternoon of Maundy Thursday we invite you to drop in at any time the Abbey is open to walk this ancient spiritual journey of reflection and self-discovery representing the journey taken by Christ towards the cross. Developed this year to be suitable for both adults and young people.
SALT OF THE EARTH Awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 1984, Walter Dirks joins us in conversation from 7.30pm to talk about his global Salt of the Earth project where he photographed and interviewed people from different backgrounds whose lives have been transformed by a personal experience of God—such as Brother Andrew, John Stott, the All Black Michael Jones and Chief Reynard Faber (right.) Lee Barnes will also be sharing some poetry from his world travels. Walter and Lee will be our photographer and poet in residence this week and working towards a display of new photography and poetry at the end of Holy Week. Admission Free.
LATE NIGHT: TRISTAN CORK
18th April
At 10pm Tristan cork (vocals and guitar) brings us original songs and unpredictable covers with Paul Tilley on drums.
8am 12 noon Morning Midday Prayer Prayer
4pm 7.30pm Evening Walter Dirks Prayer & Lee Barnes
9pm Night Prayer
10pm Late Night: Tristan Cork
Tuesday 19th April FAMILY MOVIE: Showing for families at 10am The Miracle Maker, a stop-motion animated film of the life of Jesus Christ, from 2000, featuring the voices of Ralph Fiennes, Emily Mortimer, Richard E Grant & Julie Christie. Admission Free, Birdcage café open, 87 minutes.
BISHOP LEE RAYFIELD From 7.30pm a time of extended contemporary worship followed by an informal and personal talk from the Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield, the Bishop of Swindon, on ‘what the cross of Jesus means to me.’ Before his ordination Bishop Lee was a lecturer in immunology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London and he speaks frequently in the media on science and faith issues. After his talk there will be a chance to respond in prayer.
LATE NIGHT: MORTEN LAURIDSEN At 10pm a late night preview of Morten Lauridsen’s spectacular choral work Lux Aeterna (1997) in a darkened Abbey sung by the Abbey Choir, director John Hughes, with organ. Lasts approximately 35 minutes. (More details on Good Friday)
19th April
Artwork (left): XI. Jesus & the thief by James Ormiston
8am Morning Prayer
10am The Miracle Maker
12 noon Midday Prayer
4pm Evening Prayer
7.30pm Bishop Lee Rayfield
10pm Late Night: Lauridsen
Wednesday 20th April
Treasure Hunt
Artwork : XIII Jesus dies by Sian Stinchcombe
At 2pm primary school children can join Revd Katie Windle in the Abbey for a treasure hunt that tells the story of Holy Week. We’ll be going outside so please bring your wellies and some money for cakes in the Birdcage Café afterwards. Katie is the Anglican Chaplain at Malmesbury CE Primary School
Prayer Walk This evening is a chance to get on the streets of Malmesbury, to pray for our town and to pray for God’s blessing upon it. Leaving at 7pm from outside Dyson, the Activity Zone and Athelstan House and converging on the Abbey at 8pm for 45 minutes praise and prayer. Details from the Abbey cream sheet and at www.malmesburyabbey.com.
LATE NIGHT: MALMESBURY SCHOOL FROCK BAND
April 20th
One of the highlights of the festival is the return of Frock Band with Mr Bill Badley. Tonight at 10pm they’ll be playing a slightly eccentric and totally wonderful selection of songs and tunes from around the world: Balkan Reggae collides with 17th Century English country dances; Status Quo gets hijacked by Bluegrass – all played by some of Malmesbury School’s finest young musicians.
8am 10.30am 12 noon 2pm 4pm Morning Holy Com- Midday Treasure Evening Prayer munion Prayer Hunt Prayer
7pm Prayer Walk
10pm Late Night: Frock Band
Maundy Thursday For Those Who Question Whether Life Is Really Black & White
Agnostics Anonymous What is the point of Prayer? An Informal Discussion led by Lucy Peppiatt Crawley, an engaging speaker and lecturer in Christian Doctrine at Westminster Theological Centre. 7.30pm at the Kings Arms in the Orangery Room, 29 High Street , Malmesbury. Artwork detail: II. Jesus betrayed by Judas by Mike MacQueen
Please email Lee Barnes, curate at Malmesbury Abbey, to confirm you are coming as space is limited: lee@malmesburyabbey.com or 01666 826666
Maundy Thursday
What does it mean to love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind? On Thursday 21st April 2011 (Maundy Thursday) young people are invited to be part of a special youth pilgrimage from Chippenham to Malmesbury. 9am-7.30pm. More information from paul@malmesburyabbey.com. 8am 12 noon 4pm Morning Midday Holy ComPrayer Prayer munion
7pm Youth Event
7.30pm 9pm Agnostics Stripping the Anonymous Sanctuary
Good Friday
A day of prayer and worship, silence and stillness as we join with two billion Christians around the world to reflect on the crucifixion and death of Jesus of Nazareth: 8am Morning Prayer 10.30am Service of the Cross—for all ages 12pm March of Witness & Churches Together service in Birdcage Walk 6pm Devotional Concert: Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna with readings from the King James Bible The music of Morten Johannes Lauridsen, composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994-2001 and professor of composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for more than thirty years, occupies a permanent place in the standard vocal repertoire of the Twentieth Century. His seven vocal cycles and his series of sacred a cappella motets are featured regularly in concert by distinguished ensembles throughout the world. Choral Music in the Twentieth Century describes Lauridsen as "the only American composer in history who can be called a mystic, whose probing, serene work contains an elusive and indefinable ingredient which leaves the impression that all the questions have been answered...
9pm Service of the Tomb—Night Prayer
Good Friday
After this service all activities cease at the Abbey until The Vigil begins at 11pm on Saturday Night.
8am Morning Prayer
10.30am Service of the Cross
12noonMarch of Witness
6pm Devotional Concert
9pm Service of the Tomb
Easter Eve THE VIGIL: The Abbey is deliberately silent and empty on Easter Eve as we identify with the loss and nothingness of the tomb of Jesus. But at 11pm the spiritual preparation for Easter Day begins with an all-night vigil with worship and readings every half hour telling the story of the redemption of God’s people. This year, weather permitting, we hope to re-enact the Christian tradition of having a outdoor fire throughout the night. Details from lee@malmesburyabbey.com. Artwork left: XV The Resurrection by Katie Journeaux
Easter Day is a day of joy and celebration for the global Christian community. As the Sun rises we begin a day long celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You are very welcome to join us for:
Easter Day
6am Renewal of Baptismal Vows & Dawn Holy Communion 8am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion with Choir & Organ 4pm Informal Family Worship and Baptisms 6.30pm Choral Evensong
Easter Day
Easter Day brings our Holy Week Festival 2011 to a close but the Stations of the Cross art exhibition remains in the South Aisle for some time.
6am Dawn Service
8am Holy Communion
10.30am Holy Communion
4pm Informal Worship
6.30pm Choral Evensong
Malmesbury Abbey Parish Office The Old Squash Court Holloway Malmesbury Wiltshire SN16 9BA 01666 826666 www.malmesburyabbey.com
Artwork: front cover by Abbi Greenman; back cover by Ben Haggerty-Marks