Music for the 150th anniversary

Today a new Mass setting, specially written for the Cathedral's 150th anniversary, will be used at Mass for the first time. The setting is written by the celebrated composer and church musician Malcolm Archer, who is currently Director of Chapel Music at Winchester College. He grew up in the Diocese (near Lytham) and has gone on to work at a number of Anglican cathedrals, including St Paul's in London, where he was Director of Music.

The setting he has written for the Cathedral is intentionally fairly simple, so as to allow the whole congregation (not just a choir) to sing the parts of the Mass. Over the coming months it will be used (at least in part) fairly frequently, so that - hopefully - by the time we reach the feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral (October 4th) everyone will be able to sing with gusto.

The Pope in Hospital

As you may have seen in the news, Pope Benedict has had surgery on his wrist following a fall while on holiday yesterday. After the fall the Holy Father apparently said Mass and then had breakfast before going to hospital, where he was found to have a small break in the wrist. Here he is seen thanking medical staff as he returned to his holiday; the cast can be seen on his right arm. It's the first time that the Pope has been in hospital since his election in April 2005.

Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage

It's that time of the year again: the first pilgrims destined for Lourdes on the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage are en route. A coach for youth travelling overland left Lancaster first thing this morning, but will not arrive in Lourdes until after those travelling by air - two flights go from Manchester tomorrow. A number of Cathedral parishioners (but this year no priests!) will be on the pilgrimage, and it is heartening to know that despite the economic situation a record number of young people are making the journey this year. Please pray for all the pilgrims - and pilgrims, please pray for us!

A visit to Dalton Square

Yesterday evening about 25 parishioners made a trip to Dalton Square for a tour of the former Catholic Chapel there. The visit was part of the Cathedral's 150th anniversary celebrations: it is hoped that during the year many people will come to take a greater interest in the history of Catholicism in Lancaster. The Dalton Square church was opened in 1799, under the charge of Lancaster's priest at that time, Dr John Rigby. Our group of parishioners met outside in the rain before heading indoors.

The tour was conducted by Mr Stephen Gardner, conservation officer for the council, who works in the building, which is now known as Palatine Hall. Here the group take a look at the back of the former presbytery. After the clergy moved out it became a doctor's surgery and was home to the imfamous Dr Ruxton; here he murdered his wife and maid. The crime became so famous that it even has its own Wikipedia page, which can be found here.

After the look at the presbytery it was on to the former church itself, where people commented how it seemed very much larger inside than it appeared from without. Clearly the building would have accommodated a fairly large number of people; later it was used as a cinema.

The ceiling was of particular interest because - although redecorated - the structure remains the same as it was when the building was a church. In March Billington's Blog featured a number of posts about the Dalton Square chapel; if you'd like to read more, click here and scroll down through the entries to see the relevant posts.

The chapel at Dalton Square replaced an earlier makeshift building at St Leonardsgate; it is perhaps fitting therefore that today the old chapel, now used for office space, has windows which look out onto St Leonardsgate and towards the Cathedral (see an image here). Lancaster's Catholic history has left a trail across the city. Our thanks are due to Mr Gardner and to the council authorities for arranging this tour for us.

Curious about the Cathedral?

Revealed today, here is a first glimpse of the publicity for our 150th anniversary exhibition, which takes place at Lancaster City Museum from 12th September (not 21st as previously stated!) to 21st November. Featuring a range of objects and information panels, the exhibition will cover a period of local Catholic history from recusant times to the present day. It promises to be a great event; more details will follow on the blog over the coming weeks. Group visits are welcome; if you'd like to discuss the possibilities, please get in touch.

Monteverdi Vespers

Last night the Cathedral hosted a performance of the celebrated Monteverdi setting of Vespers. The work dates from 1610 and was first published in Venice; since that time it has become well-known and frequently performed around the world.

The performance was given by the Levens Choir, who are based in Kendal; they were accompanied by the Early Baroque Band using instruments typical of the period. Before the performance conductor Ian Jones gave a brief introduction to the large audience.

This setting of Vespers uses the texts of the common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is used on feasts of Our Lady throughout the year.

One final concert remains before the summer break: this coming Friday at 7:30pm the Skipton Camerata will play Bach's second and fourth Brandenburg Concerti, as well as works by Bridge, Grieg and Howells (more details here). And, of course, if you would like to come to Vespers being prayed (rather than performed!) it is sung each Sunday afternoon in the Cathedral at 4:40pm.

St Thérèse: beat the crowds

With 80 days to go until the relics of St Thérèse arrive in Lancaster, each day it becomes more obvious that a large number of people will make a visit during this event. Already a large number of parish, deanery and school coaches have been arranged and more enquiries are coming in. To help ensure a smooth event, we are trying to spread the arrival times of different groups. Earlier today we launched a new page on the Cathedral's St Thérèse website, designed to help people see when it is best to come.

The duration of the visit is split into times which are colour-coded: green for the quietest times, red for the busiest and yellow for those inbetween. The information is intended (at least at this stage) mainly for those planning group visits, and we are asking groups which have not yet arranged a time to avoid the Tuesday lunchtime Mass, which is looking very busy. We will update the information further as time goes on and as more groups book in. If you are organising a group, please remember to contact us with your planned arrival time. You can find the new information page here.

Caritas in Veritate

Published yesterday, Pope Benedict's third encyclical letter deals with "integral human development in charity in truth." Under the title Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) the Holy Father tackles some of the social issues facing the world today, including the environment, economic crisis, human rights, migration and the role of technology. In the UK the encyclical was launched by the Archbishop of Westminster, Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, who described it as "a powerful and thorough application of the vision of Christian faith to the complex problems of human development." The letter can be read online at the Vatican webiste, here; a printed version will be published by the Catholic Truth Society next Monday - click here for more.

Anne Frank: a history for today

The Cathedral is currently playing host to an exhibition entitled "Anne Frank: a history for today." A lot of school groups have signed up to come along; the exhibition is also open to the general public Monday-Friday 4-6pm; Saturday and Sunday 1-4pm. Entry is free.

Yesterday three classes from the Cathedral Primary School came to take a look. In the first part of the exhibition there is a 25-minute video about Anne Frank's life; the children then get a chance to talk about some of the things they have learnt. There are also a number of photographs taken by Anne Frank's father which reveal something of their family's life.
In the second part there are some visual displays which bring to life the diary which Anne Frank wrote. There is plenty to see and the children made the most of it.

In total there are over 30 panels for people to see; many photographs are accompanied by extracts from the diary, so that Anne Frank's story is told in her own words.

Along the corridor which leads to the exhibition the Cathedral has prepared some thought-provoking material. On the walls visitors can see how the freedom of Jews was gradually taken away by the Nazi regime. Meanwhile, on the floor there are words associated with oppression and persecution, placed for people to walk over; above there are words associated with justice and peace, a reminder of qualities for which we must aim. The exhibition remains open until Wednesday 22nd July.

Bishop Campbell: first Pastoral Letter

At his Mass of inauguration on 1st May the Bishop had an opportunity to address nearly all of the priests of the Diocese and representatives from each parish. Such opportunities are not frequent, and bishops more often communicate with the Diocese by means of letters. Over the weekend Bishop Campbell's first Pastoral Letter was read in parishes across the Diocese. He wrote the letter to mark the Year for Priests, which began on the feast of the Sacred Heart. Expressing his own appreciation for the work of priests, he encouraged all the people of the Diocese to pray for priests and to pray for vocations. He also asked families of those considering the priesthood to be generous in their response, saying, "Remember, parents: the Lord is never outdone in generosity." You can find the full letter on the Diocesan Website: click here.

Carlo Curley

Last night saw another major landmark in the organ restoration work as the legendary American organist Carlo Curley gave a recital in the Cathedral. Carlo is well known around the world as a brilliant organist with great ability to engage the audience, and he did not disappoint.

The programme was filled with works by American composers, chosen to mark July 4th, Indepedence Day. Carlo's skill was in greatly in evidence as he gave a dazzling performance. He certainly put the organ through its paces, and at one stage joked that he was trying to "invalidate the warranty".

Between pieces he often took the microphone to speak to the audience from the gallery, introducing some of the works and their composers. He congratulated the organ builders, Henry Willis and Sons, on their work, telling the crowd: "I do not recognise this organ." Carlo had previously played at the Cathedral in July 2005, when the organ was in a terrible state; he was clearly very pleased with the restoration work carried out by Willis.

The programme included a range of styles; pieces included an organ transcript of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, Charles Ives’ Variations on 'America' and Lindblad’s Toccata on an American Theme.

The event could only take place thanks to the heroic efforts of the Willis staff. Jonathan and Fred had worked (almost quite literally) around the clock to ensure that everything was ready, and stayed on hand during the recital just to make sure that the organ performed well. It did. You can find the Willis and Sons website here.

Hopefully Carlo will return before too long to play at the Cathedral again. He is an extraordinary performer; his own website describes him as "The Pavarotti of the Organ". You can visit his site, which also includes details of his forthcoming concerts, here.

Farewell, Fr Lourdu

One year and one day since his arrival in Lancaster, today we bid farewell to Fr Lourdu. His Bishop has asked him to move to the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, to take up pastoral duties there. Last weekend Fr Lourdu had the chance to address some words to parishioners at the end of Mass. He spoke movingly about his time here and sincerely thanked everyone for their support and prayers during his time in Lancaster.

Our best wishes go with Fr Lourdu as he heads across the Atlantic, and we hope to update you on his progress at a later date.

July Diary

With the summer holidays now fast approaching, the pace of events at the Cathedral slows considerably for July. The biggest event this month is an exhibition about Anne Frank, which begins today and runs until 21st (public opening: Monday-Friday 4-6pm, Saturday-Sunday 1-4pm; free admission); more details and reports will be posted in the coming days. Three concerts will take place: an organ recital by Carlo Curley (this coming Saturday), Monteverdi's Vespers sung by the Levens Choir (11th) and the Skipton Camerata with more of Bach's Brandenburg Concerti (17th). In the liturgical calendar the two major feasts are concerned with the apostles: St Thomas (3rd) and St James (25th).

Over the next month Billington's Blog will feature the installation of Bishop O'Donoghue, the consecration of Bishop Flynn and auxiliary Bishop Pearson, posts on the diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage over the years, the opening of the convent chapel and Mass on a mountainside. You can find Canon Billington's historical blog here.

The visit of St Thérèse draws ever closer - just 89 days to go! - and the Thérèse blog will keep you up-to-date with preparations. Over the next month we hope to bring you some more concrete news about what will be happening on site; you can also find out about events around the Diocese and coaches coming from your area. It looks set to be a huge event, with a large number of coach groups already booked in. The Thérèse blog has recently published the prayer which will be used for the visit to Lancaster; the site can be found here.

Recycling the flowers

The story of the Flower Festival draws to a close today as the displays are dismantled and the flowers removed. We're recycling the flowers - so to speak - in a few ways: some have been retained to decorate the Cathedral; some have been donated to other places; some are available on the lawn outside the Cathedral - these may be taken by anyone willing to make a donation for them.

All in all it has been a wonderful, memorable and successful event, with many positive comments from the large number of visitors. A word of thanks is due to all who helped design and arrange the displays, and to the army of parishioners who acted as stewards and welcomers or helped provide refreshments for the people who came. Although we haven't been able to show every display on the blog, we have retained a large number of photographs which we plan to publish in the future.

Flower Festival Part 4

Peering over some flowers in the organ loft, we see the man in whose honour this festival is taking place: St Peter, Prince of the Apostles and patron of our Cathedral. The organ loft displays have been sponsored in memory of Dr J. H. Reginald Dixon, the former Cathedral organist whom we featured back in May. The displays were designed and arranged by members of the Becconsall Flower Club: Anne White, Georgie Dagnall, Joan Twigger, Joan Foreshaw and Cath Poole.

The same team of ladies have also produced the arrangements beneath the organ gallery, and have made the area very attractive.

In some places the flowers appear to be climbing the walls... four floral banners hang from the nave piers; these are the work of Tracey Clode, Vicky Nevitt, Lorraine Stewart and Tanya Strange.

Flowers can be found in the most unlikely places, such as here, high up in the church.

Perhaps even less likely are these baskets of fruit, part of the display in the Whiteside Chantry. Did you spot them?

Even on the way out of the Cathedral there are displays to be seen: nowhere is left untouched! The festival remains open until 7:30pm.