St Margaret's Church
At St
Margaret's,
we try to use our talents in ways which express not only our talents
but
our faith as well, and which are fun to do and to experience. We
are particularly strong on music, and have a fine enthusiastic Choir of
adults and children of both genders and all ages from around 9 upwards,
under the direction of our Organist and choirmaster, Oliver Ranner.
Every Sunday, they sing an Anthem during the receiving of Communion. this not only provides a fitting background to focus our minds but a chance for the children to learn to sing a range of sacred music and the discipline of performing in a trained group of singers.
During the
year,
there is usually at least one 'after-Church Concert' at which the
children
are encouraged to perform, the proceeds going to a suitable
charity.
We also have a Quartet formed by members of the congregation who play
at
our quarterly 'Welcome Evenings'.
Our
Millennium
Celebrations took the form of a modern 'Mystery Play' entirely written
and performed by members of the 'united benefice' of St Margaret and St
Giles.
Return to Eden? was in the form of a medieval mystery play brought right up to date. Four different authors worked on the script, each writing different scenes in very different styles - brought together with music by four different composers by a 'patchwork coordinator'.
The script was by turns poetic, comically ironic, poignant. The story re-told Creation, Adam and Eve, Jesus and the message of salvation, in a series of cameo scenes. The Sunday School children were involved as Animals in Eden, who had spent a couple of activity days during the Easter holidays making their masks, and performed the song Adam Names the Animals written by one of the congregation and set to music by her daughter, a professional musician.
We worked on the play during the year 2000, as a community-building exercise. Everyone who wanted to be, was involved. People resurrected or discovered skills in painting and constructing scenery. Both Churchwardens performed (as Eve and the Serpent!) and the PCC secretary was discovered to have talents as an artistic director. Actors were trained by a member of St Giles congregation whose career was on the stage.
By the opening night, Pentecost 2001, about two thirds of the congregation were taking part on-stage or behind the scenes. Being lower in practical talents than artistic ones, we invited a couple of members of another local church to provide our Sound and Lighting skills. The age range involved was about 3-70 years.
Amazingly
it
worked! There were 2 performances. The audiences liked it,
we enjoyed doing it, and the profits were split between church funds
and
our local hospice.
| Comment from a Junior Devil: | "What is it like to act in a play? |
| one of the children, Michael, aged 10, wrote afterwards: | Very
wonderful.
The special lights and sound effects make it feel sixties-style for the
actors and musicians. And super music! Overwhelming for the
actors!
Return to Eden was particularly good. Everyone had a great time of it. Me, in particular, because I had written some incidental music and got to play it on the piano, and I got to be a junior devil. Many thanks to Clare Weiner and Jane Edwardes for making Return to Eden happen". |