At 6.30 pm on Sunday 27 November 2016, St. Boniface Church Choir will be leading a special service of music and readings for Advent Sunday.
Advent Sunday is the first Sunday in the church’s year, and the beginning of the lead-up to Christmas. [Read more…] about Advent Sunday at St Boniface Church: Sunday 27 November 2016
The Passion of Christ: Sunday 20 March (Palm Sunday) 2016 at 6.30pm – a selection of readings, hymns, and anthems sung by St. Boniface Choir.
Easter Praise: Sunday 27 March (Easter Day) 2016 at 6.30pm – readings, hymns and an anthem for Easter Sunday evening. [Read more…] about Easter at the Parish Church of Chandler’s Ford
A warm welcome to everyone to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in St. Boniface (CofE) Church in Hursley Road on Sunday 20 December at 6.30pm.
The service is designed to last about an hour, and includes most of the best-known carols for the congregation and choir to sing, plus five short pieces for choir only, and the traditional Christmas readings. [Read more…] about The Nine Lessons and Carols Service at St. Boniface Church: Sunday 20 December 2015
When you travel along Bournemouth Road to or from Southampton, you pass on one side Keble Road and on the other Keble Close, in Chandler’s Ford.
Both were called after the Rev. John Keble (1792‒1866), vicar of Hursley from 1836 until his death (and briefly curate there in 1825‒1826). [Read more…] about John Keble: Keble Road and Keble Close in Chandler’s Ford
Just after recent solar eclipse was over, the first verse of an Easter hymn by Charles Wesley came into my mind:
Love’s redeeming work is done;
Fought the fight, the battle won:
Lo, our Sun’s eclipse is o’er!
Lo, he sets in blood no more.
The term ‘carol’, as generally used, includes some items that appear in hymnbooks and are sung by congregations – such as Away in a manger and Once in royal David’s city.
The term is also used sometimes for items that are not congregational hymns.
Some would not normally form part of a church service – such as We wish you a happy Christmas or Past three o’clock. [Read more…] about Christmas Carol? Christmas Hymn?
Christmas is approaching! This is very obvious when you visit a major shopping centre, watch adverts on television, etc. Indeed, the first invitation to buy Christmas cards came to me as early as September (or was it August?).
It’s understandable that businesses work this way, as Christmas sales contribute so much to their turnover. But, for those who don’t run businesses, weariness can set in, until Christmas becomes [Read more…] about Christmas Is Coming – But Not Just Yet
The Church of England church in Hursley Road, St Boniface (SO53 2FT), is one of relatively few parish churches locally that has the service of sung Evensong on most Sundays (at 6.30pm).
The Book of Common Prayer is the basis of the service, although the prayers of intercession are in modern language and concentrate on contemporary events and situations. [Read more…] about St. Boniface Church Evensong
The Choir of St. Boniface church, Hursley Road held a coffee morning, cake stall and raffle recently to help raise funds for new books for the Evensong service (most Sundays at 6.30).
Well over £200 was added to the choir’s bank account as a result, and the books will be bought soon.
Last weekend it was my privilege and pleasure to visit Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk for the annual conference and AGM of the Guild of Church Musicians, and particularly so as the Guild was making me one of several new honorary fellows (Hon. FGCM for short).
About 150 honorary fellowships have been awarded in the past 25 years or so, some to clergy (including Archbishop Desmond Tutu) [Read more…] about The Guild of Church Musicians
Janet’s post Easter Day – From Tragedy To Triumph is a fine account of a very memorable Easter celebration.
In most years the daffodils have been yellow – this year’s late Easter probably helps to explain the change of colour.
White is, however, a traditional colour for Easter.
In his poem ‘Loveliest of trees’ [Read more…] about White for Easter
English spelling at times seems completely random, but it is sometimes systematic, even if there seems no good reason for the system, and if exceptions can still be found!
Take the use of single L and double L at the end of a word for example. [Read more…] about English Spelling
Beginning on 6 April 2014 is the last part of Lent – Passiontide as it’s often called. The Christian story approaches one of its climaxes with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Four writers tell the story in the Bible – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – several decades after it happened.
Not surprisingly they have slightly different accounts of what happened, but one constant is this worrying truth. The religious leaders of the day [Read more…] about The Passion of Christ at St. Boniface
