MARCH AT WELLS CATHEDRAL

Events Highlights for March

A programme full of music and song is set to entertain all this month. Please join us for this collection of concerts. We welcome donations on entry to the Cathedral during the day.

Please see our Music in Wells 2017 leaflet for more details of the below events.

Thursday 9 March, 1.05pm in the Quire - Lunchtime Organ Recital by David Price (Organist and Master of the Choristers, Portsmouth Cathedral). Admission free with retiring collection.
Saturday 11 - 27 March, Deo Gloria 'Rites of Passage' Exhibition in the South Cloister.
Monday 13 March, 1.05pm in the Quire - Lunchtime Concert by Chapel Choir of St Paul's School, Concord USA. Admission free with retiring collection.
Thursday 23 March, 1.05pm in the Quire - Bach Complete Organ Works: Recital 14. Fourteenth in the bi-monthly series or organ recitals. Organist Matthew Owens. Admission free with retiring collection in aid of Wells Cathedral Music.
Saturday 25 March, 7.00pm - Early Music Wells Concert: Opus Anglicanum - Annunciation.

Music News

Topical Debate on Trade and Brexit - panel announced

Following Professor John Hudson's (Department of Economics, University of Bath) speech ‘Brexit – the economic pros and cons for the UK’ at our forthcoming Debate on Trade and Brexit, a panel will also be on hand to answer your questions and contribute to discussions.  Chaired by Dr John Davies, Dean of Wells, the panel now includes Mary Milne, Traidcraft Campaigns Manager; Kate Willis, Fairtrade Foundation; Dr Julia Reid, MEP and Environment Spokesperson; Councillor John North, Deputy Mayor, Wells City and Mendip District councillor. This Topical Debate is held in the Cathedral on Tuesday 28 February 2017 from 7.30 – 9.00pm. We will begin with Fairtrade drinks served from 7pm in the Cathedral with wine at £3.00 per glass.

TO BOOK: There is no need to book for this FREE event and all are welcome.

Lent 2017

Lent Reading

Many take up a book to guide their Lenten thinking. The Cathedral shop has a wide selection of books for Lent, including the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book, 'Dethroning Mammon', Justin Welby's first book.

Lent Special Gatherings 

The Dean and Chapter are patrons of over 20 parishes in the diocese. Clergy and Lay representatives of their parishes are gathering at the Cathedral in early March to remake connections and to plan a special celebration day in September.

The College of Canons also meets in March, Canons coming from across the diocese. At the 9.45am Sunday Cathedral Eucharist all the way through Lent the Dean will preach a series of sermons on the role of the Cathedral, both in the diocese, and in wider society. He will also speak about building up the life of the Cathedral Community. All will of course, be very welcome

Lent Reformation Seminars

The series of special Sunday afternoon Lent Reformation sermons will begin during Evensong on Sunday 5 March Lent 1: with Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Bristol, who will preach on the pre-Reformation imagination – what was it like to worship, believe and pray before the Reformation? David is a Reformation scholar, and one of the best speakers in the Church of England. Throughout the whole Lent series of gatherings we are lucky to be joined by some superb speakers. These are FREE events with no need to book. Click on the button below for a full list of events and speakers.

Lent Reformation Tours

To support the Reformation series of gatherings we are also delighted to be offering two special Reformation Tours on Saturday 18 March and Saturday 25 March. On both dates tours will take place from 11.30-1.00pm and again from 2.00-3.30pm.

Led by Cathedral Librarian, Kevin Spears, and Archivist Anne Crawford, they will give a unique insight into this landmark event in our history. Visitors on the Reformation library tours will see relevant books and  documents from the Cathedral’s collections displayed in the Chained Library and Muniment Room, spaces not open to general public access.

Please note that these tours are not suitable for under 16s nor wheelchairs due to the spiral staircase leading to the library. Tickets for tours are £10.00 each and with limited spaces available so please book your place. Please note that tickets are selling fast for the morning tour on Saturday 18 March.

Fixed Date Special Interest Tours

We are happy to announce the launch of a series of Fixed Date Special Interest Tours in addition to our programme of free tours. Our team of tour guides are offering dates throughout the year for individuals and groups to book onto and discover more about the fascinating objects and architecture throughout the Cathedral.

Specialist subjects include Cathedral Carvings, Chained Library, Embroideries, Gothic Architecture and Stained Glass. The tours begin with Embroideries and Stained Glass 'Marvels of Medieval Glass' on Saturday 1 April, 10.00 - 11.30am. 
 
Places cost £10 per person and tickets can be booked via our Cathedral Box Office in person or over the phone on 01749 672773, or online via our website.

Early Music Wells Concert: Opus Anglicanum - Annunciation 

Opus Anglicanum’s final Wells Cathedral concert under the directorship of founder, John Rowlands-Pritchard, featuring beautiful music and readings for the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the beautiful candlelit surroundings of Wells Cathedral Quire.

Tickets: £12.00; available from Wells Cathedral Shop Box Office on 01749 672773 and at the door.

Easter Family Workshops

During Easter school holidays we will be running two FREE workshops for all the family to enjoy. There will be two sessions on both days and no need to book - just turn up and join in!

Wednesday 5 April, 10.30 - 12.00pm & 2.00 - 3.30pm 'Cross trail and bead necklace activity'
Wednesday 12 April, 10.30 - 12.00pm & 2.00 - 3.30pm 'Easter Gardens, art with garden scavenging'
 
All of our workshops are free but we welcome donations to help cover the cost of materials. Follow this link to see details of the years workshops for the whole family or contact education@wellscathedral.uk.net

Save the Date: Cathedral Quiet Day

The 'Lent Cathedral Quiet Day' will be held on Wednesday 29 March at Abbey House, Glastonbury from 10.30 - 4.00pm. The Very Revd Dr John Davies (Dean of Wells) will lead the day at a cost of £25.00 to include lunch. Please make cheques payable to Abbey House and arrive at 10am with £2.00 in cash for expenses.

A notice to sign up for this day is in the North Transept up to March 15. For further information contact Alison Wilcox on 01749 673689.

The Spirituality of Jane Austen

We are delighted to announce that the Rev Prebendary Paula Hollingsworth, Sub Dean of Wells Cathedral, is launching her book here at Wells Cathedral following Evensong on Thursday 27 April at 6pm. The book is currently available on Amazon, Waterstones and Blackwells online stores.

Cathedral Library Book of the Month - March

This month we are deviating from featuring a selected book. Instead, the library display will contain several  books connected to the Reformation to complement the series of addresses being given throughout Lent to mark the 500^th anniversary of the start of the Reformation.

Weekly Special Soup and a Roll

New in the Cathedral Café for March is a series of healthy, homemade, hearty soups. These fantastic lunch meals are only £5.75 and are available Monday to Saturday each week.

Week 7 March - Beef Goulash Soup served with a homemade bread roll - using beef from our local butcher here in Wells, with smoked paprika, sweet potato and peppers, slow cooked, tasty and tender.
Week 14 March - Spring Green and Gammon Soup - local gammon, gently cooked with bay leaves and onions with potato, spring greens and cannellini beans served with a homemade bread roll.
Week 21 March - Seafood Chowder with a homemade bread roll - cod, smoked haddock and bacon with leek, onion, peas and cream. "Simply delicious".
Week 28 March - Roast Chicken Soup with a homemade cheesy scone - a local roasted chicken, fresh herbs and a dressing of Greek yoghurt.

Don't forget we also offer a Vegetarian Soup each day which is also gluten free. All profits from the café go to supporting the work of the Cathedral.

Congratulations and many happy returns!

Our second shop at 16 Market Place celebrates its first birthday on 1st March and we’ll be pushing the boat out with cake, balloons and a 10% discount in both shops on the day!  Our new Easter stock has now arrived too, plus cards and gift ideas for Mothering Sunday so do come down and help us to celebrate in style!
 
“Exceeding Visitor Expectations” training. Members of the Wells Cathedral Retail and Visitor Services team recently attended an intensive “Exceeding Visitor Expectations” training course, endorsed by VisitEngland and designed specifically for visitor attraction staff.  The course helped to develop their skills for  welcoming and engaging our visitors as well as encouraging effective communication.  It combined the expertise of VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme and the experience of the renowned Welcome to Excellence training programmes. The team really enjoyed their day and were recently presented with their certificates by Dr Paul Richards, Cathedral Administrator and Kathy Nicholls, Head of Retail & Visitor Services.

Cathedral Community Roll

Under the Cathedral Measures 1999 the Cathedral is required to have a roll containing the name of all those who are members of the Cathedral community who apply to be enrolled.  People are eligible to be put on the Roll if:

• You worship regularly in the Cathedral (over 16yrs of age)
• You are employed by the Cathedral
• You act as a volunteer at the Cathedral

We are therefore in the process of writing out to those previously on the list inviting them to continue as well as notifying others of this opportunity. 
 
You can download a pdf version here but there will also be a supply of the forms with the Virgers or from the Cathedral Office.  You are asked to complete the form and return it to Debbie Jones in the Cathedral Office over the next couple of weeks if you would like to be included.

In Our Thoughts:
Amnesty Victim of Injustice for March - USA

Leonard Peltier, a Native American artist, was a leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which campaigned for Native American rights.  In 1975 two FBI agents were killed during a confrontation with AIM members on the Pine Ridge Reservation.  Leonard was arrested and eventually convicted of their murders, although it later transpired that the FBI coerced eye witnesses and withheld information.  Leonard, aged 71, has been in prison for more than forty years.  He is currently in a jail in Florida, 2,000 miles from his family in North Dakota.  The distance and expense make visits almost impossible.  His health is deteriorating and he is not due for parole until 2024.  His lawyers have just filed a new petition for clemency.  If this fails Leonard Peltier is likely to die in prison.