New Dean installed – 25 May 2012

The new Dean of St Paul’s, Dr David Ison, was installed at a special service in the Cathedral on 25 May.

Preaching at his welcome service, Dr Ison urged his congregation to “live in the truth with kindness”and embraced a theme of inclusivity, reminding invited guests and regular members of the congregation that “God’s love is inclusive.” Members of The Guild of the Companions of St Paul attended the service, representing former choristers of St Paul’s Cathedral.

The new Dean added: “Everyone is loved wholeheartedly by God without exception – it’s the original equalities policy: all of us are equal before God.”

Dr Ison explained that living in the truth with kindness meant dealing with people who hold different views or opinions to yourself in a different way. He touched on two issues – a visit to Israel and the Occupied Territories and the ongoing debate about homosexuality and stressed: “They’re both about identity, and whether people have a right to exist, and they touch on deep-seated feelings and experiences of abuse and violence and unreconciled differences.”

He added: “Both are examples of how as human beings as human beings we have such a tendency to put the world into two camps: them and us. We say or think that, if you don’t agree with me, then you’re wrong; if you’re not on my side then you must be my enemy.”

Dean Ison said that labels were not important when it came to faith: “It doesn’t matter what adjective you put in front of yourself: liberal, conservative, charismatic, traditionalist, male or female, orthodox or unbelieving. God is onto your case – and mine. We can’t stop God loving us, however hard we try.”

Dr David Ison – Biography

Brought up in Brentwood, Essex, David went to university in Leicester and theological college in Nottingham, He was ordained aged 24 as a curate in Deptford, south-east London, where he was engaged in inner-city ministry and studied for a PhD in early church history.

After a further three years as a tutor at the Church Army training college in Blackheath, he became vicar of Potters Green, a parish on a housing estate in Coventry. Experience in theological training led in 1993 to work in Exeter in theological training for ordinands and clergy, and from 1995 he was Residentiary Canon at Exeter Cathedral with particular responsibility for the library. In 2005 David became Dean of Bradford with the task of rebuilding the cathedral’s ministry and mission.

David and Hilary married in 1977 while both in training for ministry. Hilary has been a parish minister, hospice chaplain, college tutor and consultant to organisations, and is currently a Selection Secretary working at Church House, Westminster. They have raised two daughters and two sons, and will be sharing life at St Paul’s with two grandchildren and a kit car.

Dean Ison, 57, succeeds The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles who resigned from the post last year.

 

Above photo of Dean Ison with teh Bishop of London courtesy of Press Association & The Independent

Full text of the sermon preached by The Very Revd Dr David Ison on the occasion of his installation as Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, 25 May 2012:

What is this event about? It’s important for this cathedral and for its ongoing story: another chapter unfolds. But this is a very minor footnote in the unfolding of the kingdom of God: the important thing isn’t what we do this evening, but what will we do as a result of it, together.

I’ve learnt over the years to start my first sermon in a place with two important statements. Most important is that when I come and see you, I don’t drink coffee, and I take my tea very weak with no milk or sugar. Someone sent me a quote about a dean who, said his biographer, was a proper dean: whenever he had a meeting, there would always be a bottle of Bollinger on the table. Well, if you haven’t got tea, then champagne is an absolutely fabulous substitute.

The other thing I need to ask you is that we might live in the truth with kindness. I will make mistakes, I will get things wrong – we all do – and your expectations of me will be too high.

Please tell me when I’ve got it wrong – we must help each other take responsibility for what we do and for when we fail, because that’s how we learn and grow; but tell me with kindness. When something goes wrong, there’s no point in blaming others: instead, we need to keep asking the question, what have we learnt for next time? How will it be different?

Blaming others is for small-minded people, and Christians are called to be generous and kind. The question is not, am I right and are you wrong? The question is: do I live with the love of Jesus Christ in my heart and in my life? Do I treat others with the love with which I trust that God will treat me? In words from tonight’s reading of the Christian scriptures: Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. Or as St Paul says, Without love, all we do is worth nothing.

This is not soppy or sentimental anything-goes love. Christian love isn’t pink and fluffy and self-indulgent; nor is it the romantic love which people chase after, the myth which has destroyed so many marriages and relationships, and damaged the lives of children, and undermined society. Christian love is what we see in Jesus Christ, in his life and death and resurrection: love which chooses to suffer for those who hate you, love which loves the unlovable, and so changes the world.

Twice in the last year I’ve had experience of being on the receiving end of people trying to co-opt me into their view of the world. Both are areas of heated controversy – Israel and homosexuality. Heated, because they’re both about identity, and whether people have a right to exist, and they touch on deep-seated feelings and experiences of abuse and violence and unreconciled differences.

Both are examples of how as human beings as human beings we have such a tendency to put the world into two camps: them and us. We say or think that, if you don’t agree with me, then you’re wrong; if you’re not on my side then you must be my enemy.

We divide the world into black and white, and shades of grey are squeezed out, reduced to soundbites and headlines. It’s a digital view for a digital world. Digital technology reduces everything to noughts and ones, on or off, yes or no. Analogue music on vinyl or analogue TV have gone; so too the subtlety of analogy itself is being pushed out of public discourse and replaced by ‘us’ or ‘them’.

We need to stop seeing the world in black and white, and see the colours of God in people instead.

For in Christ there is no them and us. There is only us. God is on everyone’s side, and therefore God is on no one’s side.

God’s love for ‘us’ and for ‘them’ doesn’t depend on our being good or deserving; it depends on God being loving. And God’s love, unlike ours, is relentless.

As the 7^th century writer Isaac of Nineveh put it: ‘As is a grain of sand weighed against a large amount of gold, so, in God, is the demand for just judgement weighed against his compassion. As a handful of sand thrown into the boundless ocean, so are our human sins in comparison with God’s providence and mercy. As a copious spring of water can’t be stopped up by a handful of dust, so the Creator’s compassion cannot be conquered by the wickedness of his creatures.’

That’s why in Christ there is no them and us. There is only us, who should be trembling before the overwhelming love of God.

There’s no more wonderful way to live in this world than to be a disciple of Jesus Christ: to follow in his way, in joy and hope and love, being continually challenged to change and grow, always called to be open for Jesus to overturn the tables of the prejudices which we erect in the places of his prayer.

The Bible tells us that God’s love is inclusive. Everyone is loved wholeheartedly by God without exception – it’s the original equalities policy: all of us are equal before God. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a priest or a bishop, an insider or an outsider; whether you’re a conservative or an open evangelical, or in the ordinariate or identify yourself as inclusive; it doesn’t matter whether you’re a musician or a member of the Mothers’ Union; a journalist or a hoodie; gay or straight, or neither; a failure in marriage or a successful single; in an Occupy tent or a banker’s office; a victim of crime or a convicted criminal; a person with a strong religious faith, or an atheist or a struggling agnostic.

Whoever and whatever we are, wherever we start from, Jesus Christ will start with us; Jesus Christ loves us to the uttermost, died to set us free, and was raised from death to transform our lives.

God is on everyone’s side, and no one’s side: for God is both loving and just. The love of God for us is so great, say Jesus and the prophets, that God will not rest until we are remade into the image of Jesus Christ, until we become as loving as God is himself, as profligate and careless with our love as is the God who loves and longs for all.

For God’s love is a consuming fire, burning up our hatreds and our darkness, the things we’re ashamed of, the ways we’ve hurt others and ignored God and goodness and truth and never even noticed. God will not rest until we know that we are loved.

And Jesus calls us to be a Church of love and truth, inclusive and challenging.

It doesn’t matter what adjective you put in front of yourself: liberal, conservative, charismatic, traditionalist, male or female, orthodox or unbelieving. God is onto your case – and mine. We can’t stop God loving us, however hard we try. As the poet Francis Thompson writes of the God he calls the Hound of Heaven:

‘Still with unhurrying chase, And unperturbèd pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, Came on the following feet…’ God’s love will hunt us down and there’s nowhere to hide:

For God will keep challenging us whenever we think we’ve got it right, when we think that, unlike ‘them’, we have the truth, rather than trusting that the Truth has us.

Come, sisters and brothers, whatever your religious or irreligious tribe.
Come to Jesus Christ and find the inclusive and challenging love of God.

If our faith doesn’t make us uncomfortable and change us;
if we blame others rather than love them;
if we refuse to tolerate the intolerant;
if we don’t love those who are different from us, really love them and be their friend;
if we still persist in dividing the world into ‘them and us’ –
then hear and believe the words of one of the friends of Jesus who knew him best, and be changed.

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made perfect in us.

Ubi caritas – where love is, that’s where God is.

Sermon text courtesy of http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Worship-Music/Join-us-in-Worship/Read-Sermons/Sermon-preached-by-The-Very-Revd-Dr-David-Ison-on-the-occasion-of-his-installation-as-Dean-of-St-Pauls-Cathedral

How the BBC reported on the Very Revd David Ison’s appointment in March 2012: 

Text from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17268745

The Dean of Bradford, the Very Rev David Ison, has been appointed as the new Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Dean Ison will take over the job in London after the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles resigned last October over a protest camp outside the Cathedral.

He stepped down after the cathedral was criticised for its handling of the Occupy London camp at its doorstep. The camp was evicted on 28 February.

Dean Ison said the “upheavals” at St Paul’s were “very much on the agenda”.

The 57-year-old married grandfather, who has been Dean of Bradford since 2005, described the move to London as “an exciting and daunting prospect”.

Occupy London camp

He said: “My appointment as Dean of St Paul’s has been as unexpected for me as the vacancy itself was unanticipated.

“The upheavals of the last few months at St Paul’s… are very much on the agenda for the cathedral in London; but they are also issues for people, churches and cathedrals across the country.”

Regarding his time in Bradford, he said: “What will I regret about moving? Of course I’ll miss the curries, and all the other good food around here too… But above all I’ll miss the people here.

Photo above (courtesy of BBC) : Dean Knowles said his position had become untenable.

“I will go south holding Bradford in my heart.”

Speaking about the new appointment, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Dr Richard Chartres, said: “Rarely before has St Paul’s role at the centre of both the church in London and at the heart of this great, world city been more keenly felt than now, in the wake of the Occupy protest.

“David brings with him the ideal credentials to take on the challenge and his experience of cathedral life in an urban centre will prove invaluable.”

The Rev Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor and Canon in Residence at St Paul’s, said the Chapter would continue to “make St Paul’s a focus for Christian ministry and speak of the many things that matter to people across London and beyond”.

Former Dean Knowles stepped down at the end of October, two weeks after the Occupy London group set up tents around the landmark, prompting the cathedral’s authorities to close the building to the public for a number of days citing health and safety concerns.

His resignation came a week after the then Canon Chancellor the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, who was sympathetic to the protesters, resigned. His post remains vacant.

Leaving his post the former Dean had said his position had become “untenable” as “criticism of the cathedral has mounted in the press, media and in public opinion”.

St Augustine with St Faith (& Panda), Watling Street

The iconic tower and steeple of St Paul’s Cathedral School is all that remains of Sir Christopher Wren’s church, built in the 1680s.

St Augustine, Watling Street

From Wikipedia:

History

Its foundation date is unknown, but it is first recorded circa 1148. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 but was rebuilt in the 1680s. Constructed in an austere style, the church (51ft by 45ft) was divided into a nave and six aisles by six Ionic columns upon which rested a barrel vault. The altar piece had Corinthian columns and the pulpit was of carved oak. Its distinctive tower was constructed in the 1690s – it is thought to have been designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor – and was heavily modified in 1830. The pulpit was modernised by Arthur Blomfield in 1878.

The entire church was destroyed in 1941. It was not rebuilt, but as part of the construction works for the new choir school (completed 1967) the tower was reconstructed along its original lines. It is physically incorporated into the concrete building of the choir school, creating a marked contrast between the Baroque tower and the modernist school building. Partial records exist and are available through IGI.

The church cat, named Faith, became quite well known after the air raid which destroyed St Augustine’s. Days before she was seen moving her kitten, Panda, to a basement area. Despite being brought back several times, Faith insisted on returning Panda to her refuge. On the morning after the air raid the rector searched through the dangerous ruins for the missing animals, and eventually found Faith, frightened but safe, surrounded by smouldering rubble and debris but still guarding the kitten in the spot she had selected three days earlier. The story of her premonition and rescue eventually reached Maria Dickin, founder of the PDSA, and for her courage and devotion through the bombing and fire of the Blitz on the night in question, Faith was awarded a specially-made silver medal. Her death in 1948 was reported on four continents.

The remains of the church were designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950. The tower was restored in 1954.

St Paul's Cathedral School - St Augustine's tower and spire

Photo below from the Friends of City Churches website

Sir Edward Lutyens: “For my own part I view the work of Sir Christopher Wren as a beacon which never fails to inspire. And there is no finer monument of his genius than the character he gave to London”.

After the Great Fire, the parish of St Faith-under-Paul’s (so called because a part of the crypt of the Cathedral was formerly their church) was united to St Augustine’s. Source: Curiosities of London: exhibiting the most rare and remarkable … – Page 151 by John Timbs (via Google Books)

 

 

Christianity’s romance with buildings?

Bethlehem’s church of the punch-up

The latest brawl between Armenian and Orthodox monks in Bethlehem is a product of Christianity’s romance with buildings

by Dr Giles Fraser, writing in The Guardian, 2 January 2012

(Painting above by Rolf Harris)

It’s become something of a Christmas tradition: the annual ecclesiastical punch-up at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This year the Palestinian riot police had to be called in after it all kicked off again, with a hundred or so Armenian and Greek Orthodox monks bashing seven bells out of each other with brooms. Apparently one monk was provocatively brushing somewhere that was supposed to be the responsibility of someone else. In this feverishly contested space, if you clean it then you are maintaining it, and if you maintain it then you are making a claim to owning it: that is the logic, such as it is.

Which is why the three church traditions that share the administration of the Church of the Nativity still can’t agree on who pays for urgent repairs to the church roof, despite the fact that water is now coming through and damaging the building. All sides want to pay, and refuse to let the others put their hands in their pockets. To pay would be to own.

Of course, it’s been worse. In 1853, a similar jurisdictional squabble saw several Orthodox monks murdered and provided the Russian tsar with the excuse he needed to start the Crimean war. That time the row was between the Catholics and the Orthodox about who had the key to the main door and the hanging of a star over the manger.

In part, this nonsense originates in a longstanding romance between Christianity and architecture – a romance that began with the building of the Bethlehem church and its sister establishment, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, under the direction of the newly converted Emperor Constantine in the late 320s. Since then the church has been responsible for some of the world’s finest architecture. Who would have guessed the followers of an itinerant preacher, for whom there was no room inside the building to be born in, would became the managers of such a spectacular collection of buildings?

For some, church buildings ought to be treated as little more than rain shelters. From this perspective, a church is first of all the people. And the buildings – however beautiful and impressive – are a distraction, transforming the clergy into caretakers and turning in on itself the outward-looking mission of the church. This is how the monks of Bethlehem end up being so petty and narrow-minded. Church buildings have become a fetish, admired by secular aesthetes and those who want an impressive stage set in which to celebrate life’s big events, but a drain on the resources and moral imagination of the church. What we need is another dose of healthy iconoclasm to remind us that the message of the gospel is not to be confused with bricks and mortar.

In my more puritan moments I have some sympathy with this line. You cannot spend much time at St Paul’s without noticing how much the needs of the building can come to dominate, and how the worship of many visitors is really that of Sir Christopher Wren. But the Christian romance with buildings is still worth defending, not least because the story of Christmas is that God comes alive in material reality.

Christianity is not some esoteric philosophy. It is rooted in time and place. It begins on the streets before it points to the stars. And church buildings are an expression of the rootedness of the incarnation. Where it all goes wrong is when those who are so caught up in the running of church buildings forget about the purpose for which the place was built, and come to believe that the stones matter in and of themselves. When that happens Christianity becomes petty and narrow, all about who cleans a few metres of floor, rather than a means of imagining human life from the context of all eternity.

Dr Giles Fraser resigned as Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral on 27 October 2011, ‘…in protest at plans to forcibly remove protesters from its steps, saying he could not support the possibility of “violence in the name of the church” ‘. The Guardian’s report from that day is here. You can follow his tweets on twitter.com/giles_fraser.

On Being a Chorister at St Paul’s at Christmas (video)

Dean resigns – 31 Oct 2011

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s statement on the resignation of the Dean of St Paul’s

Monday 31st October 2011

The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued the following statement on the resignation of the Dean of St Paul’s:

“The announcement today of the resignation of the Dean of St Paul’s, coming as it does in the wake of the resignation of Canon Giles Fraser last week, is very sad news. The events of the last couple of weeks have shown very clearly how decisions made in good faith by good people under unusual pressure can have utterly unforeseen and unwelcome consequences, and the clergy of St Paul’s deserve our understanding in these circumstances.

Graeme Knowles has been a very distinguished Dean of St Paul’s, who has done a great deal to strengthen the pastoral and intellectual life of the Cathedral and its involvement in the life of London. He will be much missed, and I wish him and Susan well in whatever lies ahead.”

The Archbishop also said:

“The urgent larger issues raised by the protesters at St Paul’s remain very much on the table and we need – as a Church and as society as a whole – to work to make sure that they are properly addressed.”

* The Dean’s statement on 31 October 2011:

“The past fortnight has been a testing time for the Chapter and for me personally. It has become increasingly clear to me that, as criticism of the cathedral has mounted in the press, media and in public opinion, my position as Dean of St Paul’s was becoming untenable. In order to give the opportunity for a fresh approach to the complex and vital questions facing St Paul’s, I have thought it best to stand down as dean, to allow new leadership to be exercised. I do this with great sadness, but I now believe that I am no longer the right person to lead the Chapter of this great cathedral.

“This has not been an easy decision for me to make, at this stage in my ministry, as I have very much enjoyed being at St Paul’s as dean. I am immensely grateful to the current members of the Chapter, both ordained and lay, as well as previous colleagues, for their help, support and encouragement, but above all, their friendship.

“I would also wish to place on record my thanks to all the staff of the cathedral, both paid and volunteers, who work tirelessly, day by day, to ensure that this amazing place is maintained, and that it is indeed cherished as a place of worship and pilgrimage.

“In recent days, since the arrival of the protesters’ camp outside the cathedral, we have all been put under a great deal of strain and have faced what would appear to be some insurmountable issues. I hope and pray that under new leadership these issues might continue to be addressed and that there might be a swift and peaceful resolution.”

The Chapter of St Paul’s official response:

http://www.stpauls.co.uk/News-Press/Latest-News/Dean-of-St-Pauls-Cathedral-announces-intention-to-resign-31-October-2011

The Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles, announced his intention to resign from his post this afternoon. He made his decision known to the Chapter and to the Bishop of London last night and has removed himself from Cathedral operations with immediate effect. He intended to submit his resignation as Dean of St Paul’s to HM the Queen today.

In the light of the Dean’s resignation, the Chapter has unanimously voted to request the Bishop of London to assist them in providing an independent voice on the ongoing situation at St Paul’s. The Bishop has had no part to date in the discussions and decisions made by Chapter and it is felt his input is now required.

The Right Reverend Michael Colclough said (on behalf of Chapter):

On behalf of the Chapter and the whole cathedral community here at St Paul’s, I would like to pay tribute to the dedication, diligence and pastoral care shown by Graeme Knowles during his time as Dean.

We received news of his resignation yesterday evening with a heavy heart after one of the most challenging weeks in the recent history of this great Cathedral. Graeme has led the Chapter and the Cathedral with enormous vitality, wisdom and fun. His time at St Paul’s has energised and encouraged us all by his unique, approachable way of combining focused leadership with a pastoral heart. This combination has also made him a widely-loved ambassador for the Christian faith and for the work of St Paul’s.. We will miss him deeply.

He has led the Chapter with conviction out of a sense of real responsibility entrusted to his care, not least in recent days. He has also represented the Cathedral in the City, the Diocese and the wider Church with a clear awareness of the importance of this great dome as a symbol of a Christian presence in the heart of the City. His clear belief in an inclusive Gospel of peace, justice and integrity should, at this moment, not be lost. It should be acknowledged and confirmed.

Cathedral staff and volunteers, currently being told of his resignation, will tell you of their respect for him and that he goes out of his way to make people feel appreciated and valued.

We would like to pay tribute to his wife Susan, too. The absence of her modest and strengthening presence amongst us at the Cathedral will be felt by everyone here. Together Graeme and Susan have enlarged the Cathedral with their generosity and incredibly tireless hard work for our ministry alongside the many diverse peoples, institutions and charities we have privilege and challenge of serving.

It is that ministry that remains the Chapter’s priority in these difficult days and we are committed to doing all we can to finding a way ahead that ensures the main message of the protest is not only heard but properly attended to and in such a way that people in the local community, as well as our own team, can do their work peacefully for the good of everyone who comes to this City and its cathedral.

Dr Richard Chartres, The Bishop of London, said:

“I was very sad to hear the Dean’s decision and believe he has acted honourably in a very difficult situation. During his time at St Paul’s, Graeme has accomplished a great deal that should not be overshadowed by recent events.

“The Chapter has now requested me to help them find a way forward. I have repeated over the past few weeks my own desire to shift the attention to the economic and moral challenges which our country, in common with so much of the rest of the world, is having to face. There are many diverse voices in the camp outside St Paul’s but among them, serious issues are being articulated which the Cathedral has always sought to address.

“While St Paul’s is not on any particular political side – that is not its role – it does have an important part to play in providing a place for reasoned debate within a moral and spiritual context.”

* The Chapter of St Paul’s met on 16 November and issued the following statement:

‘We are committed to maintaining St Paul’s as a sacred space in the heart of London and we are enormously grateful to all Cathedral staff for meeting the challenges of recent weeks. We recognise the local authority’s statutory right to proceed with the action (applying to the court for removal of the protesters) it has today. We have always desired a peaceful resolution and the Canons will continue to hold regular meetings with representative of the protesters. We remain committed to continuing and developing the agenda on some of the important issues raised by the protest.’

The Children of Paul’s – boy actors

From wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Paul’s

The Children of Paul’s was the name of a troupe of boy actors in Elizabethan and Jacobean London. Along with the Children of the Chapel, the Children of Paul’s were the most important of the companies of boy players that constituted a distinctive feature of English Renaissance theatre.

St. Paul’s Cathedral in London had had a boys choir since the 12th century; it was only in the 16th century that the boys of the choir began to act in dramatic performances. Sebastian Westcott was Master of the Children of Paul’s in the years 1557–82; in his era, the boys performed 27 times at Court, more than any other troupe, adult or child. Under Master Thomas Giles (1584–99?), the Children of Paul’s became closely identified with the plays of John Lyly; they performed at Court nine times in the years 1587–90. The boys acted Lyly’sGallathea at Court, probably on January 1, 1588; they acted his Endymion at Court a month and a day later, on February 2; and his Midas on January 6, 1590. Other of Lyly’s plays, Mother Bombie and Love’s Metamorphosis, were also presented at Court in these years.

Also in the 1580s, the Children of Paul’s joined the Children of the Chapel in public performances at the first Blackfriars Theatre (1583–4), a foretaste of the period of public performance that was to follow for both companies at the start of the 17th century.

In 1590, however, the Children of Paul’s were banned from dramatic performance; they had become involved in the Marprelate controversy through Lyly’s actions. For the next ten years the boy companies were out of fashion on the stage.

By 1600, conditions had changed; a new Master, Edward Peers (d.1612), allowed the Children of Paul’s to resume acting, and apparently faced no significant opposition. The anonymous plays The Maid’s Metamorphosis and The Wisdom of Doctor Dodypoll illustrate the kind of drama the boys acted in their first year. The Children of Paul’s performed the works of John Marston, George Chapman, and Thomas Middleton, among other dramatists of their generation. Marston was mainly identified with the Children of Paul’s, as Jonson was identified with the Children of the Chapel; in the Poetomachia, the War of the Theatres of 1599–1601, the Children of Paul’s acted Marston’s side of the contest, with the plays Jack Drum’s Entertainment (1600) and What You Will (1601), plus Thomas Dekker’s Satiromastix (1601).

However, unlike the Children of the Chapel, who worked in the second Blackfriars Theatre, the Children of Paul’s had no dedicated theatrical space of their own; when they weren’t playing at Court, they acted in the church where they trained as choristers—St. Gregory’s Church, just to the southwest of St. Paul’s Cathedral. This tended to limit their drama; sometimes plays had to be cut short to accommodate the schedules of the religious institutions in the middle of which the boy players operated.

The Children of Paul’s ceased playing around 1606, for unclear reasons. Some scholars have believed that the King’s Revels Children, another company that formed c. 1606, might have been, to some significant degree, the Children of Paul’s under another name; but this is uncertain. (The King’s Revels Children never gelled as an enterprise; they collapsed in litigation among their backers in 1609.)

* The book, The Children of Paul’s: The Story of a Theatre Company 1553-1608 can be read online in Google Books:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZElOf1XRppcC

Between 1553 and 1608 St Paul’s Cathedral housed one of the earliest London theatre companies, a commercially successful playhouse whose actors were drawn from the choirboys under the direction of their choir master. These were the Children of Paul’s. Professor Gair has researched extensively into primary source documents to produce a thorough account of the theatre’s origins, location, structure, repertoire and audience. As such this book represents the most detailed description to date of the workings of an Elizabethan commercial theatre. This book provides a fascinating background to our reading of Elizabethan drama as well as the technical history of a theatre company and a paricular area of Elizabethan London. As such it will interest social historians as well as students of the Renaissance and Shakespeare.

* Republished in 2010 by Cambridge University Press, the 224pp book can be purchased at Amazon here.

Tim Rose – new watercolours

A new selection of watercolours painted by artist Tim Rose are now available on his website:

www.timrose.co.uk/gallery.htm

A Life Less Ordinary – Richard Tydeman

Richard Tydeman was a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral from 1926 until 1931.

The following obituary appeared in Freemasonry Today (the official Journal of the United Grand Lodge of England) on 16 Sep 2011:

With a quiet dignity and impish sense of humour, Reverend Canon Richard Tydeman, MA, OSM, PSGW, came into Freemasonry in 1937. John Hamill celebrates his considerable achievements:

Reverend Canon Richard Tydeman

Richard Tydeman, who died aged 94, had a great love of the English language and its proper usage. A highly regarded preacher and after-dinner speaker, he also compiled crosswords for the Church Times, produced verse and plays, and wrote a column for Freemasonry Today under the heading Reflection.

A Suffolk man through-and-through, Tydeman was born in Stowmarket and educated at [Ed. - St Paul's Cathedral Choir School and then] Woodbridge School, before attending St John’s College Oxford (BA in 1939, MA in 1943). He trained for the priesthood at Ripon Hall, Oxford, and was ordained in 1943. After a brief curacy in Staffordshire he returned to Suffolk first as a curate and then as a priest in charge of Ipswich and Woodbridge. He was an Honorary Canon of St Edmundsbury Cathedral from 1959 to 1963.

In 1963, Tydeman moved to London as Rector of St Sepulchre-Without-Newgate and a Deputy Minor Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral. He was preacher of Lincoln’s Inn from 1973 until his London retirement in 1981. He then returned to Suffolk before moving to Cornwallis Court in Bury St Edmunds.

Tydeman’s long life was supported by three pillars: family, faith and Freemasonry. He was proud that his daughters – Reverend Rose Williams and Deaconess Sue Pierson – followed this path. He also protested as elements of the Church attacked the Craft. When the General Synod in 1986 announced it was to investigate the compatibility of Freemasonry and Christianity, he wrote to the Church Times asking what right the Synod had to speak for Christianity.

He came into Freemasonry in 1937 in the Phoenix Lodge No. 516, at Stowmarket. He was Provincial Grand Chaplain for Suffolk in 1957 and Grand Chaplain in 1966 and 1967. He was later promoted to Past Junior Grand Warden in 1989 and Past Senior Grand Warden in 2004 of the Grand Lodge. In 1988, he was appointed a member of the Grand Master’s Order of Service to Masonry.

In 1941, Tydeman came into the Royal Arch in the Lewisham Chapter No. 2582, at Warley in Staffordshire. He later joined two chapters in Suffolk, was Grand Scribe N in 1971 and from 1980 to 1987 was Grand Superintendent in and over the area. In a debate in Grand Chapter on changes to the Royal Arch ritual in the late 1980s, he announced that he was privileged to be Grand Superintendent in a small province of 17 chapters that worked 18 rituals.

Tydeman’s three addresses – ‘A New Approach to Mystical Hebrew’ (the ‘bumble bee’ lecture) of November 1979; ‘The Words on the Triangle – An Alternative View’ of November 1985; and ‘History, Mystery and Geometry’ of November 1987 – added to the revision of the Royal Arch in the 1980s.

His contribution to Masonic thought was acknowledged in 1971 when he was appointed Prestonian Lecturer, his subject being ‘Masters and Master Masons’, while his explanation of how the Grand Stewards gained their red apron – given as the response to the Visitor’s Toast at the 1978 Installation Banquet of the Grand Stewards Lodge – has become part of Grand Stewards folklore.

He also held high office in many of the additional degrees, including the highest in two of them: from 1980 to 1996 he was Grand Sovereign of the Red Cross of Constantine, and from 1994 to 2002 he was Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Rite of Freemasonry. In both of those capacities, he travelled extensively, impressing many of the members with his dignity and impish humour.

Even in these days of increasing longevity, 94 years of life, 74 years of Freemasonry and 70 years as a priest are achievements worthy of celebration. Those of us who were privileged to know him will mourn his loss but raise a glass to many happy memories.

* Some of Richard Tydeman’s plays and books are available from Amazon.

‘In this charming collection of rhyming verse by Rev. Canon Richard Tydeman, we are presented with an ingenious array of witty stories that should bring out a bright smile on even the dullest of days.Tydeman’s powers of observation allow the reader to view the world from a new vantage point, with an ability to show humour in the most unusual of situations. From the farmer who is thought to like cow pat with his rhubarb, to the turkey that has nightmares about Christmas, this is a book you will come back to time and time again.’

* Canon Tydeman was also a regular crossword compiler for the Church Times

Epitaph from the Stowmarket Masonic Oracle:

http://www.suffolkfreemason.org.uk/suffolk-craft-lodges/stowmarket/Oracle%20%20Issue%205%20Aug%202011.pdf

Artwork supports The Poppy Appeal

Ted Harrison’s artwork in St Paul’s Cathedral, London on November 10, 2011. Mr Harrison created the artwork on a 30 foot disc under the main dome of the cathedral with the intention of drawing attention to the 250,000 children worldwide currently under military orders. At ground level the poppies appear to have fallen randomly, but when viewed from the Whispering Gallery they depict three child soldiers. More pics here.

Fundraising for The Royal British Legion details:

The Poppy Appeal

What would Jesus have done?

St Paul’s and the protesters share common ground, by Richard Godwin in the London Evening Standard:

‘What would Jesus do? It’s a question Christians often ask themselves when faced with moral dilemmas. Presumably the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s have been asking it recently with regard to their new neighbours … Perhaps it’s best to turn to some advice once attributed to St Paul: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” ‘

The Bishop of London issued a statement yesterday:

“This demonstration has undoubtedly raised a number of very important questions. The St Paul’s Institute has itself focused on the issue of executive pay and I am involved in ongoing discussions with City leaders about improving shareholder influence on excessive remuneration.

“Nevertheless, the time has come for the protestors to leave, before the camp’s presence threatens to eclipse entirely the issues that it was set up to address. The Dean and the Chapter, who are responsible for St Paul’s, have already made it clear that the protest should come to an end and I fully support that view.”

London Evening Standard leader comment: St Paul’s farce

‘The situation outside St Paul’s, where the occupation by anti-capitalist protesters is now well into its sedond week, has descended into farce. St Paul’s Canon, Giles Fraser, has welcomed the protesters, whereas the Dean, Graeme Knowles, and the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, have expressed a wish – and it little more than that – that they should leave. Meanwhile they have taken the needless decision, on “health and safety” grounds, to close the cathedral to visitors and worshippers, thereby forgoing up to £20,000 a day in income.

The Dean and Bishop must take charge. They could start by telling the protesters personally to leave; meanwhile, they should publicly back the City Corporation’s legal effort to remove them. Whatever the sympathy of some for the spirit of the occupation, the protest is achieving nothing. St Paul’s is a major tourist site and London’s most important church. For it to remain shut on such flimsy grounds merely makes its authorities – as well as the Mayor – look foolish.’

After all that, the Dean and Chapter announced late on Wednesday night that the Cathedral would reopen on Friday 28th. Hurrah!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8851415/St-Pauls-Cathedral-to-reopen-on-Friday-despite-Occupy-London-protest-camp.html

Photo: Getty Images

Above pic from BBC Story 26 Oct 2011: Boris Johnson: Time for St Paul’s demo to end.