The Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy
Sunday 22 August to Sunday 29 August 2010
‘Seven Last Words’
2010 Service times & music lists
2010 Festival Leaflet (PDF)
2010 Festival Companion (PDF)
It is a great privilege to introduce the 2010 Edington Music Festival. As always, our worship will be lead by an exceptional group of musicians, all of whom give of their time and talents for the love not only of music, but also of the village and Priory Church of Edington which for many regular Festival goers and participants is a haven of peace and beauty in an otherwise busy world.
This year’s services will examine the last sayings of Christ on the Cross: going far beyond the events of Holy Week, the ‘Seven Last Words’ have resonances that speak powerfully to us today. Even in his darkest hour, Christ extends forgiveness to the soldiers who mock him; offers the assurance of eternal life to the robber crucified alongside him; cares for his Mother who weeps for him. Fully God and yet fully man, he shares in our human emotions of abandonment and of thirst, teaching us that we too should thirst after the God who loves us. As he bows his head and commits his spirit to God, so too should we commit ourselves afresh to our lives in God’s service.
As each of our preachers addresses one of these sayings, so we will explore them through a rich repertoire of choral music that spans many centuries. The daily offices of Matins and Compline continue to be at the heart of the Festival, sung to plainchant by the Schola Cantorum directed by Andrew Carwood. The Nave Choir of men and boys directed again this year by Matthew Martin will include music by Tallis, Victoria, Howells, Stanford and Wesley, the 200th anniversary of whose birth we celebrate this year. The Consort of mixed voices directed by Jeremy Summerly will give a complete performance of Domenico Scarlatti’s exquisite Stabat Mater during the Thursday sequence of music and readings, and will begin the live BBC broadcast of choral evensong with the first performance of a new work by contemporary composer Graham Ross.
If you are a regular visitor to the Festival, I look forward to welcoming you back for what will be another feast of music and worship. If you have not been to Edington before, then I hope that you can join us for the first time this summer: you can be assured of a warm welcome and wonderful music in a very special setting.
Ashley Grote, Festival Director
March 2010