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Hosepipes and Horns At All Saints'

Hosepipes do not normally feature in the title of a concert – but the garden essential will be among the musical instruments played by world-famous trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins at a family concert during King’s Lynn Festival.

He will present what promises to be a lively occasion when he introduces the audience to some of his huge collection of 100 musical instruments.

The ancient Lynn town centre church of All Saints', with its excellent acoustic, will provide the setting for Hosepipes, Horns and Trumpets at 11am on Saturday July 19 when Mr Steele-Perkins will tell the story of the trumpet by demonstrating his fascinating array of brass instruments.

The virtuoso musician has become a popular figure with Lynn Festival audiences as a result of taking part in a number of concerts in the town. “I always enjoy being part of Lynn Festival as it has a nice friendly atmosphere and some wonderful historic venues,” he said.

“It will be a family event which will be informative, entertaining and fun. People are always very interested to discover that my hobby is also my job because I collect instruments and restore them.“

* Hosepipes, Horns and Trumpets is suitable for children aged seven and over who should be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are adults £5, under 18s £3 from the Corn Exchange box office on 01553-764864.

All Saints' Provides Serenity from the Gales

Despite all I say there is something especially different about places of worship. It's not only that they are among the oldest and grandest of our historical buildings – stately homes and castles do not have the same effect. It is the quiet inner coolness, but there is something more than simple air tinged with calm.

So I was not out of the wild world and into All Saints' for worship. I had gone only because it was hosting a concert I wished to hear. But at that moment, cloaked by the serenity, finding shelter from the Fen gale and bathed in a warm glow of sunshine pouring through stained glass there was no better place I wished to be.

It could just as easily have been St Margaret's or St Nicholas's, but it was All Saints', where I have attended for the past 14 years, and never once for worship. On this occasion beautiful music for a "summer's day" by the church's orchestra-in-residence, Anglia Concertante, only added to the magic. I have written before about this little gem of a building and applaud the efforts of today's clergy and congregation to maintain it in fit repair to hand on to the next generation.

NADFAS BEGIN WORK AT ALL SAINTS' CHURCH

On the 1^st April, the local Church Recorders, who are part of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies, commenced work at All Saints’.

The Church Recorders will make records of the contents of the church, the ornaments, memorials, vestments, stained glass, furniture, art work  etc.  The items are described in detail and their history researched.  All the material is then compiled into a book illustrated with photographs and drawings. This will presented to the church and copies are sent to national institutions.  It is expected that the work will take about two years and they will be ‘on site’ from April to the end of September both this year and next.

Mrs. Alison Wakes Miller, the local co-ordinator, approached Fr. Paul about the possibility of recording the church after she visited All Saints’ during the ‘Heritage Open Weekend’ in September last year.  The group considered then three possible churches and democratically decided upon All Saints’ as their next project.
 

APPOINTMENT OF ALL SAINTS' FABRIC'S OFFICER

At a recent meeting of the PCC, Dr. Simon Thurley was appointed as the Church's Fabrics Officer.  Simon, who lives in Clifton House in King's Lynn, has been a regular member of All Saints' Church since taking up residence in the town over two years ago.  Last year, Simon was appointed to the Parochial Church Council.

The Rector of All Saints', Fr. Paul, mindful of Simon's expertise and knowledge, with regard to restoration and conservation work, invited him to accept the position as the church are on the threshold of an important phase of re-ordering and restoration.  He accepted the invitation and the appointment was unanimously agreed at the recent meeting of the church council. 

In spite of his commitments as the full-time Chief Executive of English Heritage, Simon has already raised a considerable amount of money towards the restoration appeal and opens his spectacular 18th Century Lynn home, with its medieval tower, to raise money for the church.  In March 2007, All Saints' was featured in a lecture which Simon gave to the Royal Geographical Society - one instance of the many occasions used to draw attention to a church and tradition of faith and spirituality which holds tremendous meaning and significance for him.  
 

ALL SAINTS': AN INTERNATIONAL CHURCH

Monday December 4th - 2007

Communication. The Christian Church has been in the business of communication for almost 2,000 years and in that time we have witnessed a variety of communication methods employed to spread the Good News. Just imagine how many more ‘letters’ St Paul would have written if he’d had access to a laptop and 24 hour internet access – his emails would have zoomed around the world in seconds, spreading light into the darkest corners of the globe and hope into the hearts of millions.

On November 1^st 2007, All Saints’ Church’s new website took its first tentative steps onto the World Wide Web. What an amazing first month it has been! One of the tools that we have at our disposal is the ability to evaluate the website’s success from a comprehensive statistical reporting tool that tracks the movements and habits of visitors to the website. 

SCHOOL VISIT: ETHEL TIPPLE SCHOOL VISITS ALL SAINTS'

Saturday November 23rd - 2007

A number of pupils and staff of the Ethel Tipple School visited All Saints' Church in November in order to study the way in which we say Mass now, and to understand  how it has developed from the way in which Jesus celebrated the last supper. 

Fr. Paul went through some of the words and actions used in celebrating the Eucharist, with a commentary on the meaning.  The children saw a selection of the vestments and the special items which are used in Mass.   

The children also had an opportunity to look around the church and to visit the famous mediaeval Anchorhold. 

It was an excellent visit, which Fr. Paul also thoroughly enjoyed. 
 

DEVELOPING LOCAL COMMUNITY LINKS

With the official launch of the new church website yesterday, work has now begun on spreading the word to the local community that our website is available for all to explore. This involves contacting a great number of organisations, agencies, businesses and community groups who may have a vested interest in the historical fabric of All Saints' Church.

Within hours of the first round of emails leaving the Webmaster's computer, emails began to flood in from across the town, saluting the wonders of our church here in Hillington Square. Marcus van Nieuwkerk from the King's Lynn RAF Association was the first to respond (almost within minutes), offering his support by providing a link to our new church website. He was so taken with the website, and our efforts to return the church to its former medieval splendour, that he has pledged a contribution in support of the All Saints Restoration Fund.

Jane of the Kings Lynn Online website responded to our call by throwing her support behind us and adding a link to our website, further commenting that she thought the church was "a beautiful building and well worth restoring." Jane goes on to say in her email, recalling her experience of a visit to the church during Heritage Day: "personally I don't think I have ever walked into any church building that felt so peaceful".

All Saints' Church website has stepped onto the road that is the 'information super highway', and what a first step it has been! Slowly, but surely, the work of our small, yet dedicated congregation will be promoted and supported well beyond the borders of our town. All Saints' Church has entered into a period of technological exploration as our web pages are being explored by visitors near and far; through this website we will reach people from across the world. In the words of Father Paul, "God is not behind this website, he is leading us in front".

Daniel Gibbins - Webmaster