Holy Week 2008 at Malmesbury Abbey.

Our Holy Week Festival is bigger than ever in 2008. Late night music and poetry, professional theatre, a FAIRTRADE Compassion Café raising money for African projects, a prayer Labyrinth to explore, Faure’s Requiem, a monastic rhythm of prayer and an astonishing Art Exhibition by A Level students from Malmesbury School called ‘Stations’ – 17 works of contemporary art vividly recreating the ‘Stations of the Cross’.

From 8pm on Friday 14th March through to Easter Day there is a lot to see, there is coffee to drink and there are prayers to pray.

Join us. It’s your Abbey too. Beginners welcome.

Neill Archer (Vicar)

EASTER DAY:
Easter Day brings to life and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago. This is why Malmesbury Abbey stands in the middle of our town, hope-filled, pointing to eternity. Our services on Easter Day include…
8am 17th Century Holy Communion
10.30am Holy Communion
4pm All-age Holy Communion
6.30pm Choral Evensong

PRAYER IN THE STREETS:
For too long the church has found itself praying for each other in a building rather than taking the love and compassion and power of God onto the streets and into the world. On Saturday 22nd March at 10am the Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Mike Hill, is with us we begin prayer in Birdcage Walk each Saturday morning, on the site of Malmesbury’s ancient parish church.

If you need prayer for any matter, if you have great faith or none at all, come and have a seat and our trained, confidential teams are there to pray for you – 10am to Midday each Saturday.

THE LITURGY:
The walls of Malmesbury Abbey once echoed to the regular prayers and worship of Benedictine monks. During Holy Week we return to their simple ancient rhythm of prayer. All are welcome to join us for:
8am Morning Prayer
12 noon Midday Prayer
4pm Evening Prayer with Candles & Incense
10pm Night Prayer
We will pray for the world, we will pray for our community, we will pray for our own needs, and we will listen in stillness. Each time of prayer lasts about 20-30 minutes and takes place in the choir stalls – beginners are very welcome.

SONGS OF THE CROSS:
Most nights at 7pm, a guitar and a voice will lead us in 30 minutes of contemporary music, songs of the cross.

FAURE REQUIEM AND MATTHEW'S GOSPEL:
On Good Friday at 6pm the Malmesbury Abbey Choir will sing Faure’s beautiful Requiem accompanied on the organ and interspersed with readings from the gospel according to St. Matthew. Admission is free, but please arrive early for a seat.

STATIONS - MALMESBURY SCHOOL ART EXHIBITION:
16 young artists from the sixth form at Malmesbury School have been working for 6 months on their final A-level pieces which together tell the story of Christ’s journey from the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the crucifixion and death, to the resurrection – known traditionally as the Stations of the Cross.

The students have produced a provocative, beautiful and challenging body of work which will be formally opened by the Bishop of Swindon, Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield, at 8pm on Friday 14th March.
When the Abbey is open this exhibition is open. Make some time, stand and reflect on the bigger picture.

COMPASSION CAFE:
Each day an informal FAIRTRADE café will be open at the rear of the Abbey. Fresh coffee, a leather sofa and some space to sit and talk or to view the contemporary art exhibition or walk the Labyrinth or simply enjoy the beauty of our Abbey.

The café is staffed by volunteers and all proceeds will go to the work of Compassion rescuing African children from poverty. (see www.compassion.com)

REDEMPTION SONG:
On Tuesday March 4th at 7.30pm, the Riding Lights Theatre Company, from the Friargate Theatre in York, bring their new passion play Redemption Song to Malmesbury Abbey. The performance in the Abbey will be the first performance of Les Ellison’s new play en route to a performance in York Minster on Good Friday.

The play starts and ends at the cross – the savage, unlooked for place which more than any other reveals just who Jesus Christ is. A moving combination of powerful theatre, meditation and participation and prayer, Redemption Song takes us under the skin of the gospels as the song of one man rises above blind Religious Tradition and oppressive Roman Occupation and provokes the question: ‘who do you say I am?’

TICKETS: £7 Adult, £3 Child/Student - available at the Abbey

THE LABYRINTH:
In the Middle Ages Christians were expected to travel to the Holy Land at least once. As travel became too dangerous certain cathedrals became ‘pilgrimage cathedrals’ where a prayer-walk on a labyrinth, laid on the cathedrals stone floor, would become a symbolic pilgrimage. From the 15th -20th March we invite you to drop in at any time and walk our Labyrinth – a spiritual journey of reflection and self-discovery representing the journey taken by Christ towards the cross.

24/7 PRAYER ROOM:
212 consecutive hours of creativity and interactive prayer in our Prayer Room in St Aldhelm’s Chapel. Our experience in the last few years tells us that an hour set aside to be with and listen to God will be a transforming and precious experience – and will go by very quickly.

Sign up in the Abbey to be one of the team that keeps our continual prayer going, or just drop in.

LATE NIGHT MUSIC ON THE ANGEL STAGE:
Each night at 11pm, 30 minutes of beautiful music, in the candlelit tranquillity of the Abbey’s north aisle. Admission is free, bring a pillow or cushion to sit on – some chairs will be available. Coffee from 10.30pm.

Friday 14th Chris Knibbs (guitar) & Guests. Unplugged folk, jazz, blues and vocals
Saturday 15th Alice & James Pettit. Poetry and Music
Sunday 16th Ness Whiffin (Violin)
Monday 17th Marilyn Archer (soprano). Elizabethan Love Songs with Harpsichord
Tuesday 18th John Hughes (piano). Bach Prelude & Fugue in E, Beethoven Sonata in D major Op 10. no 3.
Wed 19th Chris Knibbs (guitar) & Guests II. Unplugged folk, jazz, blues and vocals

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