Poetry and Music for Advent

Join us for an online Advent retreat with Esther de Waal, Gregory Cameron, Peter Graystone, Richard Carter, and Rachel Mann. In association with Canterbury Press. Book tickets below.

10.00 Opening worship
Richard Carter and singers from the St Martin’s Voices. Director of Music: Andrew Earis

10.30 ‘Earth grown old, yet still so green’: Poetry for Advent
Rachel Mann

11.00 The Winter of Your Soul: How William Shakespeare can ease it
Peter Graystone

11.30 Break

11.45 Putting Christmas Together
Gregory Cameron

12.15 Watching and Waiting: A reflection on Advent
Esther de Waal

12.45 Closing Worship
Richard Carter, Andrew Earis and the St Martin’s Voices

About the contributors

Richard Carter is a priest at St Martin in the Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square, and founder of its contemplative Nazareth Community. He is the author of The City is My Monastery and In Search of the Lost.

Rachel Mann is a poet, priest, theologian and writer based in Manchester. Her numerous publications include In The Bleak Midwinter: Advent and Christmas with Christina Rossetti and a volume of poetry, A Kingdom of Love.

Peter Graystone is a writer who has worked for Scripture Union, Christian Aid and the Church Army. He is the author of All’s Well That Ends Well: From Dust to Resurrection – 40 days with Shakespeare. He regularly contributes to the Church Times and to Reflections for Daily Prayer.

Gregory Cameron is the Bishop of St Asaph in the Church in Wales and is author of An Advent Book of Days, the Canterbury Press 2021 Advent book.

Esther de Waal is one of the most outstanding spiritual writers of our day, renowned for opening up the treasures of Benedictine and Celtic spirituality for countless readers. Her most recent book is The White Stone: The art of letting go.