Author: MarkSanderson

It is with huge sadness that we have to report the death of the oldest member of St Mary’s congregation. Rhona Burston died on Sunday evening at Ross Court, aged 104.

Rhona moved to Ross in 1957 with her husband Nick when they immediately became members of St Mary’s congregation and remained so until their deaths. We recently saw Rhona over Christmas, she is pictured here at the Christingle service earlier in December.

Rhona was, in her time, the presiding member of the Mother’s Union in Ross as well as a member of the of the Parochial Church Council for many years. She helped regularly with cleaning and was, until quite recently, a server.

She will be greatly missed. If you’d like to read more of Rhona’s life and achievements she was recently featured in an article by the Ross Gazette: https://www.rossgazette.com/news/amazing-women-celebrate-105-and-104-birthdays-585228

Wow! We are grateful to Ben and Liam at AlderPreece Electrical for the three days they have just spent in St Mary’s replacing fourteen broken lights but also for helping us to make our lighting system more environmentally friendly and providing us with a fantastic range of new creative possibilities.

If you’d like to experience it, consider coming along to Ross Macmillan’s Piano Concert on Saturday 11th February – the creative lighting juices are already flowing to make that a visual feast as well as a musical one.

Saturday 11th February 2023 at 7.30 pm.

Join us for an evening of popular music as Ross Macmillan Performs the best known works of Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi – revered for his incredible atmospheric film scores (This is England, The Untouchables) and his Top 40 chart success with I’Giorni. Ross will also unpack the story behind his incredible music, under the gentle glow of candlelight.

 

The 90-minute concert charts the rise of Ludovico Einaudi, following his introduction to UK audiences by Classic FM DJ, Nick Bailey in the mid 1990s, and draws commentary from those his music has inspired, including film director Shane Meadows and movie star Russell Crowe.
 

Programme: Le Onde | I’Giorni | Una Mattina | Nuvole Bianche | Experience | Fly | Primavera | Divenire | Life | Due Tramonti

More on Ross’s website, including some reviews of previous concerts and a video taster.

Walford Church continues its series of Celtic prayer services on the second Sunday of the month. This week it’s Epiphany.

Come and join us for an Epiphany Choral Evensong with St Mary’s Choir and guests and stay for supper afterwards. The service will be at 6 pm, followed immediately by drinks and supper.

If you’d like to join us in the choir, this is also a Come & Sing event and you are welcome to do so. The rehearsal will be from 4 pm on the day and we will supply all the music you need. if you’re able to do a bit of homework, some YouTube clips are linked below to help you become acquainted with the notes.

We need to plan food so please book in advance if you will join us for the supper (£10).

The music will be:

• Small wonder the star – Paul Edwards
• Responses – Humphrey Clucas (first set, after the creed)
• Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A – Stanford
• There shall a star from Jacob come forth – Mendelssohn (separate SATB parts available on YouTube in this series)

Did you know that St Mary’s has a 100 club and that you could win a prize of £70 (or £20 / £10) when it’s drawn every 4 weeks.

The next draw is on New Year’s Day, so there’s still time to join the scheme and be in the draw. It costs just £1 per week.

Better still, just email me mark@rossparishes.uk in the next 48 hours and you’ll be included in the January draw (Sunday 1st January) for free – you’ll begin paying your £1 per week from February. All money raised goes to St Mary’s Church

By the way, we now have three cats in the club – Marco, Socks and Monty! In fact, we had 21 new members last month! But we still need 32 more to make it a true 100 Club!

Go on – just email me now, don’t leave it until later!

The crib figures are here but one is missing. Join us at our Crib Service at 4pm on Christmas Eve to find him. Come dressed up as a character from the Christmas Story to help us make a HUGE nativity scene!

Or if you live in Walford, there’s a similar service there too at the same time.

Midnight Mass is at 11.30pm at St Mary’s

A wonderful carol service to kick off our Christmas week at St Mary’s. Big thanks to all the musicians: choirs (both of them, and the Youth Choir parents), bell ringers, handbell ringers and coaches, soloists and especially to Adrian and Alex for their digital organ building work over the weekend to provide a replacement, at the last minute, for our ailing pipe organ.

Thanks also to all those who helped with candles, to readers, mince pie and mulled wine makers and servers, and to the many people who came along to the service.

All remaining services over the Christmas period can be found at https://rossparishes.uk/christmas-2022

Full details of what’s on in and around all three of our churches (Ross, Walford and Brampton Abbotts) over the coming week can be found on our website – https://rossparishes.uk/christmas-2022

Don’t miss our candlelit carol service at St Mary’s at 6pm on Sunday 18th. Walford also have carols in their communion service at 9.30.

On Monday 19th there’s a Messy Church Drop-in from 11.30 at St Mary’s

Please see the website for full details.

Our annual candlelit service of Nine Lessons and Carols is at 6pm on Sunday 18th December. We look forward to welcoming you then for one of the most poignant services of the year. Mulled wine and mince pies after the service.

9.30 am – Celtic Advent Special – Walford Church

Coffee and Croissants during the service

Celtic prayers. Songs traditional and modern. The service lasts about an hour. Live streamed on Facebook

Horse-drawn Tramways of the Wye Valley – Local History Book Talk by Heather Hurley

Wednesday 7^th December at 7pm, St Mary’s Church, Ross on Wye

Tickets £8 (£3 off the book if you buy on the night)

A joint event organised by Rossiter Books and The Friends of St Mary’s Church

Full details and tickets on Ticketsource or on the door: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rossiterbooks/t-rppmjoq

What a wonderful Christingle service this morning. One of the stars of the show was St Mary’s Youth Choir, looking amazing in their brand new ruffs. Not forgetting Bryan in his giant orange suit.

Thanks to Adrian, Rachel and Rosie for the pictures.

Coffee@St Mary’s – Church flower arrangers are hosting this morning (Saturday 3rd December, 10-30 – 12). There are also also jams and chutney up for grabs.

Did you know that St Mary’s has a 100 club and that you could win a prize of £70 (or £20 / £10) when it’s drawn every 4 weeks.

The next draw is on Sunday (4th December), so there’s still time to join the scheme and. be in the draw. It costs just £1 per week.

We have just reached 50 people in our 100 club and we’re on a mission to increase it further. Don’t worry if you’re already in it, lots of people buy in for their family and friends too – perhaps a Christmas present idea!

If we get a further 10 members by 10.45 on Sunday I promise to enroll our new cat, Marco (pictured – to grab your attention) in the scheme. We don’t have a cat on the books yet.

Just email mark@rossparishes.uk with your name, to join, and we’ll do the rest later. I’m standing by!

St Mary’s is pleased to be a part of WARM ROSS and has a number of events you might like this winter. Particularly, St Mary’s Hall is open on Tuesdays (9-12) and Thursdays (10-3). Refreshments and activities are on offer, all free of charge, throughout. See https://rossparishes.uk/warm-spaces for more detail.

Don’t miss this wonderful weekend in St Mary’s. There’s no entry charge. Just come along and enjoy some wonderful art and craft.

Great coffee and home made cakes will be on offer all weekend, soup and rolls at lunch time, cakes and preserves to buy on Saturday morning. Plenty of art and crafts on sale across the whole weekend as Christmas presents. Drop in and take a look. Tell all your friends!

There’s still time to book a craft table. Please contact mark@rossparishes.uk

Don’t miss Sue’s Christmas wreath making workshop on Wednesday 23rd November, 1.30 – 4 pm, in St Mary’s Hall. There is a charge of £22 (which covers materials) which you can pay on the day.

Call Sue for information, 07442 163291.

We are hosting a service for St Michael’s Hospice next Sunday (27th November) at 6pm in St Mary’s.

Lighting a candle to commemorate a loved one is a very special thing to do, particularly at Christmas time. We invite you to join with others who have also lost someone that they love, as part of our Light up a Life celebrations this year.

There are several ways in which you can get involved in our Light up a Life activities. You can dedicate a virtual light that shines on, watch a live-streamed service at home or even hold your own event.

You’ll find more information on the service generally (though not this one specifically) on their website.

St Mary’s is pleased to be a part of WARM ROSS and has a number of events you might like this winter. Particularly, St Mary’s Hall is open on Tuesdays (9-12) and Thursdays (10-3). Refreshments and activities are on offer, all free of charge, throughout. See https://rossparishes.uk/warm-spaces for more detail.