This week’s update from St Mary’s Church
News & Events
This week’s Newsletter from the Ross Parishes
Free Lunchtime Concerts @ St Mary’s
The 2026 season of free lunchtime concerts – First Wednesdays @ 1 – begins today (Wednesday 1st April). We welcome our friends from Forest Baroque.
Just come to church when you’re ready – bring your lunch if you like. The concert will begin at 1pm and last about 45 minutes. We look forward to seeing you.
This evening, our adult choir will sing choral compline at 7.00pm, as Holy Week grows in momentum. That quiet service will last about 15 minutes.
Alpha Course 2026
Curious about faith? Join us for 10 weeks of unpacking the big questions of life, faith and purpose.
Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that explore the basics of the Christian faith. Alpha is for anyone who’s curious to explore the big questions of life, faith and meaning. The talks are designed to encourage conversations and explore the Christian faith in a friendly, open and informal environment without pressure or judgement.
We come together to meet new people and explore the christian faith but most importantly a meal!
Please email emily@rossparishes.uk for any dietary requirements
Youth Choir Taster Day – TODAY! (Saturday 27th September)
Do you know a child who likes to sing, who perhaps enjoys a bit of drama? Then please encourage them to come along on Saturday 27th September at 2pm, to St Mary’s Church in Ross-on-Wye, where we’re running a Taster Day for children aged 7 or older who might like to join our vibrant Youth Choir.
More information at https://rossparishes.uk/youth-choir
This weekend at h.Art @ St Mary’s
This weekend is your last chance to come and enjoy the wonderful experience that is h.Art @ St Mary’s. 16 artists all under one glorious roof with great food available all weekend. A great space to unwind. Come along and see us.
While you’re in town don’t miss the other venues in Ross. Full details at https://h-art.org.uk
There are a few more workshops this weekend –
- Mary Deaville – Resin dip flowers – Saturday 13th at 2pm
- Vanessa Rhead – making water colour card – Sunday 14th at 2pm
Full details of workshops and booking at https://rossparishes.uk/h-art
We’re open 10am – 5pm on Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday.
Nina Oakman is running a glass designing workshop at 2.00pm.
Full details and booking is at https://rossparishes.uk/h-art
Youth Choir Taster Day
Do you know a child who likes to sing, who perhaps enjoys a bit of drama? Then please encourage them to come along on Saturday 27th September at 2pm, to St Mary’s Church in Ross-on-Wye, where we’re running a Taster Day for children aged 7 or older who might like to join our vibrant Youth Choir.
More information at https://rossparishes.uk/youth-choir
Choral Evensong on Sunday
On Sunday 7th September 6.00pm – Join us for a celebratory service for our patronal festival. The choir’s back, special music, cake and fizz!
What’s going on with the church tower?
Following a visit from steeplejacks and a structural engineer in August 2025, we know that we have three failed pinnacles. These are the one closest to the Phoenix Theatre and the one on either side of it.
The top five or six stones on each pinnacle are loose, though the rod is holding them in place. We are still at a very early stage in diagnosing the problem, until we know that we can’t provide or cost a solution, or apply for funding to carry it out. This problem has occured before; we need to ensure that it is fixed properly this time, and for the long term. We have a team in place (architect, structural engineer and steeplejacks). They are work hard for us.
The short film below shows the scale of the problem.
There are also structural problems with the very top of the spire, which will also need to be dismantled and rebuilt.
For safety reasons we ask you to avoid this area of the churchyard, and the path by the tower has now been completely closed. We ask everyone to try to get into the habit of using the path around the east end of the church instead.
Please note also that there is now no parking in the churchyard.
We have now have level access into the church via a ramp at the Church Street end of the church. Please come into the churchyard through the gate at Old Maids Walk and follow the path along the wall to the ramp.
We will post more here as we have it.
Thank you for your understanding.
Love Letter to the Wye
As part of a month focussing on our custody of the environment we welcome local composer Fiona Taylor with her band of musicians, and contributions from local Primary Schools to perform her series of pieces about the plight of the River Wye.
Saturday 8th March – 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church
The Wye has inspired artists and writers through the ages. Drawing on sources from Wordsworth to contemporary local poet Jane Spray, Fiona Taylor has created a sequence of vocal and instrumental music that reflects the many faces of the Wye past and present.
Love Letter to The Wye was first performed in February last year and was an immediate hit with audience members (see below). For tonight’s performance Fiona is joined by singer and musician friends including Tracey Dixon, Nataley Freeman, Jules De Bharra, Mike Taylor and children from local schools where Fiona has worked in the week of the performance.
Tickets, £10 per person bookable online.
Audience reaction to the first performance of Love Letter to The Wye:
“Loved what I saw and heard.”
“It was amazing.”
“So many people were so moved.”
“Beautiful evening of song and music.”
“Amazing music and lyrics in an incredible range of different styles!”
St Mary’s / Walford Electoral Roll
Every six years we have to write off the electoral roll and build it again from scratch. We’re in one of those years.
If you’d like to be on the electoral roll please tell us here (it’s very straightforward):
We need this to be complete by 21st February (for Ross). The Annual Church Meeting (APCM) is earlier this yer than previously on Tuesday 18th March.
More on that, and the Electoral Roll at https://rossparishes.uk/apcms
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
This week is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. There is a short service in St Mary’s Church today (Monday, 20th January) at Noon. All are welcome.
Similar services are taking place all week in other churches in Ross, with a lunch at The Venue at the weekend.
Choral Evensong – Sunday 19th January @ 6pm
Whoopee!
It’s the third Sunday of the month (19th January) which means there’s another wonderful service of Choral Evensong at 6pm in St Mary’s – the service that reaches the parts other services can’t! This time the choir is singing music by two greats of the Edwardian era, Charles Wood and Charles Villiers Stanford. And now … join us for a glass of sherry after the service – how very English (well not the sherry, the concept!)
Hope to see you there.
Epiphany Choral Evensong
Join us for a superb celebration of Epiphany at Choral Evensong in St Mary’s, this evening (Sunday 5th January) at 6.00pm.
Wise men and great music. The perfect 12th night event and the final bit of Christmas (unless you cout Candlemas, 2nd February, – as we do, and will).
12 Days of Christmas Thank Yous – 11th Day
#12BigThankYous – 11th Day – To all who help us maintain our digital presence
Thanks to our streaming team, Simon, Roy, Hugh and Martin who week by week take our main services into the homes of those who cannot be with us in church, including a large regular congregation at West Bank Care Home.
And to all who help us maintain our website, our team of social posters and all who follow us on the website, Facebook or Instagram, who like us, repost and share our news more widely. If you’re one of those, please show your solidarity by liking this post right now!
Epiphany at St Mary’s
Celebrate Epiphany at our All Age Eucharist at
St Mary’s this Sunday (5th January) at 9.30am. Parts for all – wise men, women, children …, and if you don’t consider yourself “wise” others will and there’s no test! A service for the whole family.
Afterwards, Caroline would love you to join her and three camels outside Hereford Cathedral
for a memorable All Age Epiphany procession: arrive 12.30ish for 1pm start.
If you’d like to meet up, bring sandwiches and meet on the grass (or inside the cathedral if raining). Caroline will be there to greet you with warming cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows!
12 Days of Christmas Thank Yous – 10th Day
#12BigThankYous – Tenth Day – For all who provide a welcome and support
Members of the Church Welcome team are around throughout the week to welcome visitors. We thank Rachel Lewis for organising this, and her team: Averil, Barbara, Derek, Hilary, Jane, Janet, Jean, Jenny, Helen, Margaret C, Margaret G, Mary, Nick N, Nick O, Pat, Paul, Teresa J, Teresa N, Toni and Trish. They are, to those who visit our church, very effective ambassadors for Ross, borne out by comments in the visitors book and posts on social media.
A large team of sidemen welcome people to services, thanks to Janet and Nick Nelson for organising them and to each of them.
The Tuesday Tea & Toast team, the people who work in the Community Larder, Wednesday’s Toast & Toddle team and all our catering team. And on Wednesdays, our Toast and Toddle team (already mentioned) welcomes young families.
Finally, to our brilliant administrator Rachael Daniel who has provided daily support from the powerhouse that is the church office. Rachael has the most amazing knack of spotting the small things everyone else has overlooked.
12 Days of Christmas Thank yous – 9th Day
#12BigThankYous – 9th Day – To our musicians
9 – Our musicians
We are proud of our musical tradition at St Mary’s; a large number of people work hard throughout the year to continue it. We particularly thank our organist Adrian Taylor and Mark Sanderson, Director of Music. Our 30 strong adult choir sings for all our main services, supported by the 15 members of our wonderful Youth Choir.
We also need to say a big thank you to all the parents for their support in getting their children to rehearsals, and often sitting through them.
Thanks to those who support our occasional choir Round Byrd and our programme of Come, Sing & Sup events and to all who provide and attend our concert and events programme.
Our First Wednesday @ One programme of free lunchtime concerts was new this year. Thanks to all the performing artists: Chase Baroque, Northwick Baroque, Northwick Consort, Ruth Cartledge, James MacDowell-Scott & Jill Crossland. And those, already mentioned, who generously funded these events.
12 Days of Christmas Thank Yous – 8th Day
#12BigThankYous – 8th Day – To our partner organisations in the town
Ross Town Council is one of our key partners, they have helped us with the maintenance of closed churchyard, resurfacing the path by the tower, the running costs of floodlighting the tower – to name but a few, this year.
Ross-on-Wye Community Development Trust for their help in providing a Warm Welcome.
Our partnership with Ross on Wye & District Royal British Legion Branch is most apparent in November but there are other occasions in the year when we work closely with them, not least in organising many big events.
The Friends of St. Mary’s Church, is a bit more local. Rossiter Books is a key partner of theirs and have helped us by bringing many successful book talks to St Mary’s in 2024.
The Ross Gazette does a wonderful job and helps us to promote our work bay advertising and reporting on events. Special thanks to Andy Sherwill.
In October we appointed our new Rector, The Revd Prebendary Kelvin Price, that process involved the most impressive response from the whole community. Thank you for your input. And to all the town organisations who bring their important concerts, parties, conferences, exhibitions … to St Mary’s, thank you, we’re honoured to have you.
Finally to all churches in Ross-on-Wye and District for numerous partnerships throughout the year.
12 Days of Christmas Thank Yous – 7th Day
#12BigThankYous – 7th Day – To all fundraisers and the finance team
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Roy Milnes, or amazing treasurer, also to Paul Cummings our Benefice treasurer.
Cameron Hill has taken over from Paul Eward RIP and now diligently and quietly reclaims Gift Aid on as many donations as possible so that our giving brings in 25% more than it otherwise would. We acknowledge Paul’s many years of service and thank Cameron for taking over this job.
Our Fun, Food and Funds group organises all the main fundraising events. Sincere thanks to Rachel Lewis who chairs that group and to Paul, Jane, Janet, Roy, Pat, Fiona, Jean and Sarah. Their work has brought in over £13,000 this year but this has only happened because many have supported their events.
And then there is the whole army of people who make and serve refreshments throughout at special events, monthly for Coffee @ St Mary’s, which has raised about £3000 this year, and Sunday by Sunday after services. We thank them all.
The Ross Parishes: Ross-on-Wye, Walford & Brampton Abbotts 