May 2017Issue 140

Thought for MayA Constant Tension

One of the things that cathedrals in general and Ely in particular, receive criticism for is that they are so busy for those who enter may have difficulty finding a space to be quiet and prayerful. There is certainly a lot going on, and the next few weeks will be no exception, especially with the excitements of the Science Festival beginning at the end of this month.

In that light it is perhaps good to be reminded of two things. Firstly, that there are two very particular and important dedicated periods of quiet every day that, as it were, book-end everything that happens in the Cathedral; these are Morning Prayer

at 7.30am followed by the Eucharist at 8am and Evensong at 5.30pm. Prayer is the foundation stone of all that happens in this place, as it always has been and always will be. It would be lovely if more people came to these services on a regular basis, but numbers are not the most important thing. We are joining in prayer with the whole company of

heaven and ‘when two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.’

The second thing to be reminded of is the reality that, without much of this activity and the income it generates, the Cathedral would not be able to open at all. Cathedrals have been in the news recently, not this time because of the numbers coming to them (though that is true), but because of concerns about their financial viability. It has been in the national press that Peterborough, Coventry, Guildford and Bradford are all struggling financially. As a result of the Bishop’s Visitation at Peterborough and comments he made, the Archbishops have set up a Cathedrals Working Group looking into the sustainability of cathedrals into the future. This Group will report at the end of the year and it will be interesting to hear what they say.

At Ely the last few years have seen a sustained, and largely successful, effort to put ourselves into a relatively secure financial position. Compared with many cathedrals, we are in a reasonably good place at the moment, but Chapter are well aware that we cannot be complacent - a nasty attack of food poisoning in the restaurant or a 10% downturn in visitor numbers and our financial position would look very different. I rejoice that there is a lot going on here, that there is a sense of vibrancy and activity  with purpose and commitment. But amidst all of this I continually urge never to lose sight of the underlying desire encapsulated in our Mission Statement, that the Cathedral is here ‘to proclaim the love of God in Worship, Outreach, Welcome and Care.’ If we can do that then the tensions we inevitably work with will be creative tensions and not destructive ones.

Mark Bonney

NEWSLETTER

Regular Service TimesSundays: 8.15am: Holy Communion 10.30am: Sung Eucharist 4pm: EvensongDaily Services:

7.30am: Morning Prayer 8am: Holy Communion 12.10pm: Holy Communion (Thursdays and Saints’ Days) 5.30pm: Evensong

Sundays 10.30am7: Canon James Garrard14: Canon Victoria Johnson21: The Dean28: Mr John Marshall

Preachers in May

HighlightsMonday 1 1.10pm Lady Chapel Lunchtime Concert Choir 18

Wednesday 3 1.10pm Lunchtime Concert Guildhall Saxophone Ensemble

Saturday 6 7.30pm Ely Sinfonia Concert

Thursday 11 1.10pm Lunchtime Piano Concert Neil Colledge

Sunday 14 2.15pm Sunday Sing! Children and Families Worship 6.30pm Churches Together in Ely service

Friday 19 6.30pm Science Festival Preview Evening

Sunday 28 2pm Lunchtime Concert University of London Chamber Choir

Wednesday 31 1.10pm Lunchtime Piano Concert Seth Schultheis

Community MattersCommunity Forum Member of Cathedral CouncilFollowing Gretchen Floyd’s return to the USA, there is a vacancy on the Cathedral Council. The Council meets twice a year. Nominations to fill this post, which is for five years, are invited and if needed there will be an election at the annual meeting of the Forum on Sunday 11 June. Nominees, proposers and seconders must be on the Community Roll. Nomination papers are available from Canon Johnson and should be returned to her by Sunday 4 June. The other members of the Cathedral Council from the Forum are Mary Rone and Bob Skelton who nominees may wish to consult.

New Safeguarding Training FrameworkThe Church of England has now developed a new safeguarding training framework which is currently being rolled out across the whole church. The new training is standardised across diocese, parishes and cathedrals and will be tailored to the role that any church volunteer or employee is undertaking. Safeguarding training needs to be renewed every three years (or when someone is taking on a new role which requires a different level of training). In Ely Cathedral this will happen as part of a rolling programme as people take up a position or when existing staff and volunteers are due for training. Every new member of staff and volunteer will be required to complete a basic Safeguarding awareness course which can be done online. Thereafter, depending on their role or job description, further training may be required if they have responsibility for or contact with children, young people or adults who may be vulnerable.

Volunteering Opportunities at Ely Cathedral

Ely Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre

Ely Cathedral has joined forces with other churches in Ely in supporting the opening of a new Christians Against Poverty (CAP) debt centre. The centre opened at the beginning of April after a well-attended and uplifting launch service at St Mary’s Ely on 19 March (with CAP cakes!) and has now seen its first clients.

A CTiE project, based at St Mary’s, CAP truly is a Churches Together venture with financial support from Ely Cathedral, St Mary’s, Countess Free Church, Lighthouse, Ely and Newmarket Methodist Churches and Isleham High Street Church. The CAP team are continuing to fundraise and will be taking part in coffee mornings at St Mary’s on 29 April, 6 May, 20 May, 10am-1pm. Please pop in, meet the team, find out more about CAP and support the venture.

There are many opportunities to volunteer and help the CAP project. If you are interested, a volunteers’ information evening is being held on Wednesday 17 May, 8pm at The Countess Free Church Hall or e-mail: elycap@stmarysely.org

The Ely CAP team would like to pass on their thanks to the Cathedral for its support.

Please hold the CAP team, John Hociej (the centre manager) and the clients in your prayers. For more information you can find them on Facebook as Ely CAP money or contact them at: elycap@stmarysely.org

Ely Cathedral is a diverse community whose members participate in its mission and ministry in a host of ways. Behind this magnificent building which we so richly enjoy, there is an army of more than 350 volunteers, who play a crucial part in the day to day life of the Cathedral and without whom we would be unable to function.

As a volunteer you could make an important contribution to the mission and work of Ely Cathedral. You will also learn a lot, gain valuable experience, meet many people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe and, hopefully, get enjoyment out of it.

Why volunteer?• You may wish to serve Ely Cathedral

as an extension of your faith.• You may love the beauty and awe

of the building itself, its history and architecture.

• You may enjoy helping people whether it be a listening ear or telling them about the building of the Cathedral and its history.

• You may wish to get out and make some new friends.

Whatever the reason, the rewards are immense and you will get so much out of the experience. New volunteers are always very welcome! If you would like to find out more about becoming a volunteer, please ring Chris Flatman on 01353 660356 or email: c.flatman@elycathedral.org or visit www.elycathedral.org/volunteer for a leaflet giving more details of the wide range of volunteering opportunities available.

The Prickwillow Font on permanent loan to Christ Church, Oxford by Ely Cathedral

RSCM FestivalOn Saturday 13 May Ely Cathedral will be hosting the annual Royal School of Church Music Festival. Alongside the Cathedral choristers and lay clerks, several choirs from across the Diocese, totalling around 200 voices, will be conducted by Sarah MacDonald, Director of Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and Director of the Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir.

This Festival starts at 5pm and marks the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, with an emphasis on the moves towards unity from diversity. The music has been selected from the new RSCM Festival Book for 2017 ‘Reform and Renewal’ and it promises to be a most uplifting and enjoyable service, both musically and spiritually. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Wonderful and Glorious

EASTER AT ELYComments poured in on social media for our #LiveHolyWeek video campaign. Showcasing Ely Cathedral Choir performing much loved pieces of music from Tallis, Byrd, Duruflé and Charles Wood, among others, the week-long series of videos are still available to view on our YouTube channel and via Facebook. The series also featured guest appearances from chamber group the Façade Ensemble and the choral polyphony group, The Gesualdo Six. As well as interviews with local young people training for ordination, Fr Robert Mackley, Vicar of Little St Mary’s Church, Cambridge, talked about the meaning of Easter. We started with a message from Bishop Stephen, and ended with an Easter blessing from the Dean.

‘As close to heaven as one can get’ was one of the many comments received from the 250,000 people who went online to listen and watch. Our reach for this campaign broke all previous records for our social media: over 1 million unique users saw our posts, over 3,500 shared them, and there were over 6,000 ‘likes’ and comments. It also inspired some people to visit us and attend an Easter service for the first time, as evidenced by the feedback cards.

We are grateful for the generous contributions made by the Diocese of Ely and The Friends of Ely Cathedral for helping to make this film series possible. Thanks also to Classic FM for including one of the music clips on their Facebook page.

MarchFrom the RegistersMarriageChristopher Light and Emma Weise

BaptismRadley Bennett-Bullman, Hector Whitting

FuneralJohn Byfield

E LYS I N F O N I A

Ely Sinfonia presents

SymphonicMetamorphosisCésar FranckSymphony in D minorMaurice Ravel Le Tombeau de CouperinPaul Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis

Steve BinghamConductor

Ely CathedralSaturday 6 May 2017 · 7.30pmTickets:£22/£15 (reserved), £7.50 (unreserved) · Concessions: £12 in £15 seats

Available from the Ely Cathedral Box OfficeTel 01353 660349 · box.office@elycathedral.org · https://tickets.elycathedral.org

Ely Sinfonia enquiries: 01638 742004 / 07973 685038 · Email chair@elysinfonia.co.uk

By kind permission of the Dean and Chapter.

www.elysinfonia.co.uk Registered Charity Number 1161642

This festival aims to open up the world of science and the natural world to new and diverse audiences.

Science and technology will be celebrated through art and music, exhibitions and activities.

19 May – 18 June 2017

For further information please visit www.elycathedral.orgfacebook.com/elycathedral twitter.com/ely_cathedral

ELY CATHEDRAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL

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Brass Rubbing in the Cathedral

Come along and experience a lovely relaxing activity on Monday or Wednesday afternoons, 2pm - 4pm. We have an extensive collection of facsimile brasses for adults and children over 7 years of age. Prices start at £4.50. All materials and instruction provided.

For further information contact Lynne Williams:brass.rubbing@elycathedral.org or call: 01353 660359.

Ely Cathedral is hosting its first ever Science Festival - a month long event of interactive fun and discovery, exploring science and the natural world, through art, music, exhibitions and activities for all ages.

This extraordinary festival will involve science shows, live experiments, prehistoric creatures and fascinating talks by leading experts. Highlights include lectures by Prof Robert Winston, an automated T REX, an explosive show with live experiments and a Sci-Fi Prom featuring music from favourite composers and popular film scores.

For the duration of the Festival, a specialist exhibition will be on display in the Lady Chapel, exploring the world of science from ‘Dinosaurs to DNA’ and will include a rare opportunity to see many national and local artefacts of great scientific significance. These include an original copy of Darwin’s Origin of Species and the remains of a Late Jurassic Pliosaur discovered in the Cambridgeshire Fens in the 1950s.

The Cathedral will be adorned with science-themed art work from over 500 local school children and a unique suspended installation by award winning contemporary artist, Alex Carr. The Cambridge Science Centre’s Pop Up ‘Science Laboratory’ will be a permanent feature of the event.

The Science Festival takes place between 20 May - 18 June 2017. Further information is available on the website and from the Science Festival leaflet. Tickets now on sale.

Big Names, Dinosaurs, Rocket Shows and Explosive Displays at Ely Cathedral

CALENDAR

In Brief

Ely Cathedral | The Chapter House | The College Ely | Cambs | CB7 4DL | 01353 667735 facebook.com/elycathedral twitter.com/ely_cathedralwww.elycathedral.org

Dates and times were correct at time of going to press. Please check www.elycathedral.org for any unscheduled changes or cancellations.The deadline for the June edition is Friday 19 May. Copy should be emailed to: l.thompson@elycathedral.org

Saturday 1 12.30pm Isle of Ely Arts Festival: Wind in the Willows (East Lawn) 5pm Ordination of PriestsSunday 2 - 3rd Sunday after Trinity 10.30am Ordination of Deacons 5pm Choristers’ Prize Giving (Lady Chapel)Monday 3 - Thomas the Apostle 12.10pm Holy CommunionWednesday 5 10.30am Cathedral Community Coffee Morning (Cathedral Centre) Speaker: Jasmin Allen 7pm Topping and Co Book Event Sir Tony RobinsonThursday 6 10.30am King’s Ely Prize Giving 2pm King’s Ely Acrement Leavers’ ServiceFriday 7 11am King’s Ely End of Year ServiceSaturday 8 12.30pm Walsingham Cell Mass (Lady Chapel) 7.30pm Cambridge Philharmonic ConcertSunday 9 - 4th Sunday after Trinity2.15pm Sunday Sing! Children and Families Worship 6.30pm ‘Space’ Contemporary Worship

Monday 1 - Philip and James, Apostles 12.10pm Holy Communion 1.10pm Lady Chapel Lunchtime Concert Choir 18Wednesday 310.30am Cathedral Community Coffee Morning (Cathedral Centre) Speaker: Jocelyn Palmer 1.10pm Lunchtime Concert Guildhall Saxophone EnsembleThursday 4 2.15pm Archdeacons’ VisitationFriday 5 2.30pm King’s Ely Prize GivingSaturday 6 7.30pm Ely Sinfonia ConcertSunday 7 - 4th Sunday of Easter2pm East Anglian Regional Transplant Service - Service of Remembrance and ThanksgivingThursday 11 1.10pm Lunchtime Piano Concert Neil ColledgeSaturday 13 12.30pm Walsingham Cell Mass (Lady Chapel) 5pm RSCM Festival ServiceSunday 14 - 5th Sunday of Easter2.15pm Sunday Sing! Children and Families Worship 6.30pm Churches Together in Ely service “From history to hope”. Speaker: Shirley BowersMonday 15 - Matthias the Apostle 12.10pm Holy CommunionFriday 19 6.30pm Science Festival Preview Evening

Friday 19 May - Sunday 18 JuneEly Cathedral Science Festival

Sunday 21 - 6th Sunday of Easter6.30pm Joint Christian Aid Week service in St Mary’s ChurchThursday 25 - Ascension Day 7.30pm Sung EucharistSaturday 27 2.30pm WeddingSunday 28 - 7th Sunday of Easter 2pm Lunchtime Concert University of London Chamber ChoirWednesday 31 - The Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth 12.10pm Holy Communion 1.10pm Lunchtime Piano Concert Seth Schultheis

From History to Hope - Churches Together in Ely (CTiE) will be holding a joint service in the Cathedral to celebrate our freedom to worship together on Sunday 14 May at 6.30pm. The guest speaker will be Shirley Bowers, whose theme will be ‘A journey of reconciliation from Cromwell to the present time’. The music will be led by singers and instrumentalists from churches in Ely. There will be refreshments available after the service. Christian Aid Week - The plant stall will be at Sacrist’s Gate in the High Street on the morning of Saturday 20 May. For more information contact Janet Fairweather (01353 665047). House-to-House collections will take place between 14 and 20 May. If you are able to collect, please contact John Marshall, 01353 664927, jandrmarshall68@yahoo.co.uk. A joint service will be held at St Mary’s Church on Sunday 21 May at 6.30pm. The speaker will be Sue Claydon, a Christian Aid Volunteer, who has wide experience, including working in South Sudan.

JULY

MAY

JUNE

Thursday 1 10.30am Retired Clergy EucharistSaturday 3 10am Etheldreda Fair (Palace Green) Open University Degree CeremoniesCATHEDRAL CLOSED TO VISITORS FROM MIDDAYSunday 4 - Whit Sunday 7.30pm Pentecost Praise - Diocesan Baptism and ConfirmationMonday 5 King’s Ely Term Begins Thursday 8 7pm Alconbury High School Commencement Ceremony

Friday 9 7.30pm Lakenheath High School Commencement Ceremony Saturday 10 8.45am Men’s Breakfast (Cathedral Centre) Speaker: Stephen Bourne 12.30pm Walsingham Cell Mass (Lady Chapel)Sunday 11 - Trinity Sunday Midday Cathedral Community AGM/Lunch 6.30pm ‘Space’ Contemporary WorshipMonday 12 - Barnabas the Apostle 12.10pm Holy CommunionWednesday 1410.30am Cathedral Community Coffee Morning (Cathedral Centre) Speaker: Stephen Bourne Thursday 15 - Corpus Christi 10am Ford Y & C Model Vintage Car Club (Palace Green) 7.30pm Solemn EucharistSaturday 17 7pm Science Festival PromSunday 18 - Trinity Sunday 1pm Science Festival ‘Messy Church’Thursday 22 1.10pm Lunchtime Concert The Boy and Girl Choristers of Washington National Cathedral ChoirSaturday 24 - The Birth of John the Baptist 12.10pm Holy Communion Sunday 25 - St Etheldreda 5pm Cathedral Volunteers’ Garden PartyWednesday 28 1.10pm Lady Chapel Lunchtime Concert Choir of King’s College, Aberdeen, New Zealand 6.30pm New Friends’ EveningThursday 29 - Peter and Paul, Apostles 12.10pm Holy CommunionFriday 30 1.10pm Lunchtime Concert First United Methodist Church Choir, Birmingham, Alabama

Tuesday 11 7.30pm Organ Recital in association with the Oundle Summer School for Organists Wednesday 12 1.10pm Lady Chapel Lunchtime Concert Halcyon Choir Thursday 13 1.10pm Lunchtime Concert Stuart RaeburnSaturday 15 7.30pm Ely Arts Festival Concert Ely Sinfonia and Ely Choral SocietySunday 16 - 5th Sunday after Trinity5.15pm Summer Organ RecitalMonday 17 7.30pm Antic Disposition Theatre Co present ‘Richard III’Tuesday 18 7.30pm Antic Disposition Theatre Co present ‘Richard III’Saturday 22 1.10pm Lunchtime Concert Ely Cathedral Octagon Singers 2.30pm WeddingSunday 23 - 6th Sunday after Trinity5.15pm Summer Organ RecitalMonday 24 10am Holiday Drop In Session 1pm Nuptial EucharistTuesday 25 - James the Apostle 12.10pm Holy CommunionWednesday 26 10am Holiday Drop In SessionSaturday 29 9.30am Diocesan Exploring Prayer DaySunday 30 - 7th Sunday after Trinity5.15pm Summer Organ RecitalMonday 31 10am Holiday Drop In Session