A note of thanks from Patrick & Rob – update on search for new director of music – grant from MAZON – appliances needed by Syrian family: can you help? – ESJAG plans – contributing to Bishop’s Blessings – Cygnus Trio on tour – Reading Group recommends – Special choral evensong Monday July 2
Dear Friend of the Cathedral
Summer holiday time is here so the cathedral is quietly simmering in the sun and there is not much news to report. Consequently, unless something very exciting happens, there will only be two newsletters for the rest of June and July – today, June 28, and July 26.
First, a letter from Patrick Wedd and Rob Wells
Patrick and Rob would like to take this chance to thank all of you who made our final weekends at the Cathedral such a memorable pleasure. It is difficult for us to express our gratitude for the fulsome and touching comments we received from so many of you – and the party in Fulford was truly festive and heartwarming. We leave you all with not a little difficulty, but we rejoice in all the wonderful memories and opportunities you have afforded both of us.
We wish the entire parish happiness and success and the courage to continue your wonderful ministry to the Diocese and to this great city – and we wish prosperity and a strong future to everyone involved in the Cathedral’s music ministry – it is one of your greatest tools for outreach and witness to those around you.
Blessings to you all – Patrick and Rob
The search for a new music director is underway. This update from the MDSC [music director search committee] prepared by Sheena Gourlay covers the practical and visionary aspects of work to be done over the summer and includes a list of the members of the search committee as well as a contact for comments and queries. You will see that several consultations will be scheduled quite soon.
The Social Service Society, which hosts a lunch at the end of most months for people in need of a good meal, has just received good news from MAZON. They were told that “MAZON Canada’s Allocations Committee has completed its process of reviewing 151 applications. As you may know, MAZON Canada raises funds primarily within the Jewish community and distributes them to both Jewish & non-Jewish front-line food projects across the country. We are thrilled to inform you that the MAZON Canada’s Allocations Committee has awarded your organization a 2018 grant of $1200.”
The Social Service Society is able to provide these end of the month lunches because of generous donations from local schools and also parishioners as well as the grant from MAZON.
Two updates, one from the Refugee committee and one from ESJAG (Environmental and Social Justice Action Group)
The family from Syria which we are sponsoring arrived last week, very tired after their long journey and the initial immigration proceedings at Toronto airport. They will soon be moving into an apartment in Ville St Laurent where they will have other Syrian families as neighbours. **New appliances are needed for the apartment **to replace existing very grungy stove, fridge, washer and drier. Does anybody have one of these appliances in good condition to give or sell at a reasonable price? Alternatively, do you have a good recommendation for a place where you can buy second-hand appliances? Please contact Donna Riley donna.bastien.riley@gmail.com I imagine a contribution to the cost of buying appliances is also welcome.
ESJAG enjoyed a supper planning meeting last night when ideas for the coming year were discussed. The group decided that one focus this year will be on ecological awareness, considering for example how we can reduce our use of plastic, how we can clean “green”, how we can shop responsibly. We also hope to hear more about the Bishop’s visit to Masasi (our companion diocese). To read more about the Diocese of Masasi go to this page and scroll down. Also, see the poster here describing how Bishop’s Blessings will be used.
Last Sunday ESJAG was offering plants and seeds in return for a donation to the fund the bishop will take with her to Masasi. This Sunday your donation will bring you a home-baked goodie as a reward. If you would like to contribute some baked goods please email Jan Jorgensen revjjorgensen@yahoo.com .You can also write a prayer for the people of Masasi which will be given to Bishop Mary.
We have many talented musicians in the Cathedral congregation. Here is lovely news about just three of them: Ben Stuchbery (flute), Erica Stuchbery (violin) and Jonathan Stuchbery (guitar and lute) make up the Cygnus Trio. Their most recent project with guests, composer Arie van de Ven and actor Paul Hopkins, is called Lost Islands. This August, they are taking their program on the road to perform nine concerts starting in Montreal, passing through Ottawa and North Bay, performing throughout the Algoma Region and finishing in Gananoque. This program is not only a reflection on the themes of memory and geography but also an homage to the inspiring beauty of Canadian landscapes and the artistry of its people. They want to share their vision of these physical and emotional landscapes on tour and in our debut album. In order to fund this ambitious tour they have put out an appeal on kickstarter. Do go to Cygnus Trio for more details about the ideas they are expressing in their music and a possible way to help them on their journey.
The Cathedral’s Reading Group hope you will read Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann and join them for a discussion on September 16th. “In the dawning light of a late-summer morning, the people of lower Manhattan stand hushed, staring up in disbelief at the Twin Towers. It is August 1974, and a mysterious tightrope walker is running, dancing, leaping between the towers, suspended a quarter mile above the ground. In the streets below, a slew of ordinary lives become extraordinary in bestselling novelist Colum McCann’s stunningly intricate portrait of a city and its people.” (Part of review from Goodreads)
If possible do attend the choral evensong being sung in the Cathedral by the choir of Christ’s College Cambridge (England)on Monday evening at 4 pm. They will sing music by Benjamin Britten and Kenneth Leighton. The Cathedral is the first stop on their tour so it would be nice to welcome them with a congregation of more than just the verger!
Happy Canada Day and happy holidays
Ann Elbourne