November’s sky is chill and drear,
November’s leaf is red and sear.”
– Sir Walter Scott
The odd mixture of seasons that make up November are upon us and Janus-like we look backwards and forwards. Somehow we have to negotiate All Saints and All Souls in one day, looking back on the saints of old and remembering loved ones more recently departed, following this a week later with the remembrance of all those who have died in wars past and present, all this encompassing our own griefs and memories and that of so many others. And then come out smiling the week after for the Christmas Market (all right, not exactly a religious observance but very much a church one as all over the country churches jump on the bandwagon of the festive season to raise money for charity). And then we move swiftly on to St Cecilia, Christ the King and Advent. Phew! Janus wouldn’t be facing two ways, he’d be spinning!
All this means, of course, that we hit Advent in a certain state of weariness and consumer panic. And there’s so much going on before December……
Part of keeping Remembrance at HPC* for several years now has been the performance of a ‘Come and Sing’ Requiem – Mozart this year on 10th November, and to extend the evening a bit James Sherlock is going to perform a Mozart piano concerto. Moving swiftly on we come to the aforementioned Christmas Market on 17th, Evensong for St Cecilia on 18th, the Hampstead Players’ production of A Woman of No Importance on 22nd – 24th and the first of two Hampstead Arts Festival concerts on 27th. And if you’ve ever considered helping out with some church sitting (and we would like you to!) you might like to attend the National Churchwatch talk on Tuesday 20th at 2.30pm. Details on page…..
Enough to take your mind off Christmas? Cards were in the shops in August, mince pies available from September, Toy ads on TV reminding us it’s only …. however many weeks away. But for now let’s anchor ourselves firmly in the present and ignore the secular world for a week or so at least.
Judy East
* Some of us so regularly use the abbreviation HPC for Hampstead Parish Church in writing and speaking I was a bit taken aback when someone asked me “But what does it mean?” I apologise for all the times I’ve caused confusion and will try not to do it again!
November
Judy East