Over the next 4 weeks we get through a wider range of liturgical colours than in any other month I think. November 1st is All Saints [white], 2nd is All Souls which can be green, red or purple or even black [you’ll have to come to the 10.15 to see which we use] then we move into the Kingdom Season which is red and finish on 27th November with Advent [purple, although as it’s also the Confirmation in the morning that may be white]. It all serves to remind us that the next eight weeks are even more important in the church than in the high street – that we too are building up to Christmas but in a very different way. Lat year Father Stephen preached about the meaning of the Kingdom season and so many people wanted to see his sermon I saved it and have reproduced it this month as a refresher.
Of course we can’t entirely hide our heads in the sand and pretend the other side of Christmas isn’t coming too – the shopping and baking side. And indeed we wouldn’t want you to because on 19th November we have the Christmas Market in the parish rooms. This is a day when we invite outside charities to bring their goods – cards, gifts, wrapping etc – to raise money for their causes, as well as a stall for the fabric fund and the Friends of the Music Coffee shop selling morning coffee and light lunches. The Fair runs from 11am – 2pm. See the pages further on in this issue for what we’re offering and what we want from you!
But before that we have a range of other events on offer starting on 2nd November with the Hampstead and Highgate Festival concert featuring Stephen Kovacevich, Gemma Rosefield and Tamsin Waley-Cohen. Details are on posters and cards around the church. This is closely followed by our monthly Traidcraft Stall on 6th November. Because so much happens in the first week in November one or two regular events have had to be moved: the Healing Service usually held on the 1st Wednesday has been moved to 2nd Wednesday [9th], as has the hassock mending and the Junior choir will be singing Evensong on Thursday 10th instead of 3rd. But the lunchtime concert will happen on 1st Wednesday and this month features Rachel Weiser, violin.
The Scratch Requiem [Fauré this year] is on 12th. It has become part of our Remembrance observance to come together to sing a Requiem the day before Remembrance Sunday but as the Fauré is so short, this year we’ll be adding some other pieces. I heard Cantique de Jean Racine mentioned – I hope so, it’s one of my favourites. Following this the Literary Hour on 16th features War Poets. We’ve started serving coffee after the lunchtime events so do stay and chat to the performers.
The Hampstead Players have been working all autumn to prepare for their blockbuster production of Fiddler on the Roof, in which I’m told the vicar plays a rabbi – haven’t managed to get any other details but I’m sure they’ll be out soon. Performance days are 24-26 November at 7.30pm with a matinee on 26 at 2.30.
Looking further ahead we’ve launched the search for recipes for the New Hampstead Cookery Book [working title] but haven’t had as much response as we’d like. Please send us your recipes by 18th December either to [email protected] or to Maggie Willmer c/o the Vestry. We can’t do it without you.
November
Judy East