Majestas Issue 2

Issue 2

MAJ ESTAS Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral SPRING 2019

News from the pews | The Very Reverend John T Lewis Remembered | Canon Mark Preece Installed | Lent Appeal

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering – Luke 24:36-48

Issue 2

Contents

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4 INTRODUCTION The Very Reverend Gerwyn H. Capon Dean and Vicar 6 News from the pews 15 News from our Director of Music

33 The Pound, Llandaff 34 The Marshall Panel 35 NEW: Cathedral People 36 A day with the beeman 37 For your curiosity...

17 Our Clergy

38 Cathedral and Village 1873

20 The Right Reverend June Osborne’s Sermon

39 NEW: Green Fingers

27 At this time...

42 Culture drop

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40 Schools Round Up 24 The Very Reverend John T Lewis Remembered 43 Kids Fun

28 Christian Aid and Charities 43 Out and about with 32 Cathedral Stewards

44 Dates for your diaries 3

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

INTRODUCTION

The Very Reverend Gerwyn H. Capon Dean and Vicar

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his edition of Majestas takes us through the Each year, the church has a cycle of readings from the drama of Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Christians Gospels, those of Mark Matthew and Luke (readings are bidden to use Lent as a way to prepare for from St John occur throughout the liturgical year). the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter. Our This year we are journeying primarily through Luke. lives are preoccupied by so many things; so even if At the end of the drama of Holy Week, St Luke in the we have failed to notice Lent very much, Holy Week final Chapter of his account of the Gospel tells the story and the observation of the Triduum will bring us face of the resurrection by recalling the way in which the to face with the dark realities of human wickedness first witnesses experienced and interpreted the event. and sin as at the same time we renew our confidence The women who had followed Jesus found the stone in the transformative light of Jesus’ resurrection from to the tomb rolled away and how, terrified, they had the dead. The point is that Christ’s life is available to encountered the vision of two figures in white who had us every day; but during Lent, Holy Week and Easter, asked them “why do you seek the living among the the church revisits the story of how God redeemed and dead?” (Luke 24:2-5). Rushing away, overjoyed and restored us again through Christ; it revisits the events confused, the women returned to the other disciples once again, since the power of the news of Christ’s telling them of what they had experienced. St Luke resurrection from the dead, has an ability to convert tells us how the other disciples received the news.... us and reconvert us in the telling and the hearing. That “these words seemed to them an idle tale and they did is what the church has always hoped for in this annual not believe them” (Luke 24:11). ritual of remembrance, through thoughtful, prayerful engagement of the heart and mind.

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Why were the eleven disciples and the others so incredulous? Perhaps because those who brought the news were all women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and others. If the evangelists had wanted to manipulate ethe story of the empty tomb, in the Palestine of Jesus’ day, it would have been a great mistake to reveal that it was women who had witnessed these things. Legally and culturally, it was male testimony that was accepted as the proper source for reliable witness. Many theologians have observed that if the gospel writers had invented the resurrection we can be sure of one thing - they would not have entrusted the news to women – not in the time when the Gospels were written. So if we listen carefully we can begin to understand the honesty of what the first witnesses to the resurrection were saying.

between knowing that something extraordinary has happened but not yet being able to give it a name or a meaning. He is caught between knowing that the tomb is empty, but not yet meeting the risen Christ. For him, Easter has become a truth before it has become an experience. The full flowering of faith comes later.

This last chapter of Luke’s Gospel goes on to tell more resurrection stories, how two travellers meet the risen Jesus incognito on the road to Emmaus and finally his appearance to the eleven disciples, greeting them with the words, ‘peace be with you’. We expect this meeting to be one of unclouded exhilaration; for they have all now heard the Easter message: ‘the Lord is risen indeed!’ But his arrival is met with a more complex response. Luke says that once more, the disciples are ‘startled and terrified’. In a marvellous phrase he captures their heady confusion, ‘in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering’. It’s as if the morning still has not finally broken. Bringing our faith to birth is a long and not always easy journey.

But Luke’s point is not that somehow faith comes more easily or more quickly to women than to men.

What strikes us in the story is how both the women and the men journey towards Easter faith. It isn’t born instantly as if it were somehow obvious to believe in We all find ourselves somewhere on this journey of the resurrection. When the women go to the tomb Luke chapter 24 with its stages of faith and its patient and find the stone rolled away they are at dawning of hope. It’s as if Luke is being “he is not careful to reassure us that Easter faith is first baffled and unable to comprehend what it could mean. Luke does not say how the born in us in different ways. It will always here but women respond to the news that ‘he is not has risen” be particular and personal, unique to each of here but has risen’, but when prompted by the us. It can take time, because we need time: messengers, they remember how Jesus had foretold his time to absorb the extraordinary truth that overturns death and resurrection and had carefully prepared his all our expectations; time to learn to live with its disciples for what must happen when he ‘set his face’ consequences, for how can life ever be the same if to go up to Jerusalem. This is what they hurry back Easter is true? to tell the others: not simply what they had witnessed Of one thing we can be sure. The goal Luke wants at the tomb but how the words of Jesus made sense us to reach is that we come in time to believe in the of it. I think we can safely say that this is the birth risen Jesus, the hope and salvation of the world, God’s of their faith in the resurrection. As ever, it is Jesus overturning of all that is destructive and wrong. Yes, himself who helps us to understand the resurrection. it takes time for us to grasp the wonder and the But the eleven not only found the tale implausible; they immensity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to imbue had forgotten how Jesus had predicted this all along. our alleluias with an unshakeable belief that the world Yet in one of them, the impetuous Peter, something is is a different place now and that life has begun again stirring. It is not yet recognition, still less faith: more for us - that we do not need to be afraid. We need a puzzled question, maybe the first glimmer of the patience and courage to embark on the journey of faith, possibility ‘hoping it might be so’. It drives him to to have confidence in the truth of the resurrection. That the place where the women have been, and because is what the church’s liturgy and teaching will help of the urgency with which they have spoken, he does us gain through these holy and life- giving seasons. not walk but runs. When he gets there he stoops and I would strongly urge us all to enter into that story looks in. He takes in the evidence for himself. Still again in the hope that the joy of Easter may be ours.

Luke will not say that Peter believes. He will only say that ‘he was amazed at what had happened’, poised Gerwyn between unbelief and faith, at that half-way house

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FLOWER GUILD

SUPPER & QUIZ

News from the The Flower Guild

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ur AGM on 6th February was kindly chaired by the Dean. The Guild was thanked for all the hard work throughout the past year.

The splendid display of flowers this Christmas had been very well received.

Much time and preparation had been spent to achieve such arrangements. A new set of Nativity figures in front of the High Altar, with all the decorations in the Cathedral certainly made an impact on entering the Cathedral.

pews...

FLOWER FRIEND we shall be delighted to hear from you. Retired arrangers may still continue as members of the Guild.

The Guild is organising a SUPPER AND QUIZ event on Friday 10th May at 7pm, in Prebendal House. This fundraising event is open to all with tickets available at £15 and profits to be divided between the Cathedral and the Flower Guild.

Do come and support this event.

More information will be found in the WEEKLY NOTES later.

Guild contact details Barbara Treharne - Co ordinator 029 2056 4655 Philippa Hallinan - Rota Secretary 029 2084 4072

The Friends of Llandaff Cathedral Throughout the last few months, The Friends have quietly continued their work of supporting the Dean and Chapter in their work of maintaining and enhancing the Cathedral.

The Nativity figures seen above were purchased thanks to donations from members of the Cathedral congregation.

A new initiative has been proposed FLOWER FRIENDS. This will entail an annual membership of £15. You do not have to join the Guild or arrange the flowers, but it is a way of showing your appreciation and support for members.

If you are interested in becoming a 6

As usual, the Council has held meetings in October and January. Among other matters discussed, it voted £1503 towards work on the Cathedral’s lightening conductors – a vital part of the security of the building. It also paid £8353 for the replastering of the inside of the south wall behind the organ case – something that was badly needed.

Over the last couple of years, the Council has been paying for the work of cleaning and restoring of the Cathedral’s major medieval artistic treasure – the wooden painted panel from Bishop Marshall’s Throne dating from about 1480. This depicts the Assumption of the Virgin.

Friday 10th May 7pm, Tickets £15 See Weekly Notes

Work on it has now been completed, and attention has turned to its suitable display in the area just outside the Chapter House. This will also be financed by the Friends. It is hoped that all this will be completed this year. Its conservator, Rachel Howells, has agreed to talk about the painting and her work on it in the Friends Annual Lecture on July 6th.

The Friends also has its social side. On February 8th was held the Annual Lunch.

This year, it proved especially popular, with 55 members and guests attending, some coming big distances to do so. It was held in the refurbished Great Hall of Howell’s School. Some members took advantage of an offer to tour the school before lunch. After an excellent meal, Richard Read, the School’s Director of Finance and Operations, gave an enthusiastic talk about the refurbishment and the many hurdles to be overcome in carrying out work on a Grade 2 listed building and in dealing with the many craftsmen involved. It is interesting to note that the work of cleaning and restoring the Staniforth “Shakespeare” paintings was also carried out by Rachel Howells.

An aim of the Friends is to encourage interest in and affection for our Cathedral. In pursuing this aim, the Friends have arranged to hold one of its Guided Tours of the Cathedral on Easter Monday, 22nd April at 10.30 am. These are not restricted to members of the Friends. Anyone can attend.

Anyone who would like to know more about the work of the Friends and who might also think of joining us is welcome take a leaflet and a copy of the last Annual Report from our stand on the Cathedral’s west wall.

Arthur C. Impey

Issue 2

Follow Llandaff Cathedral Twitter: @LlandaffCath Instagram: @llandaffcathedral

Voices from Sunday School

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landaff Cathedral has a thriving Sunday School with eighty or ninety children attending each week. The children are split by age into three classes.

The oldest group (ages 10 & 11) meet in the St David Chapel. But what do they get up to? Here are their own words; let’s start with Evie and Lucy: ‘I really enjoy going to Sunday School because I have a fun time with my Sunday School friends. Each week we learn more about the Bible. We also play games and make things that are linked with Christianity. At Christmas, we made cards to give to people who live near us and who were lonely at that time of year. We also do cake sales and fund raisers to help out the church and the community’

Evie (We encouraged the children in Sunday School to think about who lived on their own in their street. The children made and delivered Christmas cards for those people - whether they knew them well or not.

Some of the children were very pleasantly surprised when their elderly neighbours –

who they didn’t really know – sent thank you Christmas cards back to them!)

‘I enjoy Sunday School because we make new friends from other schools and we talk about issues that are going on in the world.

An example of this was Christian Aid when we thought of ways to raise money for those less fortunate than ourselves.

I also enjoy listening to new stories from the Bible’

Lucy (Our Sunday School leaders would say that children enjoy Bible stories because of the way that goodness shines through uncomplicated moral lessons.

We encourage the children of course to relate the teachings of Jesus to their everyday life and to see what practical things they can do to make a difference.)

And now from two of our younger pupils Scarlett and Hugo – what have they been up to?

‘I enjoyed trying to make a rainbow.

I think I saw some pink.’

Scarlett (Having listened carefully to one of the all time favourite Bible stories – Noah’s Ark – which ends with the wonderful rainbow

as a sign of God’s love, we tried to make our own rainbow by shining a bright torch through the spray from a watering can. The children enjoyed trying to see the colours and yes, only a minor miracle perhaps, but we definitely saw pink!)

‘We enjoyed the Tunnel of Love the most – it was fun!’

Hugo (Continuing with the rainbow theme – we discussed the idea that God’s love is like a bright ray of light that can split into many colours. We discussed the different kinds of love that children receive from parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours and anyone who helps them when they need it. Each child had to think of something to say that expressed a kind thought and they made two lines. Each child was then walked in between the lines – the tunnel of love - making a fist bump with every other child and listening to each message of kindness.)

I am sure you will agree that in this age of restlessness, Sunday School is a place where we can help to lay a solid foundation of Christian teaching, Christian principles and Christian action.

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

News from the

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St Teilo Guild

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he St Teilo Guild had an enjoyable last couple of meetings before the Christmas break, but our November Meeting was later tinged with sadness. One of our own members, Shirley Roberts, had given us a lovely flower demonstration: “Ideas for Christmas flowers,” Shirley sadly passed away a week later, and will be greatly missed as a valued member of our Guild.

We have an exciting and varied Programme ahead for the Spring with talks including Angels in The Line of Fire, Medieval Cardiff, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Theatre, and Paramedic in Guatemala. Our AGM this year is Monday 8th April.

Want to see ‘What we are all about?’

We always welcome visitors and prospective new Members. We meet in the Parish Hall at 2pm on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Meetings end with a cup of tea and a chance to chat with friends old and new.

Further details of our Meetings and events will continue to appear in the Sunday Weekly Notes.

Daphne Townsend

Guild of Stewards

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he Guild of Stewards of Llandaff Cathedral is delighted to announce that the Dean has appointed several members of the congregation to become stewards. We look forward to them joining the teams, and I know all the members of the congregations of the “11 o’clock“ and evensong services on Sundays will join me in welcoming them to their new roles.

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New Server, Milly Mason

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ne day, last year, my parents were talking to the Dean at the end of the 11 o’clock service, when Jonathan, the Head Virger, pointed at me and said to the Dean, “How about a new server?!” I wasn’t sure if Jonathan was being serious, but when he turned and said to me, “What do you think?” I thought, why not, and said yes.

I have been serving at the 11 o’clock Eucharist since October. It’s a great privilege to be part of Llandaff’s serving team because you get to have a role during the service and I love taking part in things. Everyone on the

There have been some recent innovations in the guild. In order to ensure we are as effective as possible in assisting with the efficient and safe delivery of services we have instituted training to refresh all our stewards about both the organisation of the services and the health and safety implications.

The Guild of Stewards has also decided to offer members of the congregation coffee after the 11 o’clock service on the first Sunday of each month. We are hoping this will allow members of the

team has been so nice and lovely to me and I’ve been made very welcome.

When being a server, you start to realise how much is going on in the Eucharist because while sitting down in the pews you can see very little of what takes place at the altar. Being so closely involved brings a lot more meaning to the Eucharist. I am starting to pick things up quite easily now and I just need to grow a little bit more to reach the vestments in the vestry! My advice to anyone who is thinking about being a server at Llandaff, is to try it and see what you think of it. When I did, I loved it, and I want to keep being a server at Llandaff Cathedral.

Milly Mason aged 11

congregation to socialise, share ideas, and cement the community spirit of the Cathedral.

The AGM of the Guild of Stewards was held in January, which is our opportunity to reflect on the past year, decide if and what we need to change to improve the delivery of our service, and consolidate the principles and ethos of the Guild.

Dr Sarah Morgan

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

News from the

pews...

Llandaff Cathedral Bell Ringers

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obody is really sure how many bellringers there are in the world, but a generally accepted estimate is around 40,000. We are a group of 20 ringers here at Llandaff, playing a part in local, regional, national and even international ringing. We have a formally constituted organisation - The Llandaff Cathedral Guild of Ringers. Our objective is to train and maintain a band of competent ringers to enable the 12 bells to be rung safely and well at services and civic events, as requested by the Dean and Chapter.

The Cathedral is one of 32 churches in the Llandaff Diocese which have five or more ringable bells. This group supports towers in the diocese and meets for a monthly practice and social, aiming to rotate around all the towers over a 3-year period. In addition, there are monthly practices to focus on different aspects of ringing to meet the members’ needs, such as 6-bell and 8-bell ringing, or advanced ringing. We also enjoy a range of social activities such as a quiz night, skittles night, curry night, striking competitions and day-long outings to other towers.

The Llandaff and Monmouth Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers (L&MDACBR) was created in 1883 as a result of Victorian reforms and modernisation of the church - last October we celebrated with a 12th Anniversary dinner. It amalgamates the ringers of the Llandaff Diocese with those of the Monmouth Diocese (created in 1921, again with about 30 towers and another 200 ringers) and together they cover an area stretching from Chepstow to Neath and from Abergavenny to the Vale of Glamorgan. The L&MDACBR is the administrative body of ringing in this area of South Wales, the volunteer leaders providing many facilities through a Management Committee including a library, training courses, an AGM, annual reports of activities, safeguarding support, fund raising and grants for work through the Bell Restoration Fund, a registered charity.

There are many similar associations of ringers in the UK. Most are geographically based, usually on a county or, like ours, on a diocese. Ringers have also formed special interest, non-territorial associations linked to universities or to employment, such as the medical and the clerical guilds. One of the oldest is the Ancient Society of College Youths which has a continuous recorded history since its formation in 1635. In addition, there are thriving associations of ringers in Australasia and North America.

The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) was established more than a century ago to represent all these ringers. It is a volunteer organisation, setting strategy and direction for all aspects of ringing, including publication of a weekly printed newspaper since 1911. It has a wide-ranging portfolio so I suggest that, if you are interested, you check the website www.cccbr.org.uk

A more recent nationwide initiative has been the creation of The Association of Ringing Teachers. ART is prominent in the recruitment of new ringers, their training to different levels of accomplishment and mentoring them into what, for many, becomes a lifelong hobby. Within just a few years they have become an established part of the ringing scene, publishing 20 booklets and DVDs as well as organising training courses across the UK. All the ringers at the Cathedral are members of the Llandaff Cathedral Guild of Ringers and hence members of all the different levels of organisation. Some of our Cathedral ringers hold, or have held, prominent leadership positions within our own Association, in other Associations and in non-territorial associations, and surely the greatest accolade is that one of our own ringers has been President of the Central Council.

The hierarchical organisation of bellringing is all very well, but most ringers simply enjoy ringing at their local tower and using their skill to call people to worship. Bellringing is suitable for anybody within the age range of 10 to 80. You do not need to be super strong or musical. If this is something of interest and you would like to learn then please arrange to come up the tower as a spectator on a Sunday morning or come for a taster session during the week. We practise on Tuesdays at 7:15pm and ring before the Sunday Eucharist service from 10 am until 11 am each week. You are assured of an interesting visit and a warm welcome.

Pat Moore: 029 2115 4275 Bob Woodward: 029 2075 1009

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Llandaff Parish Branch Mothers’ Union

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he first meeting of 2019 was The Celebration of Epiphany held in The Lady Chapel. The Eucharist was celebrated by our Chaplain, Canon Mari Price and Diana Lambert played the organ. At the start of the service, Canon Mari enrolled five new members and officially welcomed a further four members who have transferred their membership to the Llandaff Branch. We extend a very warm welcome to them all.

Our first meeting of the year in the Parish Hall was a Shared Tea. This gave our members the opportunity to share the food they had contributed while chatting over a cup of tea.

On Sunday 27th January we attended a special Choral Evensong at the Cathedral with the Commissioning of the new Mothers’ Union Chaplain and President. We welcomed the Rev’d Sandra Birdsall who succeeds Canon Ruth Moverley as Chaplain, our new Diocesan President Sue Rivers and lots of visiting members with tea in Prebendal House afterwards.

On 30th January, members of the branch joined the world-wide ‘Wave of Prayer’ in the Dyfrig Chapel. On this day of the year Mothers’ Union members take part in leading a Wave of Prayer which spans the whole globe; our allotted time being 1.45pm.

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At meetings in February and March we welcomed visiting speakers who provided talks on a variety of topics. One of these meetings was a ‘Poetry Day’, when members are invited to read or recite their favourite poems.

On 25th March the Mothers’ Union members from across the Diocese will hold a Quiet Day at the Cathedral.

As always, a warm welcome is extended to prospective members and visitors to our meetings held in The Parish Hall on the first and third Mondays in the month, starting at 2.15 pm.

Enid Evans

Issue 2

Llandaff Choir Association

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he Llandaff Cathedral Choir Association exists to support the Director of Music, Stephen Moore, in his ambitions for the Cathedral Choir, fundraising for large-scale projects such as tours and recordings, organising termly bonding activities for the choristers, feeding the boys when necessary if there are special services or rehearsals and organising social events. The Association is formed of the parents of the boy choristers and, having been restructured last summer after a somewhat unstable period, has a small committee at its heart, who meets regularly with Stephen and sort out the day-to-day nuts and bolts of what needs doing.

NOW ON SALE !

In the last year, the Cathedral Choir has had an incredibly busy time, broadcasting on television for BBC and S4C and on BBC Radio 4 and having recorded a CD for the first time in over six years. All of this activity marks a new era for the choir, and the upcoming tour to Canterbury this summer will be an opportunity for the choristers to undertake an intensive few days of educational, musical and social experiences and strengthen the teamwork between themselves and the adults that they sing with in a completely new and stimulating environment.

The LCCA has been working tirelessly over the last few months to raise enough money for the choir to undertake this tour so it is amazing to reflect on what we have achieved already – and yet there is so much more to do!

“We have produced a range of blank gift cards that are on sale in the Cathedral Gift Shop as well as in Garlands and Halls on Llandaff High Street; £5 for a pack of ten.”

We have produced a range of blank gift cards that are on sale in the Cathedral Gift Shop as well as in Garlands and Halls on Llandaff High Street; £5 for a pack of ten. These have been beautifully designed

by Elizabeth Linney, the chorister chaperone, using imagery entirely from within the Cathedral and all profits go to the LCCA. We staged our first major fundraising event of the year at the beginning of February, bringing together the Choir, Cathedral and Cathedral School communities for a Quiz and Curry Evening in Prebendal House. Having initially been concerned that tickets weren’t selling as well as we’d hoped, by the time the day came we had sold an extra sixteen tickets over the sixty target that we had set ourselves and were having to turn people away!

With delicious curries cooked by the mother of one of the choristers, a fantastic raffle (with prizes kindly donated by Garlands, Porro and Blush amongst others) and a very taxing quiz created by another ex-chorister’s mum, it was a wonderful evening of team work and camaraderie and lovely to see so many people having such fun whilst also raising £1,400 towards the tour this summer.

Thank you to everyone, who played a part in putting it on and to all those who joined us on the evening. Your support is much appreciated, and we do hope to see lots of you at our next event which is already in the planning stage – watch this space…!

The LCCA is currently in the process of setting up an alumni and supporters’ database and would love to hear from anyone who would like to be kept in the loop about future tours, recordings, special services and fundraising events that the Cathedral Choir may be planning. Please do get in touch via email at llandaffcca@gmail.com if you would like your details added and encourage others that you know to do the same – we would love to hear from you!

Elizabeth Mildred (Chair, LCCA)

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

News from the

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Llandaff Cathedral

Shop

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big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who kept the shop open during the inclement weather we experienced in January and February. As usual we are still in need of more volunteers! If you can spare two hours a week or a fortnight, or even a month, we would be delighted to hear from you. As a shop volunteer the work is not arduous and you meet visitors from all around the world, many of whom have interesting stories to tell.

We also have our regular shoppers who live locally and buy all their cards and gifts from us.

We do try to update and improve our range of stock at regular intervals and if there is anything you feel we should stock we are always open to suggestions. We are currently hoping to add Llandaff Cathedral tea towels to our stock. This week we had a new supply of Love Spoons (as sold in St Fagans Museum) ranging from £7 to £35, and all made locally in Rhiwbina.

Our jewellery is made in Porthcawl, in a wide range of designs and prices. A small selection of Welsh cards and Llandaff Cathedral Choir notelets are also available. We still have some Special offer wrapping paper at only 10p per sheet – best value in Wales!

We currently have confirmation and baptism cards together with a lovely selection of Easter cards as the season approaches!

Pitkin books are still a firm favourite covering a broad variety of topics, together with a good selection of coffee table books, children’s books and Welsh-language books.

As usual, Lent books are available from the shop. “Lent Pilgrim: the Beatitudes” (£2.90) is the Church of England’s official Lent guide for 2019, recommended by Archbishops Justin Welby and John Sentanu. “Lent Pilgrim” invites you to explore the unexpected and often challenging vision Jesus sets out in this crucial part of his teachings. For each of the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, there is reflection on a bible passage, suggestions for prayer, and how you might respond to the challenge of the Beatitudes to live as God intends.

The more detailed “Reflections for Lent, 2019” (£5) is based on the Common Worship Lectionary with commentary by leading spiritual writers.

Dear Editor Please be kind enough to include this photgraph of Rhys Jenkins and his wife Sarah who were married on February 16th. Rhys has been involved with the Cathedral from Choir Boy to Virger and we were delighted to be in the Cathedral to support him. We wish them a lifetime of happiness together.

As ever we invite you to come and look at our cards and gifts - you may be pleasantly surprised at what your Cathedral has to offer.

We need volunteers for our shop, please get in touch, we’d love you to help!

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Did you realise that if we all increased our current giving by an extra £2 per week each, the Cathedral would gain an additional £57,590 (with Gift Aid) per annum !

That’s less than a cup of coffee !

Issue 2

News from our Director of Music

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s we approach the beginning of Lent there is much to look forward to for church musicians. Some of the most fantastic music has been penned for this season, with very specific liturgies bringing very specific music as we enter Passiontide and Holy Week. As soon as half term is over in March our boy choristers will begin preparing all this music with the repertoire of the cathedral choir ever increasing.

César Franck’s Trois Chorals will be heard after Evensong on the first three Sundays of Lent and Johannes Brahms Choral Preludes from his very final opus before his death will be dotted about throughout the season. In addition, on Wednesday of Holy Week at 7.30pm I will once again play John Hosking’s Stations of the Cross which trace the journey of Jesus from condemnation to death. The organ here in Llandaff is one of immense colour and versatility, and this is shown to its fullest in these short pieces which paint a vivid picture of the events of Good Friday.

For many, the journey of Holy Week is an extremely important pilgrimage. The Cathedral Choir will sing every day between Palm The life of our boy choristers is a busy one, and much happens Sunday and Easter Day, with the music for the Paschal Triduum behind the scenes to ensure that they emerge from the St David providing a focal point. In addition, the Cathedral Consort will Chapel for each service well-rehearsed and turned out. The boys sing on Maundy Thursday for the Chrism Eucharist and on Holy meet at 7.45am four mornings a week before school Saturday evening. There will also be a late-night service and process to the Cathedral for a rehearsal from 8.00For many, the of Compline at 11.30pm on Maundy Thursday sung to 8.55am. On days with 5.30pm Evensong (currently simple plainsong and I know this is service that many journey of Tuesday and Thursday for them) they attend a full day find moving and like to attend. The Parish Choir also of school from 9.00am to 4.00pm, having a quick tea Holy Week is take a central role in our observance of Holy Week, before rehearsals begin at 4.35pm. In a normal week the an extremely when a favourite moment of the year for them is leading boys spend around 16 hours at the Cathedral, singing the Palm Sunday Procession from the Green down to important four services with around 15-20 pieces of music, psalms the Cathedral. and hymns, most of which only receive around 20 minutes pilgrimage.

After the joyous music of Easter, we can look forward to of rehearsal in total before performance. The learning many musical events during the summer term. A 1.00pm curve for new Probationer choristers is extremely steep, and this term the search will begin to find new choristers to begin Saturday series of lunchtime concerts begins on 11th May and in the choir in September. It is a ‘spark’ that I look for in choristers runs for the next six weeks. In addition, we will have four major – a willingness to engage and the beginnings of a voice – and not evening concerts at 7.30pm on 15th May, 12th June, 3rd July and the Cathedral Choir concert on 12th July. Finally, we look forward necessarily a musical genius in the making! to hosting the Royal School of Church Music South East Wales Area The commitment is also large for the families of the choristers. Festival on Saturday 15th June when we will welcome church choirs Many travel long distances to enable their sons to sing here and from across the region to sing together in the Cathedral. In addition, forgo the opportunity of weekends away or Christmas and Easter the Llandaff Cathedral Choir Association will be continuing to Holidays whilst the boys are choristers. The benefits of choristerships fundraise throughout the year and my thanks are due to all of you shouldn’t be underestimated of course, including a brilliant musical who have supported their various ventures recently. Keep your eyes education and exposure to a whole raft of life skills: timekeeping, peeled for some exciting plans during the summer term! teamwork, the ability to focus on specific tasks and concentrate for The musical output of the Cathedral includes eight services a week long periods, for example. In line with other Cathedral Choirs like in total with Evensong on Monday to Friday each week and three ours, the boys also receive a generous scholarship at the Cathedral services with choir on a Sunday. The Reverend Dr Jonathan Arnold School, which enables many families to send their children to one wrote in a recent article in The Spectator: of the top fee-paying schools in Wales who otherwise would not be able to do so. These opportunities are extremely important, and we shouldn’t undervalue the wonderful grounding in life that our “Choral music within the liturgy is one of choristers receive through their involvement with the choir. The our greatest cultural and religious heritages; Parish Choir also affords this opportunity to children from all over it is every bit as sincere and meaningful on a Cardiff, and we are extremely fortunate that our musical outreach wet Tuesday in March as in a Christmas is increased in this way.

Alongside the choirs, the organ enriches our worship at many services. Lent provides a great opportunity for us organists to explore some corners of the repertoire that get an outing but once a year. At this time of year where we reflect on so many things, I like to play what were pretty much the final works of two composers:

Nine Lessons and Carols. Pop in”.

Stephen Moore 15

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Organ Ysblennydd Cadeirlan Llandaf

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ydym yn ffodus iawn yng Nghadeirlan Llandaf am fwy nag un rheswm. Mae’n hawdd iawn i gymeryd pethau’n ganiataol ac i ni gyd yn euog o bryd i’w gilydd o anghofio y manteision sydd gennym. Hawdd iawn yw barnu y byd a’r betws heb feddwl dwy waith am y sawl sydd yn llai ffodus.

Wrth ddarllen hwn, i chi’n iawn i ddisgwyl fy mod yn mynd i ysgrifennu am yr organ odidog sydd gennym. Yn bersonol, yr ydwyf o hyd yn ystyried y fraint sydd gennyf o gael y cyfle i chwarae offeryn mor fendigedig yn ddyddiol.

Erbyn hyn, yr ydwyf wedi cyflawni mwy nag ugain mlynedd o chwarae gwasanaethau yn y fangre hon. Mewn gwirionedd yr ydwyf wedi bod yn canu’r organ mewn mannau addoli drwy gydol fy mywyd. Cefais wersi ar hen organ y Gadeirlan ac mae cynifer fawr o’r gynulleidfa yn ei chofio ac fe groesawyd sawl un o gewri’r byd organ i’w chwarae.

Hiraethu mawr a fu ar ei hôl ond yr oedd ganddi sawl gwendid ac mi oedd yn wyrth ei bod wedi gwasanaethu’r Gadeirlan am dros hanner can mlynedd.

Ni ddengys y gwendidau yma ond i’r sawl a fentrant i berfeddion yr offeryn. ‘Roedd nifer fawr o bibellau wedi cael eu lleoli ar lefel y llawr ac yn gwynebu’r wal ac felly dim gobaith iddynt ddatganu eu seiniau melys ymhellach na safle’r côr. Yn ogystal â hyn, yr oedd mwyafrif o’r pibellau yn llawn hanner can mlynedd o lwch ac yr oedd y taclau a fu’n gyfrifol am gyfleu y gwynt wedi hen fynd heibio eu bywydau defnyddiol. Yr oedd yr hen offeryn wedi rhoi’r gorau i arwain canu cynulleidfaol a llenwi’r adeilad gyda swn.

Y diwedd oedd, wrth gwrs, y storom enfawr cawsom yn 2007 pan drawyd y Gadeirlan gan fellten ac fe ddinistrwyd y wifrau trydannol tu fewn i’r organ a oedd, erbyn hyn, mewn cyflwr gwan dros ben. Nid oedd unrhyw fodd o achub y sefyllfa ac felly ‘doedd dim amdani ond i ddymchwel y cyfan a mynd ati i adeiladu organ newydd sbon.

Diolch o galon i ysbryd hael addolwyr a chymuned y Gadeirlan am eu parodrwydd a brwdfrydedd i gyflawni’r gwaith.

Mwy am hyn rhywbryd yn y dyfodol ond dyma ni, wyth mlynedd yn ddiweddarach gydag offeryn sydd yn esiampl blaenllaw yn y byd organ led led Prydain a’r cyfandir. Dylem ymfalchio ynddi ag ystyried mae dyma ein cymynrodd i ddyfodol a ffydd y Gadeirlan arbennig yma i’r sawl fydd yn ein dilyn.

David Geoffrey Thomas Organydd y Gadeirlan 16

Being a Chorister….

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eing a chorister is a brilliant job. The choristers’ day starts at 7.53 a.m. with a brisk walk following Mr Moore, our Director of Music, from school down to the Cathedral. This walk wakes me up and really makes me appreciate the beauty of the Cathedral, especially on a summer’s morning.

We rehearse in the Song Room of Prebendal House. Every morning when we begin our rehearsal I feel excited, wondering if the music we are about to be given will become a favourite.

At the moment, the pieces of music I most enjoy singing are Stanford in Bb, Howell’s Nunc Dimittis from the Gloucester Service and anything written by Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

In fact, Wesley’s Blessed Be The God and Father, is my all time favourite anthem.

Our rehearsal finished, we process back to school and go our separate ways to the day’s lessons. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, when we have Evensong, we meet after school in the Refectory for our choristers’ tea. Here, we munch on cheese paninis, drink hot chocolate, and catch up with each other’s news until it is time to process back down to the Cathedral for Evensong.

We always do this walk in silence.

Following a rehearsal in the Cathedral with Mr Thomas we return to the Song Room to put on our surplices. Before the service begins, we line up in silence in the David Chapel and say a prayer before entering the Cathedral. On Tuesdays, Evensong is a bit unusual as the choristers sing without the Back Row. This can be a bit scary, but it is also a chance for us to show off!

I have to balance my schoolwork with my chorister commitments. I avoid having homework to complete on days when we have Evensong by trying to do it on the day that it was set or, if that is not possible, by getting it done on a Saturday morning. As you can imagine, this does not always happen and there are times when I still have work to do after a weekday Evensong or, worse, on a Sunday evening. This is a really horrible feeling.

If you know anyone who you think would like to become a chorister I would definitely recommend it, it is certainly a huge commitment, but is also a huge privilege. Singing a brilliant piece of music in the Cathedral with the rest of the choir, and the organ accompanying us, is a truly amazing experience.

The choristers often have the opportunity to take part in really significant events.

Just last year, we sang for both Prince Charles and Prince Edward, we recorded Edward was appointed Dean Scholar a CD of Christmas music on 17th March during Evensong and sang live for Morning and Archie Edwards-Owen, Worship on Radio Four.

Majestas Scholar.

We are hoping to go on tour next year - there is always something to get excited about!

Edward Jervis

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land…..?

P s 1 3 7 v. 4

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is for us to show them how relevant the Christian faith is, how t used to be said of the old newspaper, News of relevant OUR faith is. We are called to be witnesses to the faith the World, that “all human life is there”; it was – a phrase that always brings to my mind that old poster - “If the newspaper’s strap-line. The same could be you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough said, with more justification and seriousness of the evidence to convict you?”. Research and evidence tell us that Psalms. I have long-found the Psalms to be invaluable Cathedrals and Cathedral worship is more and more popular and sought after and attendance figures seem to ‘buck the trend’ on the journey of faith. Offering verses of comfort, challenge, affirmation and insight, there is a psalm or of decline, reaching almost record high numbers of attendance throughout the year, not just at Christmas and Easter. The at least verses of the psalms which are pertinent to opportunities and potential for us then in developing the life, every mood, experience, emotion and situation in life. work and witness of the Cathedral are immense.

The verse I have quoted here, from Psalm 137 was a question asked by the Jews when they were held in captivity in pagan Babylon but it is a verse that speaks particularly to me at the moment not just as I begin a new sphere of ministry but also as the Cathedral moves into an era of new Governance and of inevitable change. Please do not think I am equating Llandaff with pagan Babylon or my being here with being in captivity or exile! This is a question that challenges us all when we are facing change: how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? In fact it is not just one question: it raises a whole raft of questions for us all to think about.

As I begin a new role, I find myself in something of a strange land; although I was ordained in this Cathedral in 1987, I have spent the last 20 years as Rector of Canton. Being a frequent visitor to a place is different from living in that place. I have been a member of the Cathedral Chapter for 5 years but that is different from being part of the residentiary team of clergy.

There is inevitably a different perspective. As with any new appointment, there are great expectations on all sides I suspect but there can also be anxiety – to what extent will this newly created post involve change…..how will things be different for all of us?

We all know what we like, but so many of us like only what we know. Changes are never easy: “even change for the better is inconvenient” said a great 17th century Anglican, Richard Hooker. Yet it was Cardinal Newman, a man who knew much about change who said, “to grow is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often”. So, if we are to grow in our relationship with God, if we are to grow together, if we are to build on all that is good here to develop something even better, then there are bound to be changes along the way. It is comforting to think that the Cathedral has been no stranger to change over the 900 years of its history and that God promises to be with us no matter what.

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? Living the Christian life today is like living in a strange land – it can be difficult. The rest of the world appears indifferent to us; it

So how shall we sing the Lord’s song, indeed what is the Lord’s song? we have to be sure about our message, we need to pray, to read the scriptures, to receive the sacraments, to listen for God so we know what we believe. But that question also asks us, how shall we sing the Lord’s song?.....does our way of life reflect the Gospel? do we apply the Gospel to our relationships; our lifestyle, our work, our lives as a whole? Do we encourage the good in others? The Diocese is emphasizing the need to sing a joyful song: the Gospel is, after all good news. Do we tell a joyful story, or do we rather enjoy what is negative and unpleasant? None of us can shirk these questions in a Christian community, and indeed as we approach the season of Lent, there is no better time to ponder this ancient question of the psalmist: how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

I look forward to working with you all over the coming months and years asking this very question! I count it a great privilege to have been called to the post of Canon Precentor at this pivotal moment in the life of the Cathedral, and to have been entrusted with all that that role entails. There is much that is very good about the Cathedral community and much that we can celebrate.

I am writing this just after the remarkable Confirmation of 62 of our young people, when the Nave was full of families and their friends. We can rejoice at the sheer numbers of people attending worship, the small army of volunteers who enrich every aspect of Cathedral life; the invaluable work of the Friends of the Cathedral and so much else besides. I look forward to playing my part in what is very much a ‘team effort’; with all of those I have just cited and of course with my clergy colleagues: the Dean, Canon Graham and with the arrival soon of the new Canon Chancellor. While there is much to be proud of and to celebrate, there is also much more to be done to support the Cathedral, to promote the Cathedral and to ensure that the City and the Diocese knows that however strange the landscape feels, there is a joyful story to be told and in God’s strength, we will sing the Lord’s song together.

Canon Mark Preece 17

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Homeless for 48hrs

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s we approach the season of Lent, Christians will be thinking about how to mark the period in a way that helps us focus on Christ’s upcoming passion and glorious resurrection. For many it will involve giving something up as a way of starting afresh. Some Christians will fast, living off a simple diet and/or reducing the time they spend engaged in worldly pleasures in order to focus more on a life of prayer. For others it will involve taking something on, perhaps a new spiritual discipline, even something as simple as resolving to say the Lord’s Prayer every day. For those of us who find we are often swamped by work or responsibilities it may be spiritually fulfilling to take up a hobby or social activity as part of a Lenten discipline. I have often felt that Lent is a much more fitting time for New Year’s resolutions than 1st January ever was.

Whatever direction you choose to go the key thing is that Lent is a pause. It is an opportunity to stop, to reassess and to shake up our routines and push ourselves out of our comfort zones, thus allowing us to refocus. The other traditional Lenten discipline that is sometimes forgotten is that of almsgiving, the act of giving to the poor or to charity. Christian living compels us to consider those who are less fortunate than us and act wherever we possibly can, for the Bible says:

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

(Matthew 25:35).

“If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet does not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:15-17).

After all, when we pray the Our Father, we say the words “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.” Only Christ can fully redeem the world, but as the passages above show us we have a role to play in bringing about Christ’s kingdom. During Lent then, as we build up to celebrating the coming of Christ’s kingdom, Christians have traditionally engaged in heightened activity of prayer and almsgiving.

My thoughts this winter have very much been with the ever increasing number of homeless people in our country. It is a particularly heartbreaking and soul destroying situation to be in and I thought I might take this opportunity to share my own brief experience of homelessness with you.

I should add from the start that this experience was brief (about 48 hrs), involved a warm bed and a good breakfast and is nothing compared to what many people in Britain experience for years at a time, however it gave me some significant insights into what life must be like for those with nowhere to go. Some years ago an ‘administrative error’ when moving house meant that we moved out of our home one morning at 9:00 only to discover that our new home was uninhabitable (a very special kind of filthy and in the middle of building work which, with an 18 month child, was not safe in any way). The estate agent kindly put us up in a hotel but we couldn’t check in until the evening so all we could do was wander about. Checkout was at 10:00 the following morning and the new house wasn’t available until about 6pm so again more wandering. The first issue with this was of course we couldn’t prepare any food or drink, so obviously all our meals were eaten at cafes, but it also meant that if our daughter wanted a snack we had to go and buy one.

If we wanted a drink of water we couldn’t just go to the tap we had to go and buy a bottle of water, even a cup of tea was a Starbucks job rather than boiling the kettle and drinking shop bought tea. It was all these little things that I’d always taken for granted and I was shocked at just how much money we ended up spending in those two days. I remember having to carry our daughter from Swansea, up to Singleton Park and back just so she would have a nap. We couldn’t sit still anywhere for long because she was quite mobile and needed space to run, and there was nowhere that was our own where we could truly relax.

However, one of the things I remember most clearly about it was that it was boring, so very boring. If I hadn’t had my wife with me I would have given in to despair I’m sure. Just from this experience I felt that homelessness is expensive, lonely and dull.

There is a stereotype that links homelessness with drug use, and in some cases at least the two do go together. If I’m truly honest with you all, if I found myself permanently homeless I could very easily see myself turning to drug use, just to bring a little bit of joy, even a brief moment of happiness into my life.

Since these events I have been more aware of the horrendous situations the homeless find themselves in. To call ourselves a developed country and have this many people living, and in fact dying, on our streets is nothing short of criminal. Therefore as you consider how you might mark the season of Lent and continue your work in helping to bring about Christ’s kingdom, I ask that you would hold all those less fortunate than us in your prayers and in your deeds and may God be with you in this most sombre and beautiful season.

James Page 18

Confirmation

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ne of the aspects of ministry I have enjoyed in nearly forty years is preparing young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

In February, 62 young people were confirmed by the Bishop, and it was a great pleasure to prepare these children for this important sacrament when sadly today Confirmation is talked down and not thought of with great importance after Baptism.

When we started the classes in the Church year we were commemorating the South African Child Martyr, MANCHE MASEMOLA. I told them the story of how she was beaten by her parents for attending Baptism classes. She continued to go to the classes, eventually she was beaten to death and killed by her parents.

She died at the age of 15 in 1928 and her story and martyrdom is depicted in a statue of her in the west end of Westminster Abbey. It was interesting to hear the amazement of the Confirmation candidates about Manche Masemola and how she was punished for wanting to follow in Christ.

They talked about her death in comparison to the love and support given in encouragement from their parents, grandparents, the Parish Community, Sunday School and day school.

Encouragement and support are very important for any Confirmation candidate in this adventure of Faith Confirmation can be.

“Why do you want to be Confirmed…?”

Confirmation is the ministry by which prayer with the laying on of the hands by the Bishop, the Holy Spirit is received to strengthen and to complete what was begun in Baptism and to give strength for the Christian Life. The Bishop addresses each candidate by name saying, “God has called you by name and made you his own, Confirm O Lord your servant with your Holy Spirit”. The Bishop then anoints a candidate with the oil of Chrism as a sign of the Spirit empowering them to fulfil their special calling he wants you to do for him in your Christian life.

...”it will strengthen my faith and relationship with God.”

By confirmation we become full members of the church and may now receive Holy Communion. That is why it is important for the candidate to know about the Creeds, the Church, Sacraments, Bible etc in the Confirmation Classes. But we have to practise, like a sportsman or woman or when learning a musical instrument, to become better and committed followers of Christ. We have to practise to become better Christians.

I include some interesting comments some of the candidates wrote.…

...”so that I can take part in the whole service.”

...”because I want to be a full member of the Cathedral and God’s family.” ...”I want to be a full member of the Church.”

It is a great occasion in the life of any parish when young people are baptised and confirmed. Our prayer for them is that they may continue Christ’s faithful soldiers and servants unto their life’s end, that they may continue Yours forever and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more.

We wish them every blessing in their pilgrimage of faith in the Cathedral Church and the church at large.

Canon Graham Holcombe Canon Residentiary

One of the questions the Bishop asked of the candidates in their biographies was...

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Sermon for Licensing and Installation of Canon Mark Preece as Precentor Sunday 10th February 2019 I Samuel 16 v 14-23

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Cathedral belongs to people near and far, to those of the Church and those outside its boundaries.

A Cathedral always structures its life around very low thresholds; meaning that little is asked of those who cross the thresholds of a Cathedral until they have experienced the hospitality of God and they themselves want to explore why faith matters.

A Cathedral is a house of prayer.

A Cathedral is an expression not just of diocesan life but of national life as was so clearly illustrated last year when this Cathedral offered services to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the NHS and the centenary of the ending of the First World War. A Cathedral is a public space, it belongs not to the diocese nor its own congregations but it’s a place where art, architecture, music, flowers, poetry, and learning draw anyone who crosses that low threshold towards the worship of God, sometimes in the face of their own scepticism and doubt.

Looking back, I should have known that it would d be my destiny to love this particular Cathedral because I worked for very many years with two sons of Llandaff, both a Precentor and Head Verger who were nurtured in this place. The Canon Precentor, who was my colleague for more than fifteen years, had been a boarding chorister at the Cathedral School here.

It is to him I owe this story.

The Prince of Wales and his first wife, Princess Diana, came to Salisbury Cathedral for a Royal visit.

Mark, in your time as Precentor there may well be many royal visits and liturgies to produce for some of them. They will not be the most relaxing days of your tenure as Canon Precentor but I’m sure you can already imagine this scene.

The royal visitors arrive, they are then introduced by the Lord Lieutenant to the Dean, and beyond him there is a receiving party of clergy and staff. It has all been carefully choreographed to allow for no spontaneous intrusions or time lost. Greetings are offered and short conversations – at which the royal family are such impressive experts – are exchanged.

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I Peter 2 v 1-10

As Princess Diana came down the line of nervous clerics, she was introduced to the Canon Precentor. And she asks him: “What does a placenta do?” To which my colleague replies: “I think you’d be in a better position to answer that than me, Ma’am!”

Today we’re asking ourselves, and Mark may well be asking himself: What does a Precentor do?

I’m going to offer you three things at which I hope Mark will work and from which this Cathedral will benefit.

1. A Precentor grows a creative environment for worship and liturgy.

Even more than the Dean, who must take overall responsibility for the worship offered in this place, it’s the Precentor who fashions how worship happens. It’s his job to create a sense of God through an environment of beauty, liturgical integrity and spiritual invitation. On many days this will come down to liaising with musicians, thinking about Easter whilst everyone else is celebrating Christmas, proof reading service sheets, and negotiating with people who want to mark events in the Cathedral but who have little clue of what will work and what won’t.

Despite all that daily detail the task of ordering worship is never mundane. We are a church which believes that our doctrines are only ever discovered through our liturgy. Want to know what the Church in Wales believes? Then worship with us. We have no doctrinal statements, we issue no edicts. We say or sing the creeds handed down to us and pray that the Spirit of truth and wisdom will inhabit our worship, as a community living in today’s realities.

In addition, we ask the Canon Precentor to create a house style of liturgy within which the whole diocese can participate. It needs to be dramatic but not pompous, conveying both the majesty and intimacy of God, coping with human life as it is, in grief and ecstasy, in our greatest moments of birth and love, and in our derelictions of loss and death.

On many days Mark, it will be a thankless task. Your choice of hymns will be a matter of regular comment and occasional criticism. Every other cleric in the diocese will consider themselves an expert in your sphere of operating. People will tell you that they want to pray differently, sing differently, process

Issue 2 differently and posture themselves differently. People always know better when it comes to the worship of the church.

So, what a good thing it is that we have appointed someone who is not only one of our most experienced priests and musically so able but has such immeasurable good sense and a great sense of humour with which to cope.

2. My second aspiration for the Canon Precentor is that he takes responsibility for an ordered environment: that he plays his part in the good governance of the Cathedral.

Many of you will know that this is a time of transition for Llandaff Cathedral and by the Spring of this year there will be a new Chapter governing this Cathedral of which Mark will be a part.

• That trustee body will have lay people on it and not just clergy.

• It will be a smaller body based on the skills needed to take wise decisions and exercise leadership in a complex organisation with limited resources.

• It will pay regard to team working at all levels and not just rely on the Dean, a single person at the helm, to make decisions. All will be accountable.

• And it will expect professional disciplines regarding the things which keep this Cathedral both innovative and safe. For instance, in ten days’ time I will confirm more than fifty children from this community which is a terrific example of the children’s work which goes on in this place, but their parents have a right to know that the Chapter upholds the highest possible standards of safeguarding. It’s not just about being compliant with the law but proudly leading the way in the standards and character we expect of a Christian organisation. Such things are Chapter’s shared responsibility.

We’ve long had the ancient titles of Precentor, Chancellor and Treasurer within the foundation of this Cathedral: held by clergy whose main task was running big parishes in the Vale or the Valleys of our diocese. For example, the current holder of the title of Precentor is Canon Philip Masson who has a demanding ministry to exercise in Porthcawl and Newton Nottage. In this new scheme of governance, we’re asking members of Chapter to inhabit those ancient titles in the executive life of the Cathedral.

The ambition is: • A stronger team of clergy which will be completed when Revd Jan van der Lely joins us in May as Canon Chancellor.

• A stronger world of volunteers because that is where we achieve most of what we do.

• A stronger system of financial disciplines with a Finance Advisory Committee.

• And I hope an even stronger congregational life which tells a joyful story about itself and the future of the Cathedral.

That’s the big picture within which Mark will play a significant role as trustee and team player.

3. And thirdly, he will pay particular regard to the desire to create a holy environment.

Holiness isn’t only the concern of the Precentor. If a Cathedral is true to itself then everyone involved – staff, volunteers and congregations – works at guarding the spiritualities, at stepping lightly in the place of prayerfulness, at creating an environment which seeks to reflect the character of the God we worship.

Yet the Precentor must pay regard to what creates that culture of holiness because what is worship without a sense of God? Mere ceremonial and playing at dressing up, which transforms no-one’s life.

We have the right to ask the Precentor where is the sense of the sacred, where is the converting experience in this building and this community? Where is God and the moral courage which flows out of him?

So, what does a Precentor do?

Actually, comparing a Precentor to a placenta is not such a bad comparison. For his work nourishes and feeds the life which will grow in this place. Without the daily diet of prayerful worship the body dies or becomes stillborn.

Mark, may God bless you in all you do in his name in this community and for this diocese. We have every confidence that you will be a superb Precentor, and good luck with the royal visits!

The Bishop of Llandaff The Right Reverend June Osborne

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lready well known to many in the Cathedral community, Father Mark has joined us from the Benefice of Canton where he was in his 20th year as Rector following several years as Vicar of Ewenny & St Brides Major. Father Mark joined the Cathedral Chapter in 2014 when he was made a Canon by the former Archbishop.

During the service, the Cathedral Choir sang The Spirit of the Lord by Edward Elgar and ended the service with Te Deum by John Ireland. We were pleased to welcome so many people from the Benefice of Canton who came to support Father Mark as we look forward to the start of his ministry among us.

Father Mark said on his appointment as Canon Precentor “I look forward very much to supporting and working with the Dean and Father Graham as the ministry team here in the Cathedral at this exciting and significant point in time.”

The Cathedral looks forward to welcoming the Rev’d Dr Jan van der Lely as Canon Chancellor later in the year.

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Farwell to Fr Edward

O

n one late Sunday afternoon in September 2006, having walked through Cardiff City centre, Pontcanna and into Llandaff; my mother, father and I entered Llandaff Cathedral for the very first time.

Arthur Parkes Piano Tuner

I am sure many of us will agree that our first experience of the magnificence of the Cathedral was something we will never forget, and I certainly never will. One almost has to stand, for a few moments, in awe of the architecture, and especially upon seeing ‘Christ in Majesty’ by Jacob Epstein. As a sixteen-yearold, I remember very distinctly, standing at the back of the Nave trying to take everything in, as my very happy father was encouraging us to stay for Evensong. Never, would I have ever believed were I told then, as a sixteen-year-old, that one day I would have the immense honour and privilege of serving as priest in this most ancient Christian Church.

17 Bramshill Drive Pontprennau Cardiff CF23 8NX

I will forever find it difficult to put into words just how special I have found my experiences in the Cathedral, which began with my ordination to the priesthood by the Archbishop in 2017.

A moment I will remember for the rest of my life. I have made some of the most wonderful friends, met some of the most fantastic people, and gained so many new skills and confidences in my eighteen months of service here.

029 2048 1970 07950 454926 Arthur.b.parkes@virginmedia.com

Est. 1992

Swallow Furniture of Cardiff

And so, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your kindnesses to me, your support, inspiration, faith and confidence. I would like to thank all those who volunteer, and all who work in the office, and especially the Dean, who has guided me, helped me and encouraged me more than I can say.

You all, have helped me become the priest I feel God has called me to be, and even more than that, I feel you’ve helped me become the person I am today, and for that I am very grateful.

And so I’d like to say farewell, but not goodbye, because I know I shall be seeing you all soon as the months and years go by for various diocesan events. I have loved every minute of my time in Llandaff, and these memories I will treasure for as long as I am allowed.

With love and prayers, Fr Edward

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

The Very Reverend John T Lewis 1947-2019

I

t was with great sadness that on the 18 th February this year the Cathedral community learned of the death of The Very Reverend John Thomas Lewis.

John had been Dean of Llandaff from 2000 until his retirement in June 2012.

John Lewis, or JT as many of us knew him, was born in 1947, a son of the vicarage; his father, David Islwyn Lewis, had been a well loved and respected priest in the Rhondda Valley during the late 1940s and 1950s, later moving to Baglan near Port Talbot.

It was obvious through his schooling that John had a fierce and sharp intellect; his mother, Eleanor, who taught Mathematics at various schools including Glanafon School Port Talbot, would set a relentless programme of puzzles and exercises for John and his sister Margaret in a household that was academically focussed and motivated. John eventually went up to Jesus College, Oxford to read Mathematics, after which he went on to train for the ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge.

John was ordained priest in 1974, serving his Titles at Whitchurch and Lisvane in the Diocese of Llandaff, after which he became Chaplain to the University in Cardiff and Warden of Ordinands.

He became Vicar of St David’s Llanfaes, Brecon, in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in 1985; in 1991 was appointed Vicar of Bassaleg in the Diocese of Monmouth. In 2000 he moved to Llandaff Cathedral as Dean until his retirement in 2012.

During his long ministry, John had been closely involved in the selection and nurturing of those training for the ministry, most notably as Secretary to the Provincial Selection Panel and Board of the Church in Wales, an appointment he held between 1987 and 1994.

John’s instinct and intellect served him well; he fostered very close friendships with those fortunate enough to gain his trust; to those he found inauthentic or pretentious, he could reserve withering judgement. John could hold strong views, which were entirely consistent with his formidable intellect which made it difficult for him to put up with trivia. His forensic eye for detail, especially the written word, was legendary; his quirks and habits were a source of delight and amusement for those who knew him well. Never predictable, John had the capacity to surprise and entertain, as well as disarm and even dismiss.

John was an able and serious preacher; his love of hymnody would surface throughout his teaching and preaching, illustrating what was an embracing and liberal theology revealing a generous and questioning faith. Outwardly he never gave the impression of deep piety but, without doubt, his spiritual centre of gravity took him regularly to such places as The Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield, and locally, the Augustinian sisters at Ty Mawr convent.

Many people in the Cathedral speak of John’s great skill as a teacher and his warmth as a pastor – clever as he was, those facing what 24

seemed intractable problems in their lives would find John a source of wisdom and well-reasoned counsel. The young in particular found his sometimes irreverent and occasionally outrageous humour hugely attractive; he could be immensely funny – this was cemented

by John’s amazing ability to remember family connections and names, especially of children. He would always take great interest in them, their studies, likes and dislikes, calling them all “Sweets”.

John became a cathedral dean just as the old models of Cathedral governance were being re-evaluated and the ministries of these great churches were facing great challenges in a rapidly changing world.

John, in common with so many of his decanal colleagues nationally, found himself dealing with the need for a new commercial and business model for his ministry rather than the solely pedagogical, pastoral, and sacramental output he was originally called to provide.

Under John’s courageous leadership, changes to the Cathedral included the reordering of the paved areas to the West Front, a new lighting scheme and latterly the replacement of the organ which had suffered a serious lightning strike in 2007. These projects were the first real attempts to improve the fabric since the reordering and restoration works required after the devastation of the building during an air raid in January 1941. Llandaff as a Cathedral has for many years needed to punch above its weight with scarce resources and few if any permanent endowments. John’s vision for the building was worthy of his distinguished predecessors who had raised the Cathedral up from the ashes after the war. But like all who occupy the role of dean in any cathedral, it can be a lonely place where one is surrounded by critics who think they can do the job better.

John, for all his strength, could be deeply affected by the darker side of church life, but never let it dominate his sense of purpose.

He told me in the weeks before his retirement “we have had seven years of plenty and now we are facing seven years of want”. He knew that the Cathedral faced turbulent times ahead. He was right – and as we now work to reorder the model of Cathedral Governance at Llandaff, about to be unveiled, I think John would have wholeheartedly approved of where we are heading.

Literally weeks before he retired, much to John’s delight, the Cathedral was visited by Her Majesty the Queen as she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. John was as relaxed and confident as most of us had ever seen him, walking beside The Sovereign as he welcomed her to his Cathedral. In many ways it seemed like his crowning moment too. And for those of us who regarded JT as a good friend, it will be the way in which we will remember him.

As we remember John before God, let us also pray for his widow Cynthia and his sons James and Andrew, as they come to terms with this sad loss. For John’s years of faithful ministry and contribution as Dean of Llandaff, thanks be to God.

Gerwyn Capon 20th February 2019

25

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

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At this time...

70

“AT T H I S T I M E , 7 0 Y E A R S AG O ”

60

“AT T H I S T I M E , 6 0 Y E A R S AG O ”

40 20

A pause occurred in the restoration of the cathedral due to having to wait for further materials. Illness had prevented the completion of the work on the windows in the south aisle. The Marshall panel, part of the late fifteenthcentury bishop’s throne, was sent to London for minor repairs. [This panel has undergone full conservation and repair in 2017/18 and will be displayed in the cathedral later this year or early 2020].

Parish confirmation took place on the afternoon of Saturday 14 March, with the candidates receiving their first communion on the following day, Passion Sunday. One hundred and twenty candidates were confirmed, with 18 from the Cathedral School, 26 from Howell’s and the remainder from the parish.

With Easter being early, the Cathedral Choristers were still in school in Easter Week, and a service of Nine Lessons and Carols for Easter was held on 5 April instead of Choral Evensong.

“AT T H I S T I M E , 4 0 Y E A R S AG O ” Work began on the restoration and refurbishment of the St Dyfrig Chapel on the north-east side of the cathedral. A screen was erected at the entrance to the chapel itself in memory of Glyn Simon, Archbishop of Wales and former Dean and Vicar of the cathedral and Bishop of Llandaff.

“AT T H I S T I M E , 2 0 Y E A R S AG O ” The Rt Revd Barry Morgan, Bishop of Bangor, was elected Bishop of Llandaff in March. In the same month, the cathedral’s Guild of Ringers took part in a nation-wide ringing of the bells at the request of Glenys Kinnock MEP, to mark the treaty signed in Ottawa that united over 100 countries in a stand against the use of landmines.

If anyone wants to suggest an item that might have been in the magazine, please contact Dr John R. Kenyon, Hon. Archivist, at john.t.kenyon@ntlworld.com

27

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Stand together for Christian Aid with your community

L

landaff Cathedral has a proud record of support for Christian Aid. This record is not just about raising money – although in 2018 we raised nearly £16,000 – but it is about involving local people and raising awareness in our local area.

We are blessed that such a significant number of parishioners become involved by supporting specific events, by teaching children about the issues Christian Aid addresses and - let’s not forget – by going out in their local streets, delivering leaflets and knocking on doors to collect what are often surprisingly generous donations. Last year our street collection alone raised almost £8,000 for Christian Aid. Christian Aid was set up by British and Irish churches in the aftermath of the Second World War. It works to tackle the root causes of poverty as well as targeting relief in times of emergency. This year Christian Aid Week runs from 12 – 18 May. It provides us with an opportunity to bring hope to life: hope that through our gifts, prayers and actions, poverty and injustice can be diminished. These are not my words, I have taken them from a recent statement by Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, the Chief Executive of Christian Aid, but I share them with you, in the hope that you are still willing to support our work for Christian Aid this year. In the words of Dr Rowan Williams: “Even the smallest donation can change someone’s life”.

This Christian Aid Week, you could help give more mums and babies in Sierra Leone and around the world the greatest gift - the gift of life. With your help, we could build bigger and better health centres so that babies can grow and enjoy the fullness of life. This will mean more happy birth days. Your support does count. If you could just give three hours of your time, you will contribute to something extraordinary for our global neighbours.

28

you could help give more mums and babies in Sierra Leone and around the world the greatest gift - the gift of life.

Could you deliver between 20 and 30 envelopes in your own street and then go back to collect any donations?

You may get to know your neighbours a little better in the process: • Is it worth the trouble? Yes – absolutely! Every day in Sierra Leone, 10 women die in childbirth due to lack of basic healthcare. The money we collected house to house in Llandaff last year was sufficient to train two complete healthcare teams and provide starter kits for 17 nurses; • I’m very busy – how long does it take? Only about 3 hours – half an hour for delivery and the rest for two visits to collect; • Could I do it even if I’m out at work all day? Yes, delivery and collection can be done in the light evenings or at the weekends; • Haven’t you got enough collectors already? We have a marvellous team, but each year it diminishes due to house moves, illness, holidays etc., and at present we haven’t got enough to cover the Parish; • I can’t be a collector but I have some new ideas to raise awareness and to raise money. That’s wonderful. We want to hear from you – please come forward!

• I think I should volunteer - where do I sign up? There is a list on the Christian Aid table at the back of the Cathedral, or contact Kate Bates on 07807 774 783 or at kathrynbates@talktalk.net Where will your inspiration take you this year? With every minute of your time or with every donation, you can save lives.

Let’s create more happy birth days.

Issue 2 Jayne Kendall is our project manager in Wales and she is currently looking for volunteers to work on projects across Wales to deliver the following support which includes strategic/ business planning; financial planning; Marketing and Digital; Governance; HR; Grant Application Support; Insolvency; Mergers and Acquisitions.

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Join us!

All of our volunteers share one thing in common - they all have a wealth of business expertise and want to make a difference to charities in their local community. Whether you’re the CEO of a large multi-national, a senior leader or an independent management consultant, we’d love to hear from you.

Please email jayne.kendall@cranfieldtrust.org a copy of your CV or a link to your LinkedIn profile.

Why volunteer with The Cranfield Trust

V

olunteering has been a hot topic on the political agenda in recent years. With the launch of the Welsh government’s policy, ‘Supporting Communities, Changing Lives’, and the rise of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) many business leaders are recognising the benefits of their employees volunteering. A recent survey published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), showed a trend towards skills based volunteering. This is good news for the Cranfield Trust, as we rely on skilled volunteers to support our work. For nearly 30 years the Trust has been uniting skilled business volunteers from the commercial sector with charities supporting people in need.

We will send you a skills-based registration form to capture information on your key areas of business expertise, ask for a copy of your CV and for two referees.

Get in touch with us and start making a difference today!

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We understand that juggling family life, work and leisure time can be a real challenge. Whether you can volunteer for several hours a month or just as a one-off a few times a year, we value your time and the difference you can make to the charities. We have a number of volunteer roles designed to support charities in different ways, all of them have the same ethos - to help build successful charities.

29

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Thank You From “Vision 21”……

(2018 Advent Appeal)

As the garden springs forth ...

E

mbrace the Middle East, the focus of this year’s Lent Appeal, is a Christian charity tackling poverty and injustice in the Middle East. It was formerly known as BibleLands and has long been associated with the very popular Bethlehem Carol Sheet which draws attention to the social ministry of Christians in the Middle East as they address the humanitarian needs of the region. As part of its work to raise awareness and funds in Wales, a free bilingual carol sheet was launched by Embrace in 2015. It was endorsed by Archbishop Barry Morgan and has been enthusiastically welcomed in Llandaff and throughout the Principality.

The Dean’s invitation to support Embrace is a further opportunity to draw attention to the brave work of Christians in several Middle Eastern countries who run education, healthcare and community development projects to benefit people of all faiths and none. In addition to a strong presence in Israel and Palestine, including Gaza, the charity provides support in the Lebanon, particularly for refugees, in Egypt, and most recently in Iraq and in war-torn Syria. Embrace raises around £7m each year but urgently needs more to meet the region’s expanding demands.

I have travelled several times in the Holy Land. I have visited Embrace projects in Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem where, despite the separation wall between Israel and the West Bank, skilled professionals are fighting to improve the conditions of the sick, the poor and the traumatised. In November I Nazareth nursing project am hoping to join a similar short tour in Egypt where I expect to find pioneering work led by Coptic Christians running teaching, housing, and medical schemes, many of which are protecting and training women in a grossly unequal society.

All this is done in the light of the seasonal promise from Isaiah sung recently in the Cathedral:

“...as the garden causeth the things that are sown to spring forth So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations”

T

hank you very much for making Vision 21 your Advent charity and raising money for us.

Thank you to the Dean for thinking of us after his visit to our Oaks garden nursery.

We really value your contribution and will keep you updated on how we use the £1200 raised during Advent at Llandaff Cathedral. We guarantee that it will all be spent to improve the lives of those with learning disabilities.

Please come and visit our projects, they are all open to the public, including Sbectrwm Community Centre in Fairwater, home to five projects including the Gegin Fach cafe, where you can stop by for a coffee or lunch and The Oaks Garden Nursery in Allensbank Road, which is open for business in April ready for the Spring planting period.

We hope to be able to work with you in the future and are happy to come along to any events and spread the word of the fantastic work that we do. We really appreciate your support.

More information about Embrace the Middle East is available on the website: www.embraceme.org or from me at dlsmsmith@msn.com or 029 2056 9234.

David Smith 30

www.v21.org.uk

Christian Stewardship In order to carry on the work of the Church in and through this Cathedral Parish, not least the upkeep of this magnificent building, we rely substantially on your generous giving. A significant proportion of our funds is raised through Christian Stewardship among our regular worshippers.

“Please consider giving via GiftDirect” If you are a tax payer, we invite you to give by means of GiftDirect or another form of Gift Aided donation. This means we can claim the tax back and so your donation increases by 25%.

We are enormously grateful to all who do this as an expression of their gratitude for God’s great goodness.

GiftDirect leaflets with direct debit mandate forms are available at the back of the Cathedral along with more information on our Giving campaign.

For more information, please contact the, Stewardship Secretary: Helen Patterson Tel: 029 2061 9166

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

The Cathedral Stewards and I

E

arly in 1959, it was clear that the work of restoring the Cathedral after war damage would be completed in the following year. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh agreed to attend a service of thanksgiving for the completion of this restoration on 6th August 1960. It was at this point that Dean Eryl Thomas decided to form a body of men to assist in the running of Cathedral services. Thus was founded the Guild of the Stewards of Llandaff Cathedral.

Over the following months and years, the Guild evolved its ethos and practices. An early idea was that Stewards should wear morning dress for services. This was eventually rejected on the grounds that it might lead to social exclusion, and, instead, medallions were introduced. Later, the annual dinner was established partly to encourage the growth of corporate feeling. However, on the whole, the Guild has changed little over the years. Except in one major way! At first, the Guild consisted only of men, but, at a later date, it was decided to include women.

What about my own connection with the Guild? I was approached to join the Stewards at its beginning, but I had to refuse, because I was not certain that I would be staying in Cardiff. Later that year, that uncertainty ended, and I was able to tell the Dean that I was now able and willing to join, if the invitation was still open. It was, and I was duly enlisted. Thus I have been a Cathedral Steward for 60 years – in short, for most but not quite all of its existence, If the Guild itself has changed little, what Stewards have to do in the Cathedral has. For example, Stewards have always been divided into teams, each of which is on duty for one month in four. At first, these duty months were fixed. But this meant that the same teams always covered busy periods such as Christmas or Easter or were on duty in August. This was soon changed, so that the duty months would change each year.

At first, during their duty month, all Stewards were expected on Sundays to attend both 11 am Choral Matins and 3.30 pm Choral Evensong. Their duties were relatively simple and undemanding. The Stewards mostly stayed at the west end of the Nave. They were expected to greet people as they entered, help them to find seats (if necessary), take and count the collection, and tidy up after the service. However, since then, the morning service has become a Sung Eucharist. This and the requirements of health and safety regulations have enlarged and changed the Stewards’ duties.

All Stewards are asked to assist at very popular services such as at Christmas and Easter. They are also often invited to volunteer to help out when the Cathedral is hosting special services or concerts. The latter is not always unwelcome.

I personally have enjoyed many evenings listening for free to some great music and musicians, especially during the time when the Llandaff Festival was running.

In particular, there is usually no problem staffing services which involve the Royal family. I remember clearly my own first such experience – the Thanksgiving Service in August 1960. Arriving at the Cathedral, I was at first very disappointed to find that, as the youngest and newest Steward, I was sent to guard the external entrance to the Processional Way. I felt that I was as far as it was possible to be from what was going on in the Nave while still remaining in the Cathedral. However, it turned out that there was to be a consolation. At the conclusion of the service, the royal couple left the Cathedral by going through the David Chapel and the Processional Way. They then paused next to me, while I assisted the Dean to take off his cope. I remember that, during this time, the Duke was particularly intrigued by the medieval Grotesques built into the wall there. Anyway it allowed me a long close-up view of them.

In all, I have always regarded my service in the Stewards of Llandaff Cathedral as a privilege, and I am sure all my colleagues think the same.

Arthur C. Impey 32

View from Cathedral Close

View from Cathedral Close

Latest news from

The Pound, Llandaff View from Courtyard

L

landaff 50+ is delighted to announce that it has been successful in its application for a £200,000 Community Facilities Programme grant from Welsh Government to convert the derelict lavatory block in the High Street, Llandaff into a Centre for activities for older people, a heritage information centre and an accessible lavatory. It has also received a grant from the Cardiff YMCA (1910) Trust to help fund the archaeological dig of the old medieval cattle pound courtyard, development View afrom Courtyard grant from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Waterloo Foundation. The group has been invited to apply for a Stage 2 grant from the National Lottery, to fund eco-friendly parts of the build, eg solar panels, water harvesting and bat boxes!

The old lavatory block has been offered as a community asset transfer from Cardiff Council to provide the opportunity to encourage older people to work together, to alleviate the problems of loneliness and social isolation. The innovative project will convert the area into a place where older people can volunteer to run activities that will benefit the wider community.

Baroness Ilora Finlay, Patron of Llandaff 50+, said: “This important project provides a facility for the community to come together to meet, learn from each other and further the unique talents in each person in Llandaff. As we live through different phases in life, our roles in the community change. This vibrant development in the heart of Llandaff will be perfect for small groups of all ages to share those talents and enjoy being together.”

Matthew Williams, Curator of Cardiff Castle, Patron of Llandaff 50+ said: “It seems to be a fascinating fact that as we age, we become more interested in the past. Ironically, it’s usually after our own parents’ death that our interest is awakened, but

genealogy and local history can be an absorbing occupation. In Cardiff, we are lucky in having some wonderful historic buildings and I hope that at 50+ we will be able to encourage people to learn more about our heritage.”

Jane Hutt, Welsh Government Deputy Minister and Chief Whip said: “It’s great to hear Llandaff 50+ have been successful for a Welsh Government grant. This multiuse facility will enrich the local community by helping to bring people together and to find out more about the heritage of the area for many generations to come.”

Llandaff 50+ has also been consulting with local organisations through events and opportunities such as Llandaff Cathedral’s Rainbow Fayre, Llandaff Society’s Strawberry Tea and the Llandaff 50+ Medieval May Fayre, to ensure we embrace voices from the community in this project. The most recent opportunity was at the Community Celebration on 19th February at the Llandaff Institute, which attracted a wide audience and offered new opportunities for people to now be actively involved on the Advisory Groups for the development process.

Local architects, Downs Merrifield, have been working with Llandaff 50+, in association with the Llandaff Society, to transform the tiny lavatory into a Centre that will be a model for the future, as we all desire a healthy old age. The group is working with local surgeries on the promotion of social prescribing in The Pound and local schools and university on intergenerational learning.

Llandaff 50+ has just launched its Pound Founders scheme where a £10 monthly contribution will help to make the project sustainable and will embed the Founders into the ethos of the project and the community.

For more information: www.llandaff50plus.com 33

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

The Marshall Panel Llandaff Cathedral

J

ohn Marshall was bishop of Llandaff from 1478 until his death in 1496. He was born in Bottesford in Leicestershire, and the church of St Mary there, famous for its funeral monuments of the earls of Rutland, has a carving on one of its columns of the arms of John as bishop of Llandaff, with a small effigy of the bishop, kneeling in prayer.

Evidence in the cathedral for John’s tenure as bishop is marked by two works of art. The first is his tomb, on the one’s right as one enters the St Dyfrig Chapel in the northeast corner of the cathedral. This chapel also contains, against the north wall, the lowest part of the medieval screen or reredos that once stood behind the high altar. It has been suggested that this reredos also dates to Marshall’s time, but architectural historians have assigned it to the first half of the fourteenth century.

The other piece of art represents a very important survival of late medieval painting in Britain. This is the Marshall Panel, now undergoing conservation, and a new setting created, so that it can be re-displayed once again in the cathedral. The panel was part of Bishop Marshall’s throne and it depicts the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the inscription (in Latin) ‘O Virgin who ascends in state, open to Marshall heaven’s gate’.

The panel on Welsh oak depicts the Virgin, accompanied by angels, and in the lower right-hand corner is Bishop Marshall.

During the Civil War of the 1640s, the royalist, Richard Symonds, visited the cathedral and described the monuments and glass. It is clear from his diary that the panel formed the back-panel of the throne: ‘Painted upon the bishop’s seate the Virgin Mary carried up by angels; the picture of a bishop praying neare, with a miter and crosier.’

The paintings conservator, Rachel Howells, based near Cardiff, has been working on the panel, following its removal from its setting designed by George Pace after World War II. More about its history and conservation will follow at a later date, and certainly when the panel is displayed, possibly outside the Chapter House.

Much of the cost of the work that has been undertaken and still to be done is due to the generosity of the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral. However, we have been fortunate in attracting grants towards the work, the most recent being from The Leche Trust. The St Andrew’s Conservation Trust and the William and Jane Morris Fund of the Society of Antiquaries of London have also been generous donors.

Rachel Howells will be giving the annual lecture to the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral on Saturday afternoon, 6 July, her subject being the Marshall Panel and its conservation.

Dr John R. Kenyon Hon. Archivist, Llandaff Cathedral 34

NEW COLUMN

Issue 2

If you would like to nominate someone from the Cathedral who you feel would like to share a topic or interest important to them, please contact the Editor by email: majestasmagazine@gmail.com

C A T H E D R A L P E O P L E

O

ne of the delights of living and working in Cardiff for me has always been the opportunity to enjoy the natural environment of the city. As someone who has lived all his life in river valleys in north and mid-Wales enjoying the Taff especially around Llandaff itself has become my main recreational activity. Because both banks of the river are so accessible with such a wide choice of bridges and safe pathways, taking exercise is a pleasure.

I have been running for over 40 years in different countries and continents taking in a variety of climates and conditions.

But I doubt whether there is a more sociable running scene than in Cardiff. When I started running we called it ‘jogging’ to distinguish the activity from more serious distance running.

Now those of us who exercise on safe path and grass surfaces, prefer to describe ourselves as ‘trail runners’. This is particularly appropriate on the Taff because our main access to running routes is by way of the Taff Trail itself, as a main active travel green link for Cardiff commuters. That it is possible for trail runners to share this public place with regular cyclists and walkers as well as so many families enjoying outdoor recreation, is a sign of the sociability of the place.

Nothing proves this more to me than the feeling those who stride ahead without acknowledging those of us running in the opposite direction are either serious athletes or having an off day. Constant encouragements for trail runners along the Taff beyond Llandaff Rowing Club particularly are the teams of boats exercising for serious future boat races! The other pleasure is the natural environment with its birdsong, its floating variety of ducks and swans, almost unaffected by the ambient transport sounds of cars, the occasional bus, and, aircraft and trains.

At week-ends Llandaff and Pontcanna Fields throng with the young athletes going to and from organised sports of all kinds, including less formal scratch teams enjoying their own recreation. They are joined too by runners enjoying the weekly park runs and occasional longer ones.

Rachel Howells Annual lecture to the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral Saturday afternoon,

On many week-days and always on Sunday this whole scene is drawn together by the pealing of bells from Llandaff Cathedral Bell-Tower. This is a clear reminder that all our lives are lived in a created place heavily influenced by its rich and distinctive religious heritage. This is symbolized also by its signage of the City of Llandaff as a Cathedral City adjacent to the secular Capital City of Cardiff.

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas

6th July

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35

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Dear Editor A day with the beeman

I

t’s the time of year when nature reawakens.

Blossoms delight us, plants bud and crocuses and daffodils raise our spirits. New life burgeons from the little death of winter.

Since prehistoric time’s ideas of Nature’s bounty have been expressed in terms of milk and honey. Culminating in the gift of Holy Scripture, oral histories have developed over thousands of years, in which these things represent abundance, ease and prosperity.

Insects are also restarting their own cycles, returning from dormancy to thriving industry and community, which keep nature in balance in the countryside, as much as in our city gardens.

Bees can represent small deeds leading to great achievements and healthy hives are an under-regarded fulcrum of our civilisation.

They ensure the harvest upon which we depend and which gives us cause to be grateful.

It is on the basis of this visceral and cryptic fascination concerning bees that I found the offer of a day’s bee-keeping with a delightful and kind apiarist irresistible. The opportunity had been offered for the Cathedral fundraising Auction of Promises a few years ago by Nick Willey. Nick was one of many lovely individuals I have met at the Cathedral, and an open, enthusiastic and knowledgeable man, with a wealth of life experience and a passion for bees and the products of the hive.

He invited me one early Summer Saturday, when the weather had dried and calmed, dressed me up in the odd garb reminiscent of a veiled Jesuit missionary, and we trudged in our wellies through a field to a pair of hives, which had only recently been battered by storms.

The top of one hive had been blown off and I observed Nick at a distance tending to the home and restoring it after checking that the queen bee and her colony were safe. I witnessed the smoke-blowing ritual which sedated the female workers to reduce territorial aggression. I was fascinated by the organised differentiation of honeycomb cells clustering together for pollen storage as a future food source for the colony and other cells reserved for nectar. I learned that nectar collected from flowers is dehydrated by the fanning action of the workers’ wings, to form honey. The brood cells were deeper within the hive, apparently to reduce temperature fluctuations, and the queen was definitely in there because Nick could identify her. With the eye of faith, I agreed she was there too.

I learned the secret I’m not sure that beekeepers publicise- that to support a struggling colony during unfavourable seasonal fluctuations, they precisely make sugar syrup from ordinary sugar and water and pour it into the hive as a food source.

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From the protected comfort of my suit I felt serene within the mesmerising hum of investigation by inquisitive workers (and occasional but persistent aggressors).

Nick showed me the checks he made and the notes he was required to keep, as a responsible apiarist. He told me a lot about the support he had from the network of beekeepers, who meet in Llandaff and plan educational and practical events for like-minded people.

He welcomed me into his home to meet his wife Jane, who had baked a banquet of biscuits, cheese scones, Victoria sponge and a quite incredible spread to accompany afternoon tea, as a bit of a treat after the main event. We toured their stunning and mature garden to find the burrows of solitary bees and bumblebees in the ground, under some trees. Nick contentedly waxed lyrical on the differences between colony bees and solitary ones- a subject on which I was embarrassingly ignorant. He showed me his impressive wax-melting and candle-making kit and gifted me with a pot of golden clear honey from the last abundant harvest from his own hives.

As we chatted, Nick self-effacingly shared an overview of his interesting life of work and travel and of his life with Jane and their family. His gentleness is probably what I remember most keenly, along with the summer sun and a very full belly. Some of his passion has definitely rubbed off in my direction and I think that day is now one of my very happy places, alive in my memory, though the honey has long-since gone.

I had such a good day with Nick and Jane. I learned so much about the creatures which so fascinated me and felt welcomed by these two kind and generous acquaintances, whom I have since called friends. Naturally, I was very sad indeed to learn of Nick’s death. He was a great-hearted and interesting man, whose kindness and care cannot be replaced. He will be missed, though I have no doubt there’s a warm garden in which we’ll meet again, in serenity and surrounded by a pleasant, industrious hum.

Richard Swain

For your curiosity...

The Cathedral Vestments Llandaff is fortunate in having quite a large number of vestments. Each liturgical season has its own colour. The white of Candlemas will be replaced with green for a short time until the ‘Gesimas’ with Sarem blue being worn. This colour gives us a short respite of three weeks before Sackcloth and Purple take us through the six weeks of Lent.

Deacon Dalmatic

Chasuble

Sub Deacon Tunicle

This Sackcloth High Mass set was designed

by George Pace at the time of the Cathedral restoration after the ravages of the war. It is in remarkable condition considering its age. The full set, which has not been seen for a number of years, will this year, be worn throughout the season of Lent at 11am High Mass each Sunday, the purpose for which it was intended. Pace designed a dossal hanging - fixed to brackets in the Clerestory - covering the Crucifix and six candles instead. The hanging is no longer used.

The decoration on these vestments is mostly stencilled with motifs of red embroidery. These continue around the sleeves of the chasuble and hems of all three vestments. The front remains plain. The set is complete with five stoles, three maniples and a burse and veil.

The chapel altars are dressed with matching frontals and during the season of Lent, all the altar crosses are covered in sackcloth.

The Monstrance This vessel is used when the Blessed Sacrament is taken to the Altar of Repose on Maundy Thursday following the Eucharist and Washing of the Feet. There, traditionally, the Watch is kept until 11pm when the office of Tenebrae is sung.

At the Eucharist, the consecrated Host is placed in a Lunette, a small round glass the same size as the Host and placed into the Monstrance where it can be seen. It is then taken in solemn procession and placed on the altar in the David Chapel where the Watch takes place.

This monstrance is made of silver gilt and is quite elaborate in design. A short time ago, the Victorian Society visited the Cathedral, and, in their opinion, it was designed by Pugin, the man famous for the medieval ‘gothic style’ revival and the decoration of the Houses of Parliament.

A label inside the storage box states it is the property of the All Saints Community, Oxford and is on permanent loan to the Cathedral for use in the Diocese and in the care of the Dean. The lunette is kept with the monstrance, in a silver box made for it.

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Cathedral and Village - 1873

I

n 1870 the 33 year old Reverend Henry Parsons took up his duties as one of the two Minor Canons at Llandaff. With his small family, wife Alice and their new born daughter Beatrice, Mary Drake their cook, and nursemaid Ann Greatwich, they moved into one of the newly completed Minor Canonries in St Peter Street, (which was then the current name for the section of road between the Cross and the Butchers Arms). Their neighbour in the other Minor Canonry was the Reverend John Lias, who would soon depart to take up an appointment as Professor of Modern Languages at St David’s College Lampeter. He was replaced in Llandaff by Edward Fishbourne who was to play a pivotal role, with Dean Vaughan, in the foundation of the Cathedral School.

Alfred Ollivant had been Bishop of Llandaff for twenty one years and the post of Dean was held by Thomas Williams, who was a semi-invalid. Theodore Aylward, a member of a noted family of organists and Church music composers, presided over the Gray and Davidson instrument (which is still giving good service in Usk Parish Church). Aylward, who was single, lodged with Morgan Morgan the Virger in Myrtle Cottage, now sadly stripped of its longstanding historic name.

In addition to their Cathedral duties, the two Minor Canons also had parochial responsibilities in a vast parish stretching down to the sea at the mouth of the river Eli, which has since spawned numerous new parishes, - such as Canton, Grangetown, Ely and Llandaff North amongst others – each with a new church, usually built by John Prichard or one of his pupils. Not one of them has a Burial Ground and their parishioners retained ‘right of burial’ at Llandaff.

The two Minor Canons were, in effect, Curates in the PARISH of Llandaff. Fishbourne, as Succentor, had entire charge of the Choir and music for all services, both Cathedral and Parochial, including responsibility for the recruitment of men and boys.

(And half the Parish to visit – without transport other than strong legs.) Parsons was responsible for both Day and Sunday Schools, the other half of the Parish to visit, and deputising for Aylward at the Cathedral organ!

The lack of burial grounds in the newly emerging Parishes already mentioned, coupled with a rapidly growing population, meant that both Parsons and Fishbourne spent much of their time in the Llandaff Churchyard and its overflow across the Mill Stream.

In 1873 there were 161 funerals in Llandaff of which half were of children of ten years of age or younger. The following year was worse with 289 burials, of which 175 were children.

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Henry Parsons kept a pocket-book diary each year, and that for 1873 has survived. This, brief though the entries are, can be used to open a window on to how Henry’s life was structured, as the following events may illustrate. Clearly he was a great walker – no Cardiff Bus! – occasionally he resorted to Mir Kirby’s horse drawn ‘Fly’ Cab business which was run from the yard behind the coaching inn, The Greyhound, in Ely Road, situated where the entrance to Cranmer Court now is – there was also a smithy in the yard. Sometimes Henry recorded that he had walked into Cardiff and returned on a canal barge.

He was called upon to preach or conduct services in adjacent, or sometimes NOT so adjacent parishes. He attended the funeral in Winchester of the Bishop who had ordained him, Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of that Diocese. The Bishop had met his end by a fall from his horse, which had tripped in a pothole, whilst on his way to see Prime Minister W E Gladstone. Wilberforce was a passionate opponent of Charles Darwin and his views on the “origin of species”. He had twice preached at Llandaff, once in 1857 at the service held to mark the first phase of the C19th restoration, and again in 1869 to mark its completion.

Henry visited Bridgnorth to attend the dedication service marking the completion of the Tower of St Leonard’s Church where he had served a Curacy prior to coming to Llandaff.

When he left Llandaff in 1879 it was to become Rector of St Mary Magdalene, also in Bridgnorth.

Day by Day he recorded in his diary who had conducted services in the Cathedral or in the mission room in Llandaff Yard, who had preached and on what text (sometimes entering a critical view of content or delivery). He noted who he had visited either at home or in the Infirmary, made a note of what he and his gardener, Woodrow, had planted or harvested in the garden, much of which is buried under the High Street car park. He duly entered the Church Committees or meetings that he had attended, who he had played Chess, Tennis or Croquet with – and the result!

One cryptic entry for December 10th just says “Fire in St Mary Street (Heol Fair) three cottages burnt to the ground.

No lives lost”. The “Western Mail” of the following day is more expansive, making much of the leading part played by John Prichard, the Cathedral Architect, and Canon (sic) Parsons in fighting the fire and preventing it spreading to more cottages, until the fire engine galloped to the scene. It is thought that the mixture of children with candles and thatched roofs had been a recipe for trouble. It also notes that temporary accommodation for the affected families was organised by “the local Gentry”.

The annual Whitsun Fair on the Green, which dated from a Royal Charter of AD 1206, also warrants notice. It had become a very much more rowdy and violent affair as years had passed and a letter written from the Deanery in June 1876 by Mrs Catherine Williams, the Dean’s wife, complains that Llandaff is in the midst of the great Whitsun Fair; and the Green looks very strange with booths, vans, shooting galleries and a Wild Beast Show on it!

Poor Mrs Hawkins must feel rather uncomfortable with a huge monkey van drawn up in front of the Canonry window (now Pendinas). The Fair was suppressed about 1880, no doubt in part as a result of the growing strength of the Temperance Movement of which Henry Parson was an ardent supporter.

Henry and his wife were invited out to dinner from time to time and on one occasion will serve to close this account. They dined with the Bishop and with the Ordinands, five Deacons and five priests were shortly to be ordained. Amongst those to be Priested was James Rice Buckley, who was to play such an important part in the life of the Parish of Llandaff during his many years as its Vicar, and who earned himself a permanent place on the Green.

Neville James

GREEN FINGERS

Bluebell Woods

“People all over the world visit our native woodlands to see the extraordinary site.”

W

hile many of us enjoy the sight of woodlands carpeted with bluebells at this time of year, how many of us know that we’re falling for foreign interloper – The Spanish bluebell?

This charmer of a flower is causing a problem to our own native species. According to the charity Plantlife, the Spanish bluebell has doubled in numbers in the past 15 years.

The Spanish Bluebell was introduced to this country around 300 years ago, and since its intro-duction it has steadily moved from the confines of our domestic gardens to the great expanse of our natural woodlands. There are number of reasons for this, and one explanation is that garden-ers are throwing out bulbs.

The hybrid is probably now the greatest threat to the survival of our native friend the common or English bluebell. The cross-pollination carried out by our busy bees has transferred the genetics from one to the other, making a much more vigorous plant than that of either parent.

There is some thought that, within a couple of generations, the hybrid will have taken over to such an ex-tent that the English bluebell will be lost.

Britain is home to up to half of the world’s population of bluebells. People all over the world visit our native woodlands to see the extraordinary site. Sadly, it is now feared that one in every six bluebells is the Spanish variety.

What can be done? There is one simple answer– remove the invader and let us be proud of our native species. Let us enjoy the English bluebell for as long as we can.

39

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Schools Round Up...

S

tudents from Bishop of Llandaff High School provide us with an insight of their recent activities, including a trip to France, a visit to the University of Oxford, a foray into the world of politics with Sir John Major and a report from the school’s Student Congress.

The flourishing Music department at Howell’s School Llandaff reports on the successes of the Prep School Choir, due to appear in the finals of two choir competitions in March. We wish them every success as they prepare to sing at the Royal Festival Hall and Cadogan Hall in London.

A fabulous opportunity for these young musicians.

Finally, from the Cathedral School we have a prize -winning essay from a Year 12 pupil who posits his views on “What is education actually for?

Are we doing it right?”

If you are a UK tax payer and you give cash donations on a weekly basis, please consider using theGiftAid envelopes provided at the main entrance to the Cathedral.

Thank you.

40

Bishop of Llandaff High School Our ‘foodie’ weekend in France On the 29th November 2018, 36 students and five members of staff set off to France for a weekend of food and French.

Following our arrival (at about 2am!) on the Friday morning, we set off for Lille Christmas market later that day.

It was a fantastic way to start the trip, with chances for French students to put their learning into action and buy some things in French. After that we went to Ypres in Belgium where we saw many war memorials, including Tyne Cot, where nearly 12,000 servicemen from the First World War are buried, and we also stopped at the Welsh memorial in the north of Ypres. We went to have some dinner at a lovely restaurant near Menin Gate, before observing the 36,544th service here which has happened every night since the end of the Great War. We laid a wreath on behalf of the school to pay our respects to the men and women who gave up their lives for our freedom. This was an eye-opening day for all of us, seeing the thousands of graves and driving across what used to be battlefields. Lest we forget.

The next day was a nice early start for everyone to go to a classic French bakery. Here we got a chance to translate instructions from French into English and to see how they make croissants and bread, not forgetting getting shouted at intensely in French by one of the bakers!

We even got to try some delicious pain au chocolat and croissants made fresh from the bakery. Following this we went to a small sweet factory where we learnt how to make jelly sweets and boiled sweets before, most importantly, eating said sweets. It was a very satisfying and educational experience for everyone.

We then went to a small shopping centre where we got the chance to visit a variety of shops and cafes, including a supermarket with a very impressive bakery section. After that we went back to the hotel to have some dinner and play bingo. Of course, a couple of rounds in French for Mademoiselle Pénacq then some quickfire bingo to give everyone a chance.

On our last day we started by getting up and out to a chocolate factory.

We learnt about all kinds of different chocolates, how you work with them, not forgetting what they taste like. We also got a chance to practise decorating chocolate, which was very good fun.

Our last item on the itinerary was Cité Europe, a huge shopping centre just next to the Eurotunnel. A great chance to look around some different shops and another supermarket and get some last-minute presents for people back home.

The trip was a huge success and great fun. Thank you so much to our amazing teachers for taking us: Mademoiselle Pénacq, Miss Calcaterra, Mr Brown, Mr Ashment, and especially Mrs Rees for organising it.

Ewan Year 11 Our Day in Oxford On the 13th November, 36 Year 9 students were invited to go to Oxford University for the day. The purpose of the trip was to encourage and inspire us to aim high in the future. During the day we listened to a lecture, explored the university and the area around it and ate a meal in the dining hall with Oxford students.

When we first arrived, an Oxford lecturer took us to a meeting room where we were told to write down our most imaginative questions. After discussing the answers together, we headed outside to see the area around the university. Personally, our favourite part of the tour around the area was seeing the Bodleian Library, the second largest library in Britain (and the place where some scenes of Harry Potter were filmed!) It was a beautiful area,

Issue 2

with picturesque buildings and gorgeous flowers. Whilst walking through the marketplace, we were told about life in Oxford University.

After our journey through Oxford, we enjoyed a lovely meal in the hall. There was a wide range of food options from pasta and curry to delicious desserts like chocolate cake. The hall was wonderfully decorated with beautiful paintings of inspirational figures. Many Oxford students were also having their lunch at the same time. It was interesting experiencing a bit of what their daily lives were like.

Following lunch, we returned to the meeting room where we listened to a lecture on the politics of language. This was a very interesting part of the day because we learnt about a large variety of different ideas on language, including the rules of pronunciation, meanings of words and how different languages vary from English. This included a discussion and a debate on the history of words and encouraged us to think about new ideas that we wouldn’t have considered earlier.

To finish, we looked at several questions that would be asked in an interview at Oxford University. These included what we believe the greatest invention was and what it means to be ‘cool.’ We participated in group discussions about these questions. After this, we drove back to Cardiff. Altogether, it was a very educational, interesting day that helped us to discover what life is like at Oxford University and how we could get in.

Amelia and Carys Year 9 Politics students attend lecture by former Prime Minister Myfyrwyr Gwleidyddiaeth yn mynychu darlith gan gyn Brif-Weinidog On the 14th November the A Level politics students had the amazing opportunity to go and hear the former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major talk at the University of South Wales. For us politics students this was, of course, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The lecture, entitled ‘A Changing World’ was fascinating, and Sir John covered major current topics, from Brexit to the rise of nationalism. To hear about these current issues, which are prominent in

our lessons, from the perspective of a former Prime Minister of the country was extremely absorbing. After the talk there was an opportunity to ask questions, and we were able to hear Sir John’s response to some controversial queries on everything from immigration to the future of the Conservative Party. Overall the evening was an invaluable experience and it was surreal and exciting to hear a former Prime Minister speak just metres away from us!

Frances Year 12 Student Congress News from The Bishop of Llandaff High School The Bishop of Llandaff Student Congress has had a busy start to the year. Most recently some members of the Congress were lucky enough to be invited to an extremely interesting Grand Council Event on Monday 28th January, held at Techniquest, in which different aspects of science that we may not have been taught in school were previewed to us in short workshops. After each one we were given a feedback form asking if we would like more areas such this to be taught in the school curriculum. One of the workshops I found the most interesting was about smart cities and how lots of different cities around the world are using technology to enhance the quality of everyday life – for example, in some places CO2 sensors are spread throughout the cities and will send a text to the locals warning them of the high levels of pollution. Another workshop was based on Machine Learning. This is when technology receives information from its environment and responds and adapts to it accordingly. We were shown this via a program called Scratch. These were only two of several highly interesting topics and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was an educationally enlightening trip and we felt privileged that we were able to help shape the curriculum in STEM subjects for the future. We were also treated to a live performance of science rapping by Jon Chase aka Oort Kuiper.

On Friday 25th January, the school was represented at the Holocaust Memorial Service in Cardiff City Hall. This was an important, thought-provoking and very moving occasion, which this year had the theme ‘Torn from Home’. There were powerful testimonials given by several guest speakers and this was accompanied

by prayers, reflections and beautiful music. Several of the school’s students also participated as members of the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Youth Choir.

Finally, some of our members attended the Citizens’ Cymru Assembly at Cardiff University on Monday 4th February. Here, two Sixth Form students spoke passionately in front of 500 delegates about our school becoming a Refugee Welcome school. It was also an opportunity to hear from different groups who are responding to other issues such as: problems related to low pay and the implementation of the Living Wage; Refugee support and Social Care provision. The First Minister Mark Drakeford and three other cabinet members were present and were asked to pledge their commitment to supporting social and civil causes. We as a school are looking forward to working together to make a difference in the near future as new members of the organisation.

March is a Most Musical Month at Howell’s March is going to be a busy month for some of the youngest girls at Howell’s School, Llandaff GDST. The Prep School Choir is through to the finals of not one, but two choir competitions, both to be held in London in March. The choir is made up of girls aged 7 to 11 who auditioned for their places in the choir and rehearse after school twice a week, led by the school’s Director of Music, Mrs Amy Clouter.

The choir has reached the final of the Barnado’s National Choral Competition at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Monday 4th March; a fabulous opportunity to sing in such a prestigious venue and the girls are looking forward to performing along with all the other finalists in the concert after the competition.

Rhiannon, who is 11 years old, said: We’ve had lots of rehearsals, so I am feeling confident, and really happy that we’ve got through to both finals— with a little bit of nervousness too!”

Howell’s School is part of the Girls Day School Trust (GDST), a network of 25 girls’ schools in England and Wales, and 41

MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Schools Round Up...

The Cathedral School, Llandaff What is education actually for?

Are we doing it right?

Abhishek, Year 12 later on in the month the choir has been selected to take part in the GDST Young Choir of the Year in Cadogan Hall, just off Sloane Square, on 21st March.

Liana, who is in Year 6, said: “I’m excited about the London experience, but not looking forward to the long bus trip!”

Over the past few years, Howell’s Prep School choirs have performed at a variety of prestigious venues in and around Cardiff and further afield, such as the Wales Millennium Centre, St David’s Hall and Llandaff Cathedral. Always willing to use their musical talents to help others, the girls have supported local and national charities such as the children’s hospice Ty Hafan, Save the Children, the African Children’s Choir, Tenovus Cancer Care, the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales and Ty Gwyn school.

At Howell’s, it’s important that everyone feels that making music is something they can enjoy, whether or not they play an instrument or can read music. Singing with girls from all year groups builds a positive feeling of being part of a family, and this sense of belonging is the most treasured of all the assets at Howell’s.

Even those who wouldn’t class themselves as natural born singers were involved in the recent Eisteddfod celebrations, giving their lungs a good workout, and singing in a choir has many benefits. As part of the City of London Festival, Professor Graham Welch from University College London talked about the benefits of choral singing, both physical and mental.

Because singing involves many different areas of the brain acting in concert, there are often associated cognitive benefits, such as improvements in students’ reading ability. There are also social and psychosocial benefits, as singing in a collective can improve participants’ sense of belonging and of being socially included by engendering a positive sense of community.

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This is an edited version of a prize-winning essay shortlisted for the John Locke international Essay competition in September 2018 Education is one of the fundamental factors of development. Ensuring every child receives an education is vital in order to promote a stable and democratic society. Furthermore, a common education assimilates a nation and builds a common culture. In particular, education is highly effective at promoting the quantity and quality of civic participation. Although how a person manipulates their own political power varies, all the evidence indicates that education plays a pivotal empowering role in society as it constructs a foundation for political change and reform.

Whether education in the UK can be considered to be successful is certainly questionable, however, the economics of knowledge remains clear. The most effective modern economies will be those that produce the most information and knowledge. Schools that are flexible and effective in improving learning outcomes pave the way for economies to excel by allowing students the freedom to read and access knowledge. Take South Korea for example, a country perceived to be doing education ‘right’. In the 1960s, South Korea had lower national income than all South American countries. Less than a third of the adult population had completed secondary school, putting Korea near the bottom of all 34 OECD countries. Today, 97% of Korean 25-34year olds have completed high-school education, the highest rate among the principal industrialised countries. South Korea can compare itself with the best performing countries in the world – not merely in terms of quantitative educational output but also in terms of the quality of learning outcomes and equity in learning opportunities at school.

Many factors helped Korea do better than other countries that started from a low base. Most importantly, society and educators in Korea never tolerated any systemic and structural barriers that hindered learning in other countries.

When demand for education began to outpace supply, students were not sent home. Instead, class size and schooling hours were extended. Parents were ready to complement public provision with high levels of private investment into learning beyond school. The incentives driving these reforms forward was a plethora of merit-based learning opportunities, where progress depended on what children were able to do, not where they came from.

A labour market that put qualifications first offered a high degree of social mobility to the skilled, enabling them to return their educational investment to society and the economy.

So, are we, in the UK, doing education right? Are talented young people getting the access they need to Higher Education? Although some educational systems do base the value of a student on their public examination results, there still remain many other disciplines for students to perform in such as sports and music which can actually enable a student to access higher education through scholarships. Nonetheless, there remains room for improvement in education. Countries should focus on creating and maintaining a system of diverse, sustainable and high-quality educational institutions with the freedom to respond to the demand of education and who are accountable for the outcomes they produce. Furthermore, the disparity between the standards of education must be rectified and lessened in order to enhance equality and raise the overall standard of the educated population. Lastly, universities should be encouraged to evolve and diversify their courses in order to ensure that graduates are equipped with a diverse range of enterprising skills. Above all, if education is to herald political change and reform, it must be acknowledged as the foundation of a country’s success.

Issue 2

Kids fun

Do you know where this is in the Cathedral?

Can you find it?

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EASTER LENT FEAST GOOD FRIDAY

Make Easter cookies Make sure you are with an adult when making your cookies.

You will need: 8 oz self raising flour 4 oz butter 3-4 oz caster sugar 2 oz currants or sultanas Grated zest of one lemon 1 egg – lightly beaten 1-2 tbls milk 2 inch fluted round cutter

PALM HOLY CROSS CHOCOLATE

EGG BUNNY BONNET APRIL

Z

Z

R

B

C

RISEN SUNDAY CROWN SPRING

Method Preheat the oven to 180 C. Rub together the butter and flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, lemon zest and currants. Mix in the lightly beaten egg and a little milk to bring mixture together to form a dough – knead lightly. Roll out the dough to 5mm thick and cut into shapes using your cookie cutters.

Place on a baking sheet, allowing room to spread.Bake in the pre heated oven for 10-15 minutes.

Sprinkle with caster sugar and place on a cooling rack.

Share, eat and enjoy !

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MAJ ESTAS

Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Culture drop EXHIBITIONS The Albany Gallery, Cardiff Showing work by Karl Davies, Peter Kettle and Euan McGregor until 9 March. A one man show by the artist Gwyn Roberts will run from 14 March to 6 April.

The Albany Gallery, Albany Road, Cardiff Tel: 029 2048 7158 info@albanygallery.com www.albanygallery.com Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff Gallery Artists: a changing exhibition by regular gallery artists, including Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Mary Lloyd-Jones and Richard Barrett. Through March and April.

John McFarlane: Swan Lake and Other Works 21 March – 11 April. The Martin Tinney Gallery, Windsor Place, Cardiff Tel: 029 2064 1411 mtg@artwales.com National Museum Cardiff An unmissable event this spring will be Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing which runs until 6 May. To mark the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death, twelve of his greatest drawings will be displayed at the museum as part of #Leonardo500, when a total of 144 drawings will be on show at 12 simultaneous exhibitions in the UK. The drawings are on loan from the Royal Collection. Major displays will follow at The Queen’s Galleries in Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh. The works have been selected to show the extraordinary scope of the artist’s interests -painting, sculpture, architecture, music, anatomy, engineering, cartography, geology and botany – as well as his use of different media: pen and ink, red and black chalk, watercolour and metal point. The National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff Tel: 0300 111 2333 cardiff@museum wales.ac.uk

THEATRE The Royal Shakespeare Company comes to the New Theatre with Romeo and Juliet, the most famous story of love at first sight, playing from Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9 March at 7:30 pm with a Saturday matinee at 2:30 pm.

For younger audiences, Horrible Histories returns with Awful Egyptians and Terrible Tudors from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 March.

If thrillers are more to your taste, Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d runs from Tuesday 26 March to Saturday 6 April, Tuesday – Saturday 7:30 pm and Thursday and Saturday matinees 2:30pm New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff Tel: 029 2087 8889 newtheatrecardiff.com Over at the Sherman Theatre, a razor-sharp production of The Taming of the Shrew turns Shakespeare’s original upside down and invites us to imagine a world in which women hold all the power. Petruchio is a woman who isn’t afraid of a challenge……and her latest task is to tame a beautiful young man called…Kate. Prepare yourselves for a bawdy and riotous take on a contentious classic….. Until 16 March.

Sherman, Senghenydd Road, Cardiff Tel: 029 20646900 shermantheatre.co.uk 44

More Shakespeare at the Wales Millennium Centre with the National Theatre’s production of Macbeth from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 March. Directed by National Theatre Artistic Director Rufus Norris and designed by Rae Smith (War Horse), this epic and visually daring production was a sell out in its London run. WMC, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff Tel: 029 2063 6464 wmc.org.uk

FILM Marvel Studios is about to release its first female led superhero movie with Brie Larson making her debut as Carol Danvers.

Captain Marvel, also starring Jude Law and Samuel L Jackson, is released on 8 March.

Dumbo, everyone’s favourite floppy-eared elephant is brought to life in CGI in this “live- action” remake. Directed by Tim Burton and starring Colin Farrell, Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton. In cinemas from 29 March.

The latest offering in The Avengers series, Avengers: Endgame stars Roberts Downey Jnr and Scarlett Johansson in another action-packed sci-fi adventure. From 26 April.

OTHER Go no farther than St Fagans if you’re looking for something different this spring…..at the Museum of Welsh History, you’ll find things aplenty to inspire and motivate.

Ever fancied lambing? Then why not celebrate the start of spring in the lambing shed at Llwyn-yr-Eos Farm. There are even Lambing day courses for those who want a real hands-on experience.

Visits to the lambing shed are free. From 1-25 March daily between 10am-5pm. Courses cost £120/£95 concession and run between 8:30am – 4pm on 8, 11 & 15 March.

Meet the Objects: International Women’s Day affords the opportunity to see first-and the banner made by Welsh suffragists, a rare example of an anti-suffragette doll - and other newly acquired collections. One in a series of regular themed sessions led by the Museum’s curators and archivists.

The session is free. 8 March, 2:30pm.

St Fagans Real Food Market provides the chance to support local food producers and enjoy a visit to the Museum. The market is held in the small grass car park area in front of the main building 6 March and 27 April, 10am – 3pm What to do now in the garden: Spring - If you need some top tips for gardening following a soggy winter, spend a morning in the inspirational setting of the gardens at St Fagans Castle where there’ll be practical demonstrations and a chance to participate in seasonal tasks. 27 March 10am – 1pm Cost: £35/£26 The Big Museum Easter Trail provides fun for all the family. 19-22 April, 10am – 3pm Cost: £3.50

Enjoy some downtime this Spring!

Town Owl

Out and about with...

T

he seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany have come and gone along with festive dinners and parties, but there have been much both to celebrate and, more recently, to banish the blues of a lingering winter.

On the art front December saw a small but beautiful retrospective of works by the Polish émigré painter Ernest Zobole at the Kooywood Gallery, this included a rare early self portrait of museum quality and some very interesting drawings.

It provided an excellent survey of his artistic development, culminating in the familiar colourful, dreamlike landscapes set in the South Wales valleys. It was immediately followed for this owl with an enjoyable dinner over the road at the Museum, preceded by carols in the Wynne Gallery surrounded by eighteen century landscapes of the Grand Tour by the likes of Richard Wilson and Thomas Jones, a contrast to the winter landscapes of the bleak midwinter invoked by the singing.

One of the undoubted cultural highlights of the year is the exhibition at the Museum of twelve drawings by Da Vinci from the Royal Collection, which was launched on the snowy evening of 31 January. One of twelve exhibitions underway throughout the UK, which will culminate in exhibitions at the Royal Collections at Holyrood Palace and Buckingham Palace.

The Cardiff exhibition includes an anatomical drawing with Leonardo’s thumbprint. A rare opportunity to reach over 500 years to the time it was drawn.

In Cardiff we are very much blessed with the Stoutzker Hall at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, perhaps Cardiff’s answer to the Wigmore Hall. It was the venue in January for a feast of late Romantic music with a weekend of Strauss song. This was an excellent opportunity to survey Strauss’s career, from his juvenalia, including his first ever song written when he was six, and his far more assured Op 10 song cycle expertly interpreted by James Newby, a BBC Young Generation Artist, to the Four Last Songs, brilliantly performed by the soprano Carolyn Sampson and pianist Joseph Middleton. The encore to that particular recital was Malven his last known work, not performed until 1985 by Kiri Te Kanawa. At the same night as the Da Vinci opening Llyr Williams continued his Schubert cycle at the College with the great B major sonata and appropriately, given the arctic conditions outside, a number of Liszt transcriptions of leider from Winterreise.

The following week saw a concert at St David’s Hall combining more late Romanticism and Classicsm, with Mahler’s Tenth Symphony and an exceptional performance of his Rückert Lieder by Catriona Morison and Stephen Hough, brilliant on Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto.

This owl has noticed the lengthening days, with snowdrops and crocuses in the park and reinvigorated birdsong, a sure sign that spring is on its way, with a new season of opera, exhibitions and other events that our capital has to offer.

Country Owl

W

riting this in January, I wonder what happened to November and December.

They flew by. My farm diary tells me that we had very heavy rain in November, which didn’t make me feel much Christmas spirit, but the autumn colours were spectacular; more beautiful than I can remember before. I always appreciate leaves when still attached to the trees, but they can cause me all sorts of problems when on the ground. Much time in December was taken up with clearing leaves and unblocking culverts.

In one week of particularly awful weather I was invited to plant a silver birch tree in the park of Cyfarthfa Castle, ably assisted by a class of infants from the nearby school. Despite the weather, we had great fun and they intend to keep an eye on their tree and see how it develops. December was a much nicer month, positively balmy, with daffodils beating the snowdrop by a couple of inches. Now, to my amazement, I have two buds on the rose bush outside my kitchen door. I hope they will survive.

Sadly, December came with another problem. Fly tipping! The very furthest corner of the farm proved attractive as a spot to get rid of a complete mixture of rubbish. Much of it was the sort of stuff that decent human beings take to the tip. These people can’t be bothered. Three times we have had to clear the corner and raise the fencing higher. There appears to be nothing the police can do.

It made a nice change to get out of my jeans and into my best clothes, to visit the headquarters of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service in Llantrisant. Each year, I go to present their long-service medals and I never leave there without feeling huge admiration for the work they do. I felt rather sad that, due to my imminent retirement, that will be my last visit. Best dress again for the Welsh National Service of Remembrance in Llandaff Cathedral. That was very moving too.

With Christmas approaching fast, it was off to the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Builth Wells. I love the Food Hall for food, drink and last minute presents. I spent Christmas in Devon, on my son’s dairy farm. Warm and welcoming on the inside, but grey, muddy and busy outside. Dairy farms do not give time off for good behaviour and cows do not understand the concept of Christmas, although one did present the world with a new calf on Christmas Eve. On my farm, the sheep are finally settled and no longer trying to escape and the cattle enjoy the comparative warmth of the big barn. There are daffodils, snowdrops and crocus not quite in flower. Today we have the first snow of the winter and it is very cold which is to be expected in January. Every month has its attractions, but I look forward to Spring.

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Celebrating The Life Of Llandaff Cathedral

Dates for your diaries Liturgical Calendar for March to May 2019

Events Diary March – May 2019

March 2019

March

1 – David (6th century), Bishop, Patron Saint of Wales 3 – The Sunday before Lent: Transfiguration Sunday 5 – Non (5th century), Mother of David of Wales 6 – Ash Wednesday 7 – Perpetua, Felicity and their Companions (6th Century), Martyrs 10 – The First Sunday of Lent 17 – The Second Sunday of Lent 18 – Cyril of Jerusalem (386), Bishop 19 – Joseph of Nazareth 20 – Cuthbert (687), Bishop 21 – Thomas Cranmer (1556), Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Robert Ferrar (1555). Bishops, Teachers and Martyrs 24 – The Third Sunday of Lent 25 – The Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary 29 – Woolos (6th century), King 31 – The Fourth Sunday of Lent & Mothering Sunday

Wednesday 6th 7.30pm Ash Wednesday Eucharist This meditative service marks the beginning of the season of Lent. During the service we receive on our forehead the sign of the cross in Ash to remind us of our mortality.

April 2019: 7 – The Fifth Sunday of Lent: Passion Sunday 8 – Griffith Jones (1761), Priest and Teacher 9 – Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1945), Pastor, Teacher & Martyr 11 – George Augustus Selwyn (1878), Bishop and Missionary 14 – The Sixth Sunday of Lent: Palm Sunday 18 – Maundy Thursday 19 – Good Friday 20 – Easter Eve 21 – Easter Day 28 – The Second Sunday of Easter 29 – Mark, Evangelist

May 2019: 1 – Philip and James, Apostles 2 – Athanasius (373), Bishop and Doctor 3 – Henry Vaughan (1695), Poet 5 – The Third Sunday of Easter 8 – Julian of Norwich (c1417), Spiritual Writer 9 – Gregory of Nazianzus (390), Bishop 12 – The Fourth Sunday of Easter 14 – Matthias, Apostle 15 – Edmwnd Prys (1624) Priest, Poet & Translator and John Davies (1644) Priest & Translator 19 – The Fifth Sunday of Easter 24 – Charles Wesley (1788) and John Wesley (1791), Priests and Missionaries 25 – Bede (735), Doctor 26 – The Sixth Sunday of Easter: Rogation Sunday 28 – Melangell (6th century), Abbess 30 – Ascension Day 31 – The Visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth 46

Tuesday 12th 12.30pm Lent Lunch This week the Lent Lunch is prepared by the Mothers’ Union.

Entry is £6 which covers soup, bread, cheese, tea and coffee.

Wednesday 13th 7.30pm Lent Service Join us in the nave of the Cathedral for the first in our series of contemplative Lent services on our journey towards Easter.

Tuesday 19th 12.30pm Lent Lunch This week the Lent Lunch is prepared by the Christian Aid Committee & Bellringers.

Wednesday 20th 7.30pm Lent Service (Lady Chapel) Join us in the nave of the Cathedral as we continue our series of contemplative Lent services on our journey towards Easter.

Tuesday 22nd 7.00pm Concert - Cardiff University Orchestra Come and see a performance of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and Haydn’s Nelson Mass, tickets are £10, £8 concessions and free for students!

Monday 25th 10.00am Mothers’ Union Quiet Day Members from across the Diocese are invited to join us for a Eucharist and contemplative ‘Quiet Day’.

Tuesday 26th 12.30pm Lent Lunch This week the Lent Lunch is prepared by the Churchwardens & Office Staff.

Wednesday 27th 7.30pm Lent Service (Lady Chapel) Join us in the nave of the Cathedral as we continue our series of contemplative Lent services on our journey towards Easter.

Thursday 28th 7.30pm Concert – Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Tickets are available from the RWCMD box office for this performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers.

Friday 29th 7.00pm Concert – Llandaff Cathedral School All are welcome to join us to support the talented students in Cathedral School Music Department for this concert.

Saturday 30th 7.30pm Concert – Llandaff Cathedral Choral Society The Cathedral Choral Society return for their Spring Concert with a performance of Mozart’s ‘Great’ Mass in C minor.

Tickets are available from Garlands, High Street and www.llandaffcathedralchoralsociety.org.uk

Issue 2

Cont’d...

From the records …

April

Baptisms

Tuesday 2nd 12.30pm Lent Lunch This week the Lent Lunch is prepared by the Llandaff Cathedral Choir Association.

16th December: Rosalyn Forouzan Phillips Radin Forouzan Phillips

Wednesday 3rd 7.30pm Lent Service (Lady Chapel) Join us in the nave of the Cathedral as we continue our series of contemplative Lent services on our journey towards Easter.

10th December – Audrey Lisk 13th December – Ruth Phelps 19th December – Helena Braithwaite 28th December – Marilyn Horsham 4th January – Shirley Roberts 18th January – Roy Bohana 28th January – Geraint Thomas 8th February – Annaliese Fox 13th February – Nick Willey 8th March – John T Lewis

Tuesday 9th 12.30pm Lent Lunch This week the Lent Lunch is prepared by the Welcomers & Shop Volunteers.

Wednesday 10th 7.30pm Lent Service (Lady Chapel) Join us in the nave of the Cathedral as we continue our series of contemplative Lent services on our journey towards Easter.

Holy Week 2019 begins Monday 15th April Keep an eye on our website and the weekly notes for details about services throughout Holy Week.

May Saturday 11th 1.00pm Lunchtime Concert May sees the start of a new series of Lunchtime Recitals.

Keep an eye on our website for more details!

Funerals

Weddings 16th February - Hannah Bates & Matthew Stonehill 16th February - Sarah Johnson & Rhys Jenkins

Altar Linen Rota Month

Name

January

Myra Jenkins

Tuesday 14th 12.30pm Christian Aid War on Want Lunch Christian Aid Week 2019 is 13th – 18th May this year.

Please join us to raise money for the charity at this War on Want Lunch.

February

Hélène Impey

March

Hilary Thomas-Davey

April

Beryl Baldwin

May

Mary Madsen

Wednesday 15th 7.00pm Concert – Llandaff Cathedral Choir Our Cathedral Choir values all the support it receives from the Cathedral community. Come and show your support as they give this concert. More details will be released soon!

June

Charlotte Davey

July

Dianne Bartley

August

Myra Jenkins

September

Diane Bartley

October

Beryl Baldwin

November

Hilary Thomas-Davey

December

Charlotte Davey

Saturday 18th 1.00pm – Lunchtime Concert A new series of Lunchtime Recitals continues this Saturday.

Keep an eye on our website for more details!

Flower Guild Rota Dates

Team Leader

Team

3 March 2019 green

Liz Pexton Tel: 20 251773

Ann Tregidon, Jan Biss, Anne Enoch, Diana Lambert, Brenda Isaacs, Helen Bush, Bev Brown

6 March – 20 April 2019 21 April white

LENT - NO FLOWERS Flower Guild Committee

Volunteer Group for EASTER

Charlotte Davey

Dianne Bartley, Jan Ford, Hilary Thomas, Jenny Barton Greenwood

19 May white

Dorothy Piffaretti Tel: 20568929

LLandaff Mothers’ Union

26 May white

Barbara Treharne Tel: 20564655

Dorothy Piffaretti, Stella Taylor, Jill Cockram, Charlotte Davey, Hilary Thomas

28 April white 5 May white 12 May white

47

www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk majestasmagazine@gmail.com @LlandaffCath @llandaffcathedral

The Editorial Team is grateful to all who have contributed to this edition of Majestas.

Editorial Team: Lead Editor, Philippa Hallinan Sian Roberts, Pippa Clarke, Christopher Preece Design: Mark Edwards | POLAR 10

Copy deadline for Issue 3 by 7th May, 2019 Charity Number: 1159090