St Giles' News June 2024

ST GILES’ NEWS

June 2024

What’s inside

Ø The youth of St Giles’

Ø Our 1000th anniversary

Ø Volunteering spotlight

Ø New banners

Ø Open days

Ø 900 gathering voices

Ø A voice from Jerusalem

Ø Vacancy progress

Welcome to the June edition of the St Giles’ News, in which our Interim Moderator reflects on this less than Ordinary Time for St Giles’ as we celebrate our 900th year and begin our search for a new Minister.

As well as information on the vacancy process, we have updates on our 900 celebrations, including the creation of beautiful new banners, 900 Voices, planned participation in Edinburgh’s Doors Open Day and exciting new projects led by our talented and committed Heritage and Culture Team. Not content with just 900 years, we also look forward to the next 100 years, with the commission of a feasibility study to explore how we could better meet changing and challenging contemporary needs in our ancient building and, with a fascinating dive in our archives, we ask readers to reflect on what we should leave behind for St Giles’ of 2124.

The operation of St. Giles’ is only made possible by the commitment of numerous individuals: our dedicated, hardworking staff and our many kind and generous volunteers (not to forget our devoted Ministry team!). In upcoming newsletters, we will showcase the diverse range of roles involved, starting with the hugely valuable contribution some of our volunteers, working both within and out with the Cathedral.

We also have news from our Mission Partner in Jerusalem and our friends at Canongate, plans for a St Giles’ Youth/U-40 group, details of our summer concert series, and much more besides. Read on…

Welcome

By the time this edition is published the Church will have entered those weeks which are sometimes called Ordinary Time. This is not because there is nothing of note in our worship but because the Sundays are numbered Some denominations number the Sundays after Pentecost, others after Trinity. The colour for banners and vestments is green, reflecting our readings featuring the growth and development of the early church. Ordinary Time will take us through to November.

For St Giles’ this period will also not really feel ordinary. That is partly because it is approximately the second half of the 900th anniversary year and there are special occasions to mark the passing of this great milestone. It will also be less than ordinary because, all being well, we will set out on the search for the next Minister of St Giles’.

Elsewhere in the magazine I have described the procedural steps we need to take. I know it looks complex but we will take it step by step and you will probably get weary of the announcements and meetings which are required. However, the process is simply the webbing through which we weave the task of discerning what the future holds for the Cathedral and how we all might play a part in calling the right person to lead the congregation and the staff team into that future.

For a few it will mean serving on the Nominating Committee. If someone asks if they can put your name forward please consider saying, “Yes.” There is no guarantee you will be elected but by just being in a good field of candidates you will help the congregation think through what is needed. If chosen, serving on the Nominating Committee is a responsibility but it is also a privilege – you are given chance to think, talk and pray with the Committee as it works and, in time, you will meet and hear those who apply for the position.

For most of the congregation these are days when everyone can play a part in this less-than-ordinary time. If you can, come to Church on a Sunday and chat to others about your hopes are for the next Minister. If at all possible, attend the meetings of the congregation when they are called. Remember in prayer those for whom the process brings additional tasks. Offer them words of encouragement when the opportunity arises. If the process seems too slow – be patient! Feel free to ask elders and ministers how things are going Don’t ask who has applied!

Ordinary Time will be far from ordinary this year. It is an exciting moment as we call the Minister who will lead work and witness into the first years of our tenth century.

With best wishes,

George

St Giles’ Cathedral Youth/U-40s Group

What?

We want to create a lively community for young people at St Giles’. Whether it is a cinema trip, an evening of champagne, art and music, or starting a Cathedral running club, we are eager to see young people connect and become an integral part of the Cathedral.

When?

Starting in July 2024, we would like to explore various ways for young people to connect and share in fellowship. We are pleased to welcome Sam Nwokoro to the Cathedral ministry team. Sam will enhance youth engagement and participation as an extension of his primary contribution to the weekly worship life of the Cathedral.

Why?

We are optimistic about the possibilities for youth ministry at St Giles’. Many young people pass through Edinburgh for early career choices, postgraduate studies, and relationships. We can offer a place of solemnity and weekly liturgical ministry Alongside our core liturgical worship, we can also explore new opportunities for youth ministry.

How?

St Giles’ already has connections with schools and universities across Edinburgh. The young adults/under-40s group would enhance such existing avenues within and outside the Cathedral. Apart from getting young St Gilesers together, we hope to initiate partnerships with university chaplaincies across the city.

Subject to Kirk Session approval, a potentially unique project to showcase St Giles’ interfaith legacy would be to establish the Macmillan Bursary. It will be an initiative that aims to support interfaith youth activities in Edinburgh and sustain the interfaith effort championed during the ministry of the Very Rev. Gilleasbuig Iain Macmillan (1942-2023) at St Giles’.

How can you get involved?

In taking these early steps, we greatly depend on involvement and ideas. So, please spread the word and get in touch. If you are keen to get involved or have suggestions, contact Sam Nwokoro at sam.nwokoro@stgilescathedral.org.uk.

We look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead!

St Giles’

The next hundred years

There is a peculiar awe that accompanies our time in the Kirk just now – or at least, there is for me, and I imagine also for many others in the congregation. Knowing that it’s been 900 years since this building saw its first incarnation lends an extra dignity to our procession, an extra dimension to our intercessions, an extra nuance to our day -to-day contributions to the life of St Giles’.

With those thoughts has also been building an awareness of the things that we ought to do in our building but cannot. Not for want of people, or time, or even (solely) funds, but simply for want of appropriate space.

The heritage St Giles’ represents has drawn more and more people to the building, and last year 1.4 million people came through our doors to discover more of its beauty, history and spirituality. The logistical challenges presented by that demand mean that we now, in addition to our ministry team, employ 26 people in the building. Many are part-time, and their efforts are supplemented by a large team of willing, knowledgeable and hardworking volunteers.

The success of St Giles’ as a place of worship, pilgrimage, tourism and civic duty has not, however, been met by a commensurate success in accommodating the needs of the congregation, visitors, staff and volunteers. We need more appropriate office space, even if desks are ‘hot’; and that space needs to be properly ventilated. We need somewhere for socialising over coffee after a service; the Lower Aisle Café was well loved and used, and the role it played in maintaining our social infrastructure is sorely missed Although the space it used to occupy can now host small meetings, there’s nowhere for the entire Kirk Session to meet on the premises, other than in the body of the Kirk itself, which is ill-suited to the purpose. Furthermore, and speaking bluntly, we haven’t nearly enough toilets. We are hosting an increasingly busy calendar of concerts, which provide a healthy contribution to our running costs and Giving to Grow contributions to Presbytery; but a concert-goer who spends a good part of the second half of a concert queueing for the toilet is unlikely to think well of St Giles’. We have no toilet facilities at all for the disabled.

All these issues have led the Kirk Session to explore ways in which we can, in our 900th year, pave the way for St Giles’ to address these urgent needs. At the Session meeting in March, it was agreed that a feasibility study would be undertaken by a firm of architects, Hoskins, who have done a great deal of pro bono work to help us understand the magnitude of the challenge we face, and the ways in which we might address it. This study will give an overview of several possible solutions, with a wide range of costings; it is expected that this will allow for a single way forward to be selected which is useful, beautiful and – with the necessary sources of funding identified – affordable

Even this study, though, will come at a considerable cost. The pared-back version, which will give only the bare bones of the data the Session needs in order to make a decision, is going to cost £50,000, as it includes work not just by architects but also by quantity surveyors and other specialists. The recent sale of one of the properties on George IV Bridge has allowed the Session the wherewithal to give the go-ahead for the study to be prepared; but it need hardly be said that every penny allocated to this project is a penny diverted from other, equally worthy ventures that we will need to undertake.

Can you help us create the vision for St Giles’ in the next 100 years and beyond? If you are able to contribute to the cost of the feasibility study, and thus create greater flexibility around the work we are doing to provide capacity within our ancient building for today’s needs, I would be delighted to hear from you. My email address is amanda.forsyth@stgilescathedral.org.uk

Amanda Forsyth, Treasurer

St Giles’ in 1924, 2024 and 2124

Since the start of our 900th anniversary discussions, it has been suggested that we have a ‘time-capsule’ to be opened during our millennial anniversary in 2124. What do we know of St Giles’ Cathedral in 1924? What do we want to share of the life of the Cathedral today?

I visited the Chronicles of St Giles’ and here are some of the stories that are included:

It was reported that The Reverend Andrew Wallace Williamson had been unwell and was going to recuperate in Europe. A collection of £750 was gathered ‘to show the token of affection and esteem’ held by the Congregation. It is estimated this sum equates to about £60K today. The Reverend Andrew Wallace Williamson was Minister of St Giles’ from 1910-1925 and Dean of the Order of the Thistle and the Chapel Royal in Scotland. He was Moderator of the GA in 1913 and lectured at the university in ‘Pastoral Theology’ too. He published at least half a dozen books and did all of this despite the heartache of losing his wife after just three years (Married Agnes, 1882, she passed in Aug 1885). A remarkable fellow!

Stories were recalled of the numerous fires that occurred in Edinburgh in 1924 – three occurring in the space of a week around St Giles’. This covered part of the Royal Mile below the Cathedral and destroyed the tower of the Tron Church. Fortunately, the Cathedral was not harmed. It was reported that a positive outcome in the longer term was ‘the efficient Fire Service of which Edinburgh is justly proud’.

During summer graduations from The University of Edinburgh in McEwan Hall tributes were paid to Mr E H Liddell on attaining his degree in Pure Science and winning the gold medal for the 400m race at the recent Olympic Games in Paris. It is reported that a group of fellow students seized Eric Liddell, ‘chaired’ and carried him to St Giles’ Cathedral and on arrival they called for a speech. Eric Liddell responded with ‘in the dust of defeat as well as in the laurels of victory, there is glory to be found if one has done their best’. This was met with applause.

Many reports were focussed on ‘vandalism’ in St Giles’ These reports relate to a heating system that was installed to provide heat to members of the choir but did not heat the rest of the Cathedral. The ‘vandalism’ related to the aesthetics of the installation and included challenges to the different responsibilities of the Cathedral Board and the Kirk Session.

What do we want to share of the life of St Giles’ today to capture a picture for people in 2024? This might be in relation to the congregation, visitors, choir, staff and volunteers or stories relating to the building, or to the links and engagement in religious and civic life in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom or further afield.

We can include orders of services, copies of the newsletter and music programmes, and the materials will need to be in an accessible format. I am interested in hearing your suggestions and stories. Please send them to stgiles900@stgilescathedral.org.uk

Anne Whiteford, Convenor, 900 Committee

Our partners in Jerusalem

We hear again from Stewart Gillan , who is the Church of Scotland’s Mission Partner in Jerusalem and has recently visited St . Giles’.

I write hours before heading back to Israel and Palestine following General Assembly. It has been good to be home, spending time with family and connecting with friends and colleagues, including for the annual Service of Remembrance in St Giles’ on Chaplains’ Day at Assembly. It is one of the things that St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church Jerusalem and St Giles’ Cathedral share: both are places of remembrance and prayer in respect of Scots who fell in service of their country in time of war, in which we seek, moreover, to hear the call to seek peace and pursue it at home and abroad.

One of the most moving experiences Muriel Pearson and I have had thus far has been the annual Joint Israeli and Palestinian Memorial Ceremony, held last year in April and this year in May; last year in person in Tel Aviv and this year, war-affected, online. Our partner, the Parents Circle–Family Forum, is part of its organisation and leadership. Amid intense controversy – for it happens at the same time as Israel’s Memorial Day, and, on the West Bank, the annual observance of the anniversary of the beginning of the Nakba – people come together, great souls, to grieve the loss of loved ones, killed in the violence of the times. All the more this year their witness to peace and more basically to their determination not to dehumanise and demonise each other, is of huge significance.

Trying to process my experience last year, I wrote a song, ‘Shalom Salaam Hello,’ whose first verse and chorus I offer as a window on our journey with church and human rights partners.

The siren sounds now it starts Sixty seconds in your heart

Come the faces come the names Comes the love comes the pain

Absent friends fallen foes

In grief we come in grief we go Sing again for auld lang syne Who can grieve across the lines? In grief we come across the lines.

Shalom Salaam Hello.

May God go with us as we seek to bring and embody the peace of Christ together.

Stewart

Rev Dr Stewart Gillan

Minister, St Andrew’s Church of Scotland Jerusalem & Tiberias Mission Partner Jerusalem

A spotlight on volunteering

So much of what we see at St Giles’ happens due to the generosity of so many people . Often that means the giving of one’s time and skills to keep our building running and looking its best In the next few editions of the Newsletter, we will highlight the wide variety of these roles . An opportunity to offer thanks for the work done, but also to see if anyone else would like to participate .

We begin by interviewing Christine Beadle, who is the Convener of the Flower team who are behind all the wonderful flowers that decorate our Cathedral .

What does your role involve?

The role mainly requires co-ordination and arrangement of any flower displays within the Cathedral. For most of the year this involves organising two large pedestal arrangements. Sometimes, such as at Easter and Christmas, there will be extra flowers displayed.

Arranging and maintaining the flowers is very much a team effort. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lilian Davidson, Liz Barnes and Lorna Aikman for all their support.

Also, a special mention of gratitude must be given to Thomas Maxwell for his unwavering encouragement, and the supply of wonderful flowers and greenery. This is no mean feat as the displays are changed every 2 to 3 weeks depending on the time of year or to complement the particular services that are scheduled. The role would also be harder without the help of the Beadles, who frequently top up the water and assist with stands, cleaning, etc.

What is the most enjoyable part of your role?

Arranging the flowers is always a privilege. The beauty of the flowers and foliage never fails to remind me of how wonderful nature is. It is also a pleasure to speak with visitors from around the world who are keen flower enthusiasts. Many visitors enquire if the flowers are real, while others like to have their photograph taken with the arrangements.

What is the most challenging aspect of the role?

Small arrangements would be lost in such a large and spectacular space and therefore we require a lot of material! At times when the church is busy, it can be difficult to negotiate around people. Also, in a more environmentally-friendly era we are considering how to adapt from the traditional foam oasis we use to hold the displays in place.

Would you encourage others to volunteer to join the flower team? I would! I have been arranging flowers in St Giles’ for almost two years. Prior to the pandemic I helped on the visitors’ desk and am still part of a stewarding team. St Giles’ is a very special and peaceful space, and everyone is friendly and supportive; volunteering is not only good for the soul but beneficial for one's blood pressure!

If you are interested in joining the flower team, Christine would be delighted to hear from you. She can be contacted by email: christinebeadle@hotmail.co.uk

900 Voices – reaching out

We have had wonderful weeks - recording, transcribing, database building and composition work are all in full flow It is incredible to spend time talking with people on the themes of belonging, connection and community. The installation and spoken word archive are shaping up very well indeed and people seem to really enjoy taking part.

Conversation Recordings

We have now recorded over 100 conversations with people from St Giles' communities and beyond. It has been wonderful to be in the Cathedral weekly on a Wednesday afternoon when we host recordings and a recordist workshop for new and returning volunteer recordists. Some of the people who came in to record with us had never been before, and as you can imagine they were delighted to spend time in the Cathedral

For June we are moving into a different phase of the project - we will be concentrating our efforts on reaching people all over the city through recording in community centres throughout Edinburgh, our social media presence is stepping up and we are hoping to record with many people in many different settings!

We're talking Belonging, Connection and Community at :

• weekend community centre events (Pilton, Porty, Leith, The Causey, Newhaven and more)

• weekday community groups and local businesses e.g. Lothian Buses; The Yard Play Centre; Scran Academy; Senior Citizens Groups, primary schools and many more settings.

• scheduled recordings at the Cathedral (Two Wednesday afternoons in June)

• scheduled recordings in other venues throughout the city - Central Library / Screen Academy / Leith Community Centre / West Pilton Neighbourhood Community Centre and other locations (days variable)

• self-directed recordings (we are still keen to lend out kits for you to arrange and make recordings on your own throughout June). Would you like to do this? - get in touch hello@900voices.org

In June we are pushing to reach and represent as many different people and communities of Edinburgh as we can ahead of the installation launch on August 2nd as part of the International Festival. There won't be any scheduled recording events in July.

We'd love your help to do this! If you'd like to get involved - to be recorded/ make recordings/to volunteer your energy in other ways to be an ambassador for the project, do get in touch - hello@900Voices.org or via www.900Voices.org

Zoë Irvine

Make and Mend

Liz Barnes, a member of congregation of St Giles', is well known to members as a steward but also for being part of the flower arranging team, the Banner Guild and the Neighbourhood Group. People will be less aware that since September 2021 Liz has been facilitating the very successful 'Make and Mend' group run by the Grassmarket Community Project.

A trained tailor, Liz did her apprenticeship with Wilkies before moving into a career in retail and the care sector. On retirement she turned to volunteering at the Thistle Foundation, the Edinburgh Food Project and latterly the Grassmarket Community Project. She noticed they were looking for help with the 'Make and Mend' group, something which used her experience and skills, and jumped at the chance to become their facilitator.

The 'Make and Mend' group was formed to enable members of the Grassmarket Community to develop not only life skills in altering and mending clothes but also to learn and practice other needlework crafts such as patchwork, quilting and embroidery. Every week Liz runs two sessions coaching individuals to give them the skills to mend and remodel their own clothes as well as produce decorative household items and gifts from left over materials. These items which they make either for their own personal use or as gifts include cushions, bags, draught excluders, baby gifts and Christmas decorations Liz is assisted by two volunteers. This enjoyable, friendly and fun class is punctuated by chat and coffee as well as the opportunity to lunch together thus boosting members’ confidence and wellbeing. Their mantra is 'Never say “I can't sew”'. People arrive with a variety of abilities ranging from complete beginner to improver. With Liz's patience and support, everyone progresses. Some have even gone on to join Tartan Enterprise where members and volunteers of the Grassmarket Community produce a range of tartan textile products for sale. Their shop can be visited in Candlemaker Row.

The 'Make and Mend' group are always on the lookout for materials that can be recycled into attractive products. If you have any interesting fabric, sewing materials, cushions or pillows at home that you no longer require please talk to Liz. The 'Make and Mend' group may be able to use them.

In 2023 the Grassmarket Community Project recognised the contribution Liz is making to 'Make and Mend' by nominating her for the Edinburgh Inspiring Volunteer Awards. She was presented with her individual award by the Lord Provost at a ceremony at the City Chambers last summer.

It has been noted that St. Giles’ hosts such a range of major events, but we don’t always do well at recording them. This photo is part of the process of rectifying that in the future. It is one of the many that capture the full Cathedral at the recent General Assembly service. We thank Peter Backhouse for lending his skills to this important task.

Vacancy Update

Since I last wrote lots of people have been very busy working on the way ahead.

On the 27th of April and after conversations with representatives of the Kirk Sessions, the Presbytery agreed to amend Mission Plan for Canongate and St Giles’. The new version still asks for a Parish Grouping but instead of a Deferred Union the proposal is to continue with the individual congregations with their own minister in the medium term with both charges being reviewed five years after the induction of the next minister of St Giles’

The terms and conditions of the Parish Grouping and the Reviewable Charge are set out in Bases which were approved by the Kirk Session at their meeting on 8th May. The next step is for both Bases to be presented to a meeting of the congregation planned for 9th June after the 11am service.

If the congregation approve the documents, they will be presented to the Presbytery meeting on 18th June If Presbytery also vote in favour, then they could at the same meeting give St Giles’ permission to call a minister and we would step into vacancy procedure.

The Kirk Session meet again on 5th June and, working on the presumption that the votes will be positive, they will draw up a timetable to steer us through all the steps which in due course would lead to the vacancy being filled

If the proposals are turned down by the congregation or the Presbytery then we will have to be very busy again to find the right road to follow.

George Whyte

New Banners

We have a deadline: 1st September. The new banners to celebrate the 900th will be ready for that day.

A team of enthusiastic, skilled needle-women have been sewing the silk banners. Each week since the beginning of March, they have been at work, on a different day each week, so that more of the volunteers are able to attend. The scene of operations has been the Holy Cross Aisle. Great interest has been generated - many quilters, patch-workers and sewers have appeared at the railings of the aisle, asking “What are you working on?”

Designed by Sheana Stephen Ashton and sewn by the Banner Guild, augmented by a team of stitchers, these banners will hang in front of the blue banners. The design is based on the seal given to St Giles’ by the Pope in the 14th Century and within the limited palette of mediaeval manuscripts.

Night Kitchen

Over the past winter, the 14th such, the Neighbourhood Group provided three nights of meals for the homeless under the organisation of Bethany Christian Trust, in November, February and March.

210 meals were cooked and served during these three nights, at a cost of under £3 a head - quite an achievement, considering the cost of food nowadays (less than the cost of a coffee, currently).

A team of 9 is involved, overall. Monday sees the provisioning of ingredients, purchased in bulk as economically as possible. On Tuesday, the trays and insulated boxes are picked up for transporting the cooked food to the Welcome Centre at the Hub Hotel, Haymarket.

The car is filled with all the food, dishes and equipment and the cooking team of at least six volunteers arrives at Gorgie church just after 5.15pm to set up and start cooking. Everything has to be prepared from scratch. The meal has to be cooked and ready in the insulated boxes by 7.50pm when another member of the team arrives with her large car to transport the food to the Hub in Haymarket, leaving spotless the Gorgie kitchen Dinner is served from 8.30pm until 10pm to the Bethany residents and staff. Leftovers are boxed in carry-out containers for the rest of the homeless guests - usually about 30 in number. On average, about 70 folk are fed. Absolutely nothing is ever wasted.

A team of 4 serves the meal, after one of us has gone in early to the Welcome Centre to switch on the heated serving trolley (donated by the Neighbourhood Group to Bethany for this purpose), clean tables and put out cutlery and cups.

Everyone this winter has been very appreciative and complimentary about our meals: roast chicken, High Street vegetable sauce (vegetarian option), boiled potatoes, mango chutney, a dinner roll, followed by St Giles’ Trifle, easy peeler oranges, chocolates, coffee, tea or juice. The next morning, two of the team go in to prepare a sandwich lunch for 30.

This is a very ‘hands on’ experience, always working against the clock to get food prepared, cooked and served, but it is very rewarding. We would welcome the help of anyone really prepared to roll up their sleeves and work as one of the team. Please contact the Neighbourhood Group: neighbourhoodgroup@stgilescathedral.org.uk

As part of the 900 celebrations, St Giles’ will participate for the first time in the Edinburgh Doors Open Day on 28th September.

Since there will be a concert in St Giles’ that evening, preceded by a rehearsal beginning at 3pm, the Doors Open Day will be concentrated on the period from 10am until 2.30pm.

During this time, it is hoped that the visiting public might be able to see aspects of St Giles’ beyond what is usually seen, perhaps even to appreciate the amount of work done by the Cathedral and its congregation.

The flower arranging which is undertaken with such devotion each week in preparation for Sunday services will be going on. The Banner Guild members will be exhibiting the range of banners appropriate for each season of the church year and will be there to explain to visitors the work they undertake, week by week Six of the charities from among the many which St Giles’ supports will have a stand so that their representatives can meet members of the public who might be interested in how we try through the agency of charitable bodies to help the homeless and those in need in our city and beyond.

Heritage and Culture will offer the tours which cater for visitors all the year round. It is hoped there will be musical input, featuring our wonderful organ. A unique event will be a talk and conducted tour of the Preston Aisle and the Thistle Chapel, given by a knowledgeable person, reflecting St Giles’ role in royal and state occasions, not least the Thistle installations this summer.

It is hoped that our church will be shown to the public not only as a place of worship, not only as an historical building, a national shrine, but as a living, working community. Inevitably, most of those walking the circuit of the building will be the thousands of international tourists who pass through our doors every day of the year. Some of them, of an inquiring mind, might be made aware of things beyond the conventional tourist repertoire. Hopefully, there will also be citizens of Edinburgh who might be shown a place they thought they already knew well but which, surprisingly, turned out to have dimensions of which they had not previously been aware.

The success of the day will depend on a number of people being prepared to take a turn in stewarding the various events and being generally helpful to visitors. Nearer the time, an appeal will be made in the weekly bulletin for those who might be willing to give some time on that Saturday.

Heritage and Culture in 2024

As we celebrate our 900th year, Heritage and Culture (H&C) are enhancing the St Giles’ visitor experience. While in the last couple of issues we have kept readers up to date about the video game (launched on 28th May) there is much more in store this year.

Visitors can now delve into the music at St Giles’ through our first step: explanations of the organ console which readers will find behind the organ. This marks the beginning of our efforts to deepen visitors’ understanding of our current music and musical heritage a vital aspect of St Giles’ identity. We are already considering the next steps, which will be part of and informed by a comprehensive interpretation plan.

Speaking of music, our Monday night piano series underwent a successful trial. Led by our long-time collaborator Warren Mailey -Smith and with hard work from Tringa in H&C, these concerts featured a diverse repertoire garnering strong interest. As a result, we are pleased to announce that they will continue in June and September.

As a special 900th event, August will see the return of Luminescence with a special St Giles’ focus. Featuring improvisation from artist Maria Rud and saxophonist Tommy Smith, Luminescence will transform the Cathedral for three nights. We’ll put more information out closer to the time, but there will be a St Giles’ discount code, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Additionally, we are introducing a new interpretive piece centered around the Covenant. Recognizing that our current copy suffers from constant display, we have crafted a new furniture piece to showcase a facsimile and provide context for the Covenant’s story and how that informs worship on a Sunday morning even today. I wonder how many of the SGN readers can reel off lines from the Covenant? Soon, there will be no excuse

In this momentous 900th year, we are dedicated to improving the visitor experience and will continue to improve how we share our rich 900-year history with people from both nearby and distant places

Stephen Preston Deputy Head of Heritage and Culture

Musical Notes

This summer is shaping up to be an exciting one for the music programme here in St Giles’. In conjunction with the 900th celebrations we will see the premiere of the final work in the series of commissions comprising the St Giles’ 900 Choirbook , a significant project which has been developed by The Friends of the Music. On Saturday 8th June at 5.30pm the Cathedral Choir will be performing Sir James MacMillan’s Jerusalem Jubilate during their Sounds on Saturday concert in the presence of the composer. The choir have already recorded this work for a disc to be released during August and are very enthusiastic about the work – do come along and hear this stunning new anthem.

Our summer series of Celebrity Organ Recitals commences on Wednesday 17th July at 7.30pm when Jordan English, our Assistant Organist, opens the series. We are very fortunate to be able to welcome as visiting recitalists Gordon Stewart, Francesca Massey and Tom Bell. Gordon Stewart, who grew up in Dundee, is one of the UK’s foremost performers and a sought-after teacher who has influenced many of this country's professional organists, while Francesca Massey belongs to a younger generation of outstanding talent. Tom Bell’s concert, on 7th August, will be particularly special; Tom has made contemporary organ music his speciality, and he will be playing one work, Olivier Messiaen’s Le Livre du Saint Sacrement ; the piece was composed in 1984 and given its first performance in 1986 and is effectively a summation of Messiaen’s career as an improviser during the liturgy, being a series of meditations on the Eucharist. This concert will be an occasion not to be missed – the St Giles’ Rieger is a favourite instrument for Tom, and is particularly suited to the music of Messiaen.

To round off the summer the Cathedral Choir, with Jordan English at the organ, and directed by Michael Harris, will be giving a concert during the Fringe, on Friday 23rd August at 7.30pm, which will look back over 900 years of music, celebrating some of the key events which have taken place in St Giles’. Tickets for this, and for all the concerts mentioned here, will be available on Eventbrite, with details on the St Giles’ website.

Michael Harris

General Committee Update

John Andrew provides his regular update on the recent activities to maintain and improve the Cathedral’s fabric and systems.

Lighting

I am pleased to report that apart from some minor programming works to finalise the different lighting scenes that can now be provided from the upgraded system, the internal upgrade is now complete and fully commissioned. The result has provided a significant improvement to the look of the interior and has enhanced areas that previously were not fully appreciated. My own favourite is the screen at the North of the Sanctuary which was previously under-appreciated and can now be seen in its full grandeur. I see this as a significant part of the fabric, and it provides a backdrop when worship is in progress. It also now balances the organ case and pipework on the South of the Sanctuary. Planning will now commence to fully illuminate the organ and to provide improved lighting to the side aisles that will complete the internal improvements.

I am pleased to report that work has commenced to upgrade the lighting in the Thistle Chapel, works that are required ahead of the Thistle Installation Ceremonial which will take place later in the summer. This has not been undertaken for some time and will fully enhance the fabric and detailed craftsmanship, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, which is rightly seen as a significant treasure in St Giles’ and Scotland. This work requires careful and delicate activity to avoid any disturbance to the historic fabric. During the upgrade, the opportunity to undertake other maintenance works will ensure that the Chapel is well presented for the upcoming ceremonial and also for the many visitors that view the outstanding craftsmanship on a daily basis.

Works have also commenced to upgrade the exterior floodlighting on the Cathedral Tower and West front. This work includes the repair and conversion of the existing fittings to LED operation and will greatly enhance the exterior look of our great building. I will provide further details in future editions of St Giles’ News.

Maintenance Works

As reported in the previous edition of St Giles’ News, works have progressed to complete the inspection of the vault in the Holy Blood Aisle. This has included a full inspection from the South by use of a hydraulic platform. A full report is awaited, and I will provide a further update in the next edition of the newsletter.

Due to some recent vandalism to one of the Cathedral’s stained-glass windows, a section has been removed and is presently under repair by specialist conservationists. The restored window will be returned over the summer.

The works to refurbish the toilet in the vestry have been successfully completed and the repair and full reinstatement undertaken. The result is a great improvement and was undertaken by a range of dedicated craftspeople.

Continued overleaf…

As previously reported significant resources have recently been employed to fully maintain and upgrade the Cathedral sound and audio-visual system. There have been some issues with the operation of this complex and hi-tech system which also provides the live stream capability for the broadcast of all our services. Further investigation has resolved these operational issues, and the system now provides both the internal sound required but also the livestream to those wishing to worship from home and other remote locations.

St Giles’ Cathedral continually requires great care and attention and much of the activities required take place out of sight of the congregation and visitors. I am again grateful to the committee, staff, contractors, suppliers and our professional advisors for the continuing dedication to ensure that our ancient building is presented in such good condition for all that spend time in St Giles’

John M Andrew General Committee Convenor

Canongate News

Coffee Morning

Canongate are hosting a coffee morning in aid of Alzheimer’s UK between 10am and 12 noon on Saturday 8th June in the Harry Younger Hall. Tickets at £5 each are on sale on Sunday mornings at the Kirk or during office hours.

BBC Radio 4 Prayer for the Day

The Minister of Canongate, Rev. Neil Gardner, will lead this very short item at 5.43am every morning beginning on Saturday 22nd June and continuing from Monday 24th through to Friday 28th June. It will be available on the BBC iPlayer for a month afterwards, so don’t feel you have to listen “live”. It is pre-recorded in one go – we are assured Neil won’t be up at the crack of dawn either….!

Kirkyard Tours

Local guide and historian Eric Drake has designed a series of tours of the Canongate Kirkyard, which take place on the first Sunday of each month up to and including September. Each tour explores a different theme with the next one, on Sunday 7th July, concentrating on Canongate and the Arts and the following one, on Sunday 4th August, on Canongate and the World. Tours start at the front of the Kirk at 11.30am and last an hour. The tours are free of charge but donations to Canongate Kirk are welcome. For more information visit https://bit ly/3V6yUtP

Membership

New members

“In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body… and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

Alistair Herd

Deaths

“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8)

Alistair Milligan

Patricia Wotherspoon

Contact information

St Giles’ staff and office bearers can generally be reached by email on addresses in the style firstname.lastname@stgilescathedral.org.uk or jobtitle@stgilescathedral.org.uk. Some commonly needed addresses are:

Sigrid Marten, Associate Minister SMarten@churchofscotland.org.uk

Michael Harris, Master of the Music michael.harris@stgilescathedral.org.uk

Mark Batho, Session Clerk sessionclerk@stgilescathedral.org.uk

Sarah Phemister, Head of Heritage & Culture sarah.phemister@stgilescathedral.org.uk

Beadles beadle@stgilescathedral.org.uk

Several members of the team also monitor the comms@stgilescathedral.org.uk address, which can be a good way to get a general question directed to the right person!

Useful telephone numbers:

The Cathedral Secretary 0131 225 4363

Beadles' Office 0131 226 0672

Cathedral Shop 0131 226 0673

Finance Office 0131 225 8683

Heritage & Culture 0131 226 0674

Picture credits

We wish to thank Peter Backhouse, Lilian Davidson and Keir Eunson, who have provided their photographic skills for several of the images in the Newsletter.