Simon Marsh

PASSING ON THE LIGHT is so much more fulfilling an exercise than passing on the gloom! Advent is truly a gift to us, as are the people we “wait” with. 70+ people have set about looking at Beginnings and Endings this week, here in Bramhall. There’s been plenty of laughter and discovery and wonder … and friendships forged the more firmly as always happens when people make pilgrimage together.  And in a completely dark church building this evening there appeared first one light, and then another, and another, until the faces of a large throng were transfigured, and in our hearts the chief among the Advent songs was that of Gabriel. “Do not be afraid”. May we bear the Light; pass the Light on and on through the darkness. May we be not afraid, anymore.

MEMBERS OFTHE CHURCH FAMILY at St Michael and All Angels, Bramhall know already that we’re greatly blessed here with the gift of some seriously good musicians — Michael Smith and Jonnie Gait are fabulously sensitive organists and the Church Choir and the Music Group Singers — encouraged by their leaders — bring so much of glory to our liturgical worship. Some will have heard me recall more than once that Bishop Michael Marshall has said that “Music is the bicycle of the Liturgy”. Literally! - it transports our prayer.

‘Transport’ of that kind was certainly provided for me recently by a setting of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) the like of which I’ve never heard before — and very greatly look forward to hearing again soon. And only a week or two after that hearing I was ‘transported’ again by an instrumental version of the Kyrie eleison (Lord have mercy) that has been a particular favourite of mine for many years. Kyrie eleison — cried the blind man — Lord have mercy: grant me sight. These settings have granted me something of what must surely be both the sight and sound of Heaven. That kind of sight and that kind of sound has obviously been granted to (sparing his blushes!) the prayerful arranger / composer: our own Douglas Brooks-Davies. Laudate!