News from CoRE

Like many organisations, churches are likely to be more effective when they work together, share resources and keep one another informed of their activities. In the past this has sometimes happened but not always on an ongoing basis. In this section we are posting News and Events and sharing resources with our community.


Political Husting

On Sunday 25th April York City Centre Churches Care & Development Trust and Churches Together in York gave seven political candidates the chance to have their say.  Over 150 people, almost half of whom were young people, attended the Political Husting at the Salvation Army in Gillygate.

Spring 2010 Wedding Fair

On Sunday 25th April nearly 100 people attended the Wedding Fair at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall.  The York City Centre Churches exhibit was very well received and generated much interest with many couples speaking to the clergy who attended the event.

Taste & See 2011

The launch will start with coffee at 11am followed by the Taste and See 2011 presentation at 11.30am. A lunch will be served from 12.30noon – 1.30pm and after that those who are in the planning team (or might like to become part of the planning team) will meet.

If you are able to attend for the launch and lunch please would you let Allison know via allison.crossley@coreyork.org.  Sorry but we cannot accommodate people on the day who have not booked to attend.

Perspectives… thoughts for Lent.

Have you ever found yourself asking what do a modern city and the Bible really have in common? How does faith fit in with how we live our lives in a city which is changing as fast as York?

In previous years CoRE, the York City Centre Churches Care and Development Trust played host to the Bishop of Selby, Martin Wallace who has talked about faith and the city of York.  Last year the talks were so well attended even the standing room was full.  The themes clearly touched a chord with the audience. 

For the 2010 Lent talks five guest speakers were invited to offer their views on faith in society today.  Each explored a different topic covering volunteers, the traditions of feasting and fasting, commerce, education and health.

The series began on Monday 22nd February when Jonathan Brown and Izzy Harris of Riding Lights Theatre Company in Friargate spoke about their Roughshod team and the importance of volunteers. 

The Rev Dr Inderjit Bhogal OBE, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum was the speaker on the 1st March exploring the traditions of feasting and fasting. Revd Bhogal can be heard here: 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Revd Dr Philip Bee, Director of the Oastler Centre in Leeds was the speaker on Monday 8th March speaking about his work to assist churches and Christians of all persuasions to engage their faith more fully with economic life in Leeds.  Revd Bee can be heard here:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Monday 15th March saw David Efird, Provost of Vanburgh College and a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of York speak about Faith and Education.  David can be heard here:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Finally on the 22nd March the Revd Stuart Petty will spoke about Faith and Health reflected through his work as Senior Chaplain within York Hospitals.  Revd Petty can be heard here:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Click here for more information about each of the speakers.

 

A Candlemass Cabaret

On Tuesday 2nd February the St Peter’s School Swing Band (Musical Director Christopher Blood) under the baton of Pete Ogram with Compere/Vocalist Allan Hughes took part in the Candlemass Concert at the St Sampsons Centre.  For anyone who missed this fanstastic event a short video can be viewed here.

They say never work with Children and Animals… again!

On Monday 14th December 2009 York city centre churches’ open air nativity play returned to King’s Square York.

Organised by CoRE, this traditional nativity play once again featured the clergy of the city’s churches and the pupils of St Barnabas School.  Cruckley Animal Farm once again kindly brought the ‘stars’ (or should it be aaahs) of the show two pygmy goats and two miniature donkeys.

Helen Robson of CoRE said “We perform this traditional nativity play to bring the spirit of Christmas to the workers and shoppers in the city centre and use the event to collect for Guardian Angels. We have a limited budget and without the generous support of everyone concerned, particularly Cruckley Farm and the City of York Council we would find it difficult to make the day so special.  Thanks must also go to Millie’s Cookies and Thomas the Bakers for their kind donations for the children to enjoy after the show.”

Mary and Joseph arrive with their donkeys to find no room at the inn, as it is full of people making their way to Bethlehem. They are offered accommodation in the stable.  Later, after tending their lambs and goats, the shepherds will go and visit the newborn king. Finally, three wise men take their gifts.

Martin Cummins, Teacher of Class 2 at St Barnabas said, “This is our fourth year of taking part and the play is very special to all the children at the school. They had a fantastic time the previous years. The interaction with the animals brings out the very best in all the children who take part. The whole school is very excited about the play and it is great that so many of them can be involved”.

Allan Hughes writer and director of this play said, “We have an excellent cast of 25 children this year with accompaniment from many of the city’s clergy, the choir of St Columba’s United Reformed Church and the Railway Institute Band”.

The Archdeacon of York, the Venerable Richard Seed explained “This traditional nativity play is an important part of the York City Centre Churches’ Christmas celebrations and is enjoyed by the children, clergy and everyone involved”

The event was covered by BBC Radio York, the York Press and Yorkshire Post.  The Radio York interview can be heard here

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The 2010 Nativity will take place in King’s Square on Monday 13th December 2010 once again with two performances at 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

Purple Spires across York

Seven churches across York will be turning purple on 19th November in preparation for Christmas, as part of the city’s Festive First Night. 

 

The spires and towers of Holy Trinity Micklegate, All Saints North Street, All Saints Pavement, St Denys Walmgate, St Mary’s on Coppergate, St Sampson’s Centre on Church Street, and the West End of York Minster will be lit with purple lights, and the Archdeacon of York, the Ven. Richard Seed will offer a blessing for all York’s Christmas festivities on the evening of 19th November.

 

The Ven Richard Seed, Archdeacon of York said, “I think this is a wonderful project – I can’t wait to see these churches lit up in purple.  Purple is the colour of Advent – it’s when Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  It’s a time of joyful anticipation, and painting the churches of York with purple light is a unique way of highlighting this joy.”

 

Councillor Andrew Waller, leader of the City of York Council said, “These churches are some of York’s most beautiful buildings, and speak of our city’s heritage.  We want to share how wonderful York is with people from all over the country, and we hope that these beautiful illuminations will encourage people to visit in the run up to Christmas as something distinct from other cities at this time of year.”

 

Micklegate Bar, Monk Bar, Bootham Bar, Walmgate Bar, Clifford’s Tower, the Castle Museum, Fairfax House, the Red Tower and the Roman Column will also be lit up, as part of the City of York Council’s Festive First Night.

 

Medieval tiled floor to be restored in York Church

Recent archaeological explorations at All Saints North Street Church in York have led to the discovery of fragments of 14th Century floor tiles. Extensive research has allowed much to be discovered about the history of these tiles, which were used to raise the Lady Chapel floor by about three feet in around 1330, probably to reduce the effects of river flooding, a problem which still blights York today.

In order to preserve the history of the church the existing Lady Chapel chancel area is to be re-laid with handmade tiles replicating the original designs.  The 14th Century patterned tiles were manufactured in Tanner Moat which is where the Maltings Pub stands today and is within the parish of All Saints North Street.  The raised step where the Altar stands is to be covered in alternating brown and cream tiles interspersed with a tile representing Mary the mother of Jesus. In front of the Altar, lily pattern boarders frame a line of six magnificent roundels of 16 tiles each depicting a medieval scene representing God fighting evil. The rest of the sanctuary area is to be laid in plain alternating cream and brown tiles, apart from four tiles of St Mary’s monogram in front of the niche which contains the fragment of her medieval shrine.

These original medieval tile designs are steeped in religious symbolism, of the fight between good and evil, the Virgin Mary, Paradise the Holy Trinity, and much more.  The floor design is similar in many respects to that at Whalley Abbey Chapter House in Lancashire.

People are being invited to help with the restoration of the church by ‘Buying a tile’ with their own name, or that of a loved one, recorded on a list which will be kept within the Lady Chapel. These will be laid during the course of the year, and a display of the tiles will be on view on Saturday July 18th when All Saints North Street is celebrating the Visions of Our Lady of North Street, in conjunction with the Festival of British Archaeology, organised by The Council for British Archaeology.  The day will begin at 10am with a Guided Tour of the World Famous Stained Glass.  At 11.15am the medieval Visions, Archaeology and The Shrine will all be explored.  Some of these Visions - probably the best documented of all medieval Visions in England - were of tremendous political importance. The Virgin warned of the death of Henry V (1422) and left instructions as to the details of the coronation of Henry VI that he should be crowned in France as well as in England, who the young King’s guardian should be, and who should rule as regent while he was a child.  We know that a perpetual light burned before the image of Our Lady, and a fragment of that ‘larger than life-size’ image has been discovered.

Visitors can enjoy a hot buffet lunch at 12.15noon; tickets cost £7.50 and can be bought in advance from David Titchener on (01904) 631965.  At 2pm a special service will be held using the original text of the Mass (or communion service) as used in York in the 14th Century, which has been transcribed from ancient manuscripts.  As well as discovering the text, Eleanor McCullough as part of a joint partnership with the University of York and All Saints Church North Street, has transcribed the music which would have been used at that time which will be sung at this service by The Ebor Singers. 

All Saints North Street is widely acclaimed ‘York’s finest medieval church’.  This day of celebration is designed to share the history of the church with a wider audience, while marking the progress in an appeal to restore the shrine of Our Lady of North Street complete with medieval style tile pavements.

Local Business and Services Directory

If you run a small local business or offer your help to your local church congregation members please contact CoRE York via info@coreyork.org and we can add your details here.

Although CoRE take great care in ensuring the accuracy of information contained on this website we cannot cannot be held responsible for omissions or errors that  may occur. The mention of or advertisement of services of any company, association or individual should only be taken as notification that the service exists and is not to be taken as a recommendation by the publisher. If a service or product is to be taken, then it is the readers responsibility to make their own enquiries about the suitability, appropriateness and integrity of the service and or provider.

Discover the secrets of Stained Glass making

One day ‘taster’ workshops with tutors Ann Sotheran and Keith Barley at the Stained Glass Centre, Church of St. Martin cum Gregory, Micklegate, York.

Saturday 13 June 2009, 10.00am-4.00pm

Saturday 25 July 2009, 10.00am-4.00pm

Stained glass is not a lost art! You can learn the most basic techniques of this traditional craft in a one day workshop. With our expert tuition you will learn to cut coloured glass to shape, lead and solder the pieces and produce a simple but charming piece of stained glass to keep as a decorative item for your own home, or to give away as a unique gift to a friend or family member.
 
Cost including all materials for each day is £45.
 
Bring your own lunch, shop within 100 yards, or five minute walk to any number of places to eat and drink.

Tutors

Ann Sotheran is a Fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters, with over 25 years’ experience of designing and making stained glass for many different situations. She has taught evening classes in stained glass for nearly twenty years as well as various workshops and taster sessions, covering all aspects of traditional stained glass work including glass painting and acid etching. She also teaches the copper foil technique of glass assembly. Examples of her work can be found on her website www.annsotheran.co.uk

Keith Barley FMGP ACR is Master Glazier to Ely Cathedral; the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) of Great Britain conservation adviser; an Institute of Conservation (ICON) accredited conservator; and winner of the Museums and Galleries Commission / Jerwood Award for Conservation in 1998. Following a Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship in 1986, he has designed isothermal protective glazing systems, which have been used in many cathedrals, churches and stately homes for the preservation of stained glass. He has acted as consultant to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Museum of Fine Art, Boston; The Cathedral of Siena; Lichfield Cathedral; is currently advisor to St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York. He has contributed an entry in the “Dictionary of Art”, and chapters in “Treasures on Earth” and “Life, Death & Art”.

For bookings and further details call 01904 611687, email info@stainedglasscentre.org.uk