The Glory of the Sacred

All Saints Goodmayes (Goodmayes Lane, Ilford IG3 9SJ) celebrate 100 years of worship on their site over the weekend of 16th - 18th October 2009 with a Festival Weekend including a concert, flower festival, recitals, services and a Commission For Mission exhibition.

The full programme is as follows:

• Friday 16th October: Art Exhibition & Flower Festival, 10.00am - 4.00pm. Music recitals featuring Commission For Mission member Alexander Chaplin will also be given throughout the day. Youth Service, 8.00pm.
• Saturday 17th October: Art Exhibition & Flower Festival, 10.00am - 4.00pm. 'The Glory of Sacred Music' Concert featuring the All Saints Festival Choir and the East London Chorus, conducted by Alexander Chaplin, 7.30pm.
•Sunday 18th October: Praise Service, 10.30am. Art Exhibition & Flower Festival, 11.30am - 6.30pm. Choral Evensong, 6.30pm.

The programme for 'The Glory of Sacred Music' concert includes CHH Parry - I Was Glad When They Said To Me; Howard Goodall - The Lord Is My Shepherd, Love Divine; Hayden - excerpts from The Creation; Vaughan Williams - Five Mystical Songs, All People That On Earth Do Dwell; Faure - Cantique De Jean Racine; Cesar Franck - Panis Angelicus; Brahms - Geistilches Leid; and John Ireland - Greater Love. The East London Chorus will feature Max Kenworthy (Organ), Martin Muir (Baritone), and Alexander Chaplin (Conductor).

Concert tickets are £10 (£8, £5 concessions/child only available if booked in advance). Student Standby, £3 on the night with student ID. Available from the Ticket Secretary on 07958 066394 or online from http://www.wegottickets.com/ and at the door on the night.

Those attending any aspect of the Festival weekend will also be able to see the engraved windows on the Life of Christ by our Chairman, Henry Shelton, which gave him the initial idea for Commission For Mission.

Drawing the Seasons

Come and join in the annual "Big Draw" on Saturday 17th October, 10.00am - 4.00pm at St Mary's Church, High Road, South Woodford.

Come and be inspired to capture the seasons of the year through drawing! There will be plenty of things to draw, or just come along, use your imagination, sketch and have fun!

There will be lots of different media and techniques to try. All materials supplied. This is a 'drop-in' event so come alomg at any time and stay for as little or as long as you like. The day is free and open to anyone.

At least three artist on hand to help. Refreshments available. Telephone 020 8504 5840 or 020 8531 0511 for further details.

Faith & Image: Buddhist Art

Graham Dixon introduces the evening with a brief history of Buddhist Art

Photograph by Padmayogini

Painting by Padmayogini

The artist Padmayogini during her talk

Paintings by Padmayogini

The latest meeting of the Faith & Image group was held last night at St Marys Woodford. Buddhist artist Padmayogini spoke about the interaction between her faith and art.

Beginning by explaining her Buddhist name, Padmayogini told us a little of her personal journey as an artist, a Buddhist and a Buddhist artist, illustrating her talk with slides of paintings and photographs. She spoke firstly about her artistic responses to nature before outlining the ways in which meditation and visualisation had enhanced her art. She has a regular practice of retreat during which many of the photographs she showed had been composed. Her paintings now combine natural images with figures of significance within Buddhism.

The second stage of this Faith & Image meeting involves a visit on Friday 2nd October to the London Buddhist Centre at Bethnal Green. Please let Jean Wyber (wyberfamily@aol.com) or Jane Cooper (jcant29@aol.com) know if you are intending to come on the visit. The visit will conclude (for wishing to stay) with a vegetarian lunch on 2 October at the Buddhist restaurant next door to the London Buddhist Centre.

Forthcoming Faith & Image meetings/visits will cover Armenian Art in November and Hindu Art in February.

A Spiritual Home

Interior of St Barnabas

Station 1

Station 7 and INRI

Station 7

INRI

Madonna and Child in the Lady Chapel

Do This and Crucifixion

Station 8 and Organ corbel

Organ corbel and Station 9

1902 foundation stone by Eric Gill, then articled to W. D. Caroe.

The information sheet for the E17 Art Trail exhibition at St Barnabas Walthamstow states that the church is delighted to have borrowed art works by Henry Shelton. Around the church are his Stations of the Cross, previously displayed in York Minster and currently in search of a permanent home in another church setting.

In addition to the Stations of the Cross, we are displaying five other recent paintings by Henry Shelton. These are in the Lady Chapel and are as follows:

• INRI (2007) - showing the letters hung above Jesus on the cross and meaning 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews'.
• Suffer the Children (2009) - painted with Amy Penfold (8 yrs), Henry's granddaughter. This refers to Jesus telling his disciples to put up with children and "let them come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
• Madonna and Child (2008) - an interpretation of the baby Jesus with his mother Mary.
• Do This (2008) - referring to Jesus' command that his followers eat bread and drink wine to remember his body and blood.
• Crucifixion (2008) - recalling Jesus' death on the cross.

St Barnabas Walthamstow is itself a work of art, an architectural gem. It is a Grade II listed building designed by W.D. Caroe and completed in 1903. Among the art treasures contained in the church are:

• a carving of Christ the Good Shepherd (c. 1890) by Peter Brunner and originally part of the Children's Shrine at St Martin's-in-the-Fields.
• reredos from Children's Chapel of St John's, Red Lion Square (c. 1925) by Christopher Webb.
• Veni Creator Spiritus, lettercutting on slate behind the font (1994) by Charles Smith.
• East window stained glass (1903) by Clayton and Bell.
• Foundation stone (1902) by Eric Gill, then articled to W. D. Caroe.
• Statues of St Michael and two angels (1910) by Alec Miller.
• Organ corbels (2000) by Charles Gurrey.
• Green reredos designed by Julian Litten (1989) and incorporating panels of the four evangelists (painted c. 1860).

Peter Webb at St Marys Woodford

Peter Webb has been actively involved artistically at his home church, St Marys Woodford, in a wide range of ways, as is evident from artworks around the church and halls that bear the mark of his vision and design. These photographs (which were taken quickly tonight and do not do justice to his work) give an indication of his range and involvement.

'The World, The Flèche and The Devil', 2005

This painting is a pun on the word flèche, which is the proper architectural name for the spire which crowns the Memorial Hall at St Marys Woodford. It shows the Devil desperately clutching the flèche, but being dislodged by the serene radience of St Mary the Queen of Heaven, while the world of Woodford lies peacefully below.

The Denial of Peter

'Jesus calming the storm' - a collage created with the children of St Mary's Woodford

Detail of a perspex window design created with the children of St Marys Woodford

Perspex window design created with the children of St Marys Woodford

Magnificent Stations

Steven Saxby writes:

"Henry Shelton and I installed his Stations of the Cross at St Barnabas Walthamstow and then prayed the Stations using Jonathan Evens' meditations: beautiful and very moving! It is well worth seeing the Stations in the space. They look fabulous! We are open Sats 5th and 12th September, 10.30am-5pm and Suns 6th and 13th September, 1pm-4pm, same times for each Sat and Sun. If these are no good, please feel free to make an appointment to come another time. They look magnificent in the church. We also have five additional paintings by Henry."

Dedication of our first commission

Tim Coleman (Queen's Hospital Chaplain), Henry Shelton & Bishop David beside Henry's 'Crucifixion'

Henry Shelton with his 'Crucifixion'

St Luke's Chapel, Queen's Hospital Romford

'Do this in remembrance of me' by Henry Shelton


St Luke's Chapel windows by Caroline Richardson

Commission For Mission's first commission was dedicated today as the Rt. Revd. David Hawkins (Bishop of Barking and Patron of Commission For Mission), Rt. Revd. Mgr. David Manson (Vicar General, Brentwood Diocese) and Revd. Roy Jackson (Superintendent Minister, Romford Methodist Circuit) jointly dedicated the new St Luke's Chapel at Queen's Hospital, Romford.

The Chapel currently contains two paintings by Henry Shelton, which are our first completed commission; a Crucifixion which forms the Chapel's altarpiece and a eucharistic painting entitled Do this in rememberance of me. Through a different commission, the Chapel also features windows by glass artist Caroline Richardson.

In his address Bishop David praised the staff at Queen's Hospital for seeing and seizing the opportunity to convert an unused waiting room into this Chapel and thanked the artists for their work in helping to create a place of peace and prayer.