Weekly Email – Trinity 13
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Dear friends,
I am pleased to announce that we are now taking bookings for the fundraising gala dinner on Thursday 29th October 2026 which will be held to raise funds for our Choir and Music Trust Fund. This splendid evening of celebration will bring the year-long campaign to raise funds for our Music and Choir Trust Fund to a close.
The evening will consist of a three course dinner in the ballroom of the Savile Club. Tickets are £100 per head and the dress code recommends black tie. I hope it will be a magnificent finale to an impressive year of effort and an enjoyable way of raising funds for our Music Trust.
To buy your ticket, simply book through Eventbrite here. I really hope as many parishioners as possible make an effort to be present, and to bring their friends. It promises to be a wonderful evening.
In addition to buying tickets, there is another way in which you can help to support this event and raise money – we are seeking sponsorship to help defray some of the costs of the dinner, and therefore increase the proportion of funds raised that will go to our Music Trust. If you feel able to contribute to this, please be in touch with me, and I can let you know in more detail about various costs (such as rental of the room, or wine costs) that need covering.
The Choir and Music Trust fundraising campaign itself goes from strength to strength and I have exceptionally good news to report in terms of a series of significant legacies and gifts which we have recently received.
We are very grateful indeed for a series of donations which we received from the United States in memory of Daniel Oliver, who died in June and was one of our American Friends. He was a very generous benefactor of our Music Campaign before he died. His wife, Louise, kindly suggested to family and friends that any donations given in memory of Daniel should be directed to our Choir and Music Trust Fund. We have received a total of $1,6775.50 via our American dollar account as his memorial gift.
I want to say a huge thank you to all who have contributed to this significant contribution in Daniel’s memory. He loved the liturgy of All Saints’ and tuned in each and every Sunday to the High Mass. I can imagine nothing that would give him greater pleasure than to know this gift was made by his friends to support our musical and liturgical tradition in his memory.
We have also recently received a significant bequest from the estate of Biddy Baxter, who died last year, and who had been a faithful parishioner of All Saints’ for many years. We recently received a first payment from her estate of £168,000.00 and our PCC has decided to dedicate it to the Music Campaign in Biddy’s memory. We are so grateful to Biddy for the provision for All Saints’ that she made in her will.
I can also report that we are now regularly receiving a sum just in excess of £1,500 each month from the many people who have joined our Music Patrons scheme. We are very grateful indeed to them for their regular contributions and support. This amounts to an extra £18,000 per year for our Music Trust.
All this means I can now reveal that the current grand total for the amount raised so far since our campaign began last November is £627,361.59. This is hugely encouraging and augurs very well indeed as we enter the last months of fundraising through this autumn.
I give thanks that God has promopted the hearts of so many people to respond generously to our campaign so far, and I urge you to put Thursday 29th October in your diary for our gala dinner and to buy a ticket for what promises to be a splendid evening of fundraising, celebration and fellowship.
Fr Peter
Our parish rambling group on a walk last Saturday in the Kent Downs.
RIP Harry Bramma
It was with deep sadness that we heard this week that Harry Bramma, our former Director of Music, died last weekend at his home. He had been increasingly immobile for a while and had been struggling with heart problems.
Harry made a huge impact on English Church Music over the many years that he worked in a series of important and high-profile posts. He was Director of Music at Southwark Cathedral before coming to be Director of Music at All Saints’, a position he held from 1989 until 2004. He was also the Director of the Royal College of Church Music from 1989 until 1998.
Our whole parish owes Harry so much and we are grateful for the many years of faithful service, creative musicianship, and loyal friendship which he displayed at All Saints’.
Funeral and Requiem arrangements are still being worked out. Once we know more, we will announce details as they emerge.
Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him.
Dr Harry Bramma at the party thrown for his retirement as Director of Music in 2004.
No evening Mass this Monday
Please note that as Monday 31st is a bank holiday, there will, according to our usual custom, be no evening Mass at 6.30 pm. The 12 noon Mass will be celebrated as normal.
Dr Stevie Farr (centre), our Director of Music, with our outgoing organ scholar, Matilda Johnston (right), and our incoming organ scholar, Luke Jones (left), last Sunday as we said farewell and thanks to Tilly.
Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham
On Thursday 24th September, there will be a Low Mass with hymns to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Walsingham. This will be followed by refreshments in Fr Alan’s house.
Tributes are paid to Matilda Johnston, our out-going Organ Scholar, last Sunday after the High Mass as her time with us comes to an end.
Parish Walk
Our next parish walk will take place on Saturday 24th October 2026. It will be around 8 miles long, mostly flat, between Paddock Wood and Tonbridge, taking in the Marc Chagall windows at All Saints’, Tudeley. Meet at Charing Cross Station for the 10.04 Dover Priory train to Paddock Wood. Be in touch with Fr Alan for further details.
Our Young Adults’ Group summer dinner took place last week. It usually happens in our courtyard, but as the weather forecast was a bit dicey, the dinner was moved to the nave.
Fidelium
The Young Adults Group Fidelium will be meeting at All Saints’ on Tuesday 1st September for its monthly Mass and Pub evening. Mass at 6.30 pm will be followed by social time at a local pub.
In addition, a series of talks and lectures has been announced by Fidelium on the topic of the historical, theological and aesthetic significance ecclesiastical vestments.
There will be a lecture at All Saints’ on Wednesday 30th September given by Revd Dr Lyanne Beckerson, drawing on and examining some of the vestments in our sacristy at All Saints’. This will then be followed by a visit to the V&A Museum on Saturday 17th October which will be jointly led by Mother Lyanne and Fr Peter to examine their historic collection of Medieval vestments.
Please be in touch with Charlotte Choley or Jacinda Wheatley if you would like to come to any of these events.
Our Young Adults’ Group summer dinner last Thursday. We are so grateful to chef de cuisine Fr Alan Rimmer for his Michelin star worthy cooking!
Walsingham Advent Retreat
Our parish will be attending the Advent Retreat at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham from Friday 4th – Sunday 6th December 2026. Places are still available.
This pilgrimage is quiet and reflective in character, and takes the form of a silent retreat. All those who take part go into silence on Friday evening after supper. Silence is then kept in the Shrine grounds through the whole of Saturday until after the Solemn Mass on Sunday morning. This year’s retreat leader will be Bishop Peter Eagles.
The cost is £240 – including full board plus mini-coach from Kings Lynn. Please note that we travel up to Kings Lynn by train and pilgrims need to book their own train ticket. We will set off around midday on Friday 4th December and return to Kings Cross on Sunday evening around 7.00 pm.
Please book your place and pay via Eventbrite here.
Our Young Adults’ Group annual summer dinner last Thursday.
Attendance last Sunday
For your prayers
The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street
31st – Mark Allan, Martin Amherst Lock, Elizabeth and Robert Austen, Richard Ayling, James Babington Smith, Stephen Barber, Nigel Beanland, Jonathan Beck, Terrence Buckley
1st – Dr William Benefield, Charlotte Black, Fr John Blackburn, David Blunden, William Bonnell, Fr Michael Bowie, John Bristow, Paul Brough
2nd – Michael Brown, Dr Graham Burns, Derek Bussey, Katherine Butler, Adrian Carlton-Oatley, Zulette Catir, Kate Charles, Stuart Chillingworth
3rd – Sir Robert Chote, Sandy Christian, Roger Clark, Catharine Clarke, Camilla Collins, Graham Colville, Karolyn Cooper, William Cooper Bailey
4th – Peter Coulson, Steven Cox, Dr Yvonne Craig, Julie Cridland, Dr Ryan Nicholas Danker, Kirill Dashkovskiy, Christopher Davies, Keith Day
5th – Peter Dennis, Laura Denton, Dr Michael Duggan, Pamela Edwards, Linda Edwards, Jane Elliston, Dr Terrence Ellsworth, Richard Everton and Fr Philip Bevan
The sick
Jean Castledine, David Craig, Ingrid Slaughter, Juliet Windham, Martin Woods, Danny Mather, Winfred Haws, Fr Luke Demetri, Howard Such
The recently departed
Nicholas Clark, Jim Carson, Philip Shaker, Harry Hodgetts Pr, Joe Kendall Pr, Harry Bramma
Anniversaries of death
30th – John Miller, Amelia Stephens, Tom Chalmers
31st – Bryan O’Byrne, Peter Davidson, Patricia Williams
1st – Edward Tagoe, Vera Arde-Acquah
2nd – Sophie Garrett, Kathleen Heales, Betty Little
3rd – Francesca Morcom, Susan Mason
4th – David Lodge, Harold Matts
5th – Joanne, Guy & Alicia Wace
Services this week
Saturday 29th August – Beheading of St John the Baptist
12 pm Low Mass
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 30th August – TRINITY XIII
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Solemn Evensong and Benediction
Monday 31st August – Feria
12 pm Low Mass
N.B. No evening Mass today.
Tuesday 1st September – Feria
12 pm Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Wednesday 2nd September – Feria
12 pm Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Thursday 3rd September – St Gregory the Great
12 pm Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Friday 4th September – Feria
12 pm Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Saturday 5th September – Feria
12 pm Low Mass
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 6th September – TRINITY XIV
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Solemn Evensong and Benediction