Weekly Record
14th September 2008
The Spider (La Machine) has eventually sloped off to establish a new lair. It headed off through the tunnel but did it manage to lay any eggs on the major buildings around the City? Who knows there may be one ready to hatch out on top of the Cathedral roof. If it does I hope it scares away seagulls as they seem to have commandeered the Cathedral Plateau as their own and maybe sting the occasional skateboarder!
This weekend we celebrate our Cathedral Community Mass at 11.00am. A formal beginning to the season following the Summer holidays. I hope we have a few colourful hats and outfits to mark the occasion. With all the work and events that have taken place this year it is important that we give thanks to God and rejoice in the commitment and service given by all our staff and volunteers and ministers to achieve all that we have. At the time of going to print the Archbishop will be joining us for this Mass but, seeing is believing, as his trip to Teheran has been off and on a few times this week. The Iranians must think there is something suspicious about him.
 This weekend the London Oratory Schola are visiting the city singing at Hope University and Liverpool Cathedral and joining us to sing with our Choir at the Solemn Mass. We extend a warm welcome to them.
From this week you may notice a thin beam of green light shining between the two Cathedrals. Please don’t go off and get your eyes tested - your eyes are not deceiving you. This will be on for a couple of hours each evening It is a laser beam which is able to carry information from one building to the other ie spoken word, music etc. It is a project which is a combination of technology and art for 2008 and will run for about eight weeks and link with the Biennial. Part of the project is for the transmission of recorded voices from both Cathedrals which will be played at a few agreed times as a form of meditation. Please don’t ask me to explain any more than this because I don’t really understand it. There was a demonstration of the concept earlier on in the year at JMU and everyone else there seemed to understand things ; in contrast I was totally confused but that seems to be a more regular state of mind for me at present.
There will be two other displays from mid-September for one month as part of the Biennial. They are both produced by the two artists on the one year ‘Artists in Residence’ programme based in the two Cathedrals. The first is known as the ‘Three Vessels’ and involves projected images of devotional activity onto three vessels containing liquid. This will be in the Unity Chapel. The second is entitled ‘Two Seas’ This is a film of images of water which will be projected onto the front face of the altar at times during the day. All of this is extending the boundaries of my appreciation of art and symbolism but with all the preparatory work that has gone into these I feel confident that they will be an aid to reflection and thought.
On Friday there is a concert in the Cathedral by ‘Acoustic Triangle’ at 7.30pm. The group are a virtuoso group of musicians who have been touring various Cathedrals throughout the country. It is a joyful musical feast of classical and improvised jazz/folk styles.
Don’t forget the Cathedral will be on ‘Songs of Praise’ this Sunday you will be able to spot people you know and check whether they were looking happy or miserable and singing or just pretending – that is along with enjoying the hymns.
Next Sunday Hope Street will be closed to traffic for the ‘Hope Street Feast’
Canon Anthony O’Brien
Cathedral Dean |
