This morning we had sung mattins as our 10 am service. We were still enjoying the flowers in the Church for Tim and Emma's wedding on the previous Thursday. The set psalm was psalm 23. The readings from the King James version of the Bible were from Isaiah and St Matthew's Gospel. In the sermon Father Stephen followed up the Gospel reading, the story of the King who held a wedding banquet for his son, the invited guests would not come so he asked in passing strangers, but one man was not properly dressed and he was cast out. The tradition at the time was for the host to provide wedding clothes so this refusal has a particular implication. The passage ends with the famous words, 'many are called but few are chosen'.
The choir sang the Benedictus in the setting by Stanford in C Major, and the anthem was 'O for a closer walk with God' also set by Stanford.
There was coffee after the service in the new rooms.




At 3pm we were back in the church to hear a concert of Piano music by Tom Cooper. On this occasion Tom had chosen a selection of music that had influenced, or was by, Russian composers. He dedicated this concert to the memory of Alfred Lytton, who was a family friend. The music was wonderful, as we have come to appreciate from Tom and once again he also informed us about the background and relationship of the pieces he had chosen. The concert was followed by a Sidlesham Tea in the new rooms, which Tom's concerts had helped us to build!

Dame Jenny gives the vote of thanks

Marjorie Lytton with Tom