Kerensa Briggs, the first choral scholar appointed at St Michael & All Angels says her love of sacred music emanated from her choral background, singing as a soprano in the Gloucester Cathedral Youth Choir and later in the Choirs of Trinity College Cambridge and King’s College London, where she held a choral scholarship and undertook an MMus in Composition. Kerensa currently works in the music department at Godolphin and Latymer school.

As an award-winning composer, her music has been performed internationally in venues such as St

Paul’s Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel and recorded for CD and for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Scotland by ensembles such as The Tallis Scholars and the choirs of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester Cathedrals.

Vision Card 2019 In preparation for our PCC Away Day on 21st September, Fr Stephen would like to give the congregation a chance to write some comments for the PCC to take into account as they consider St Michael’s new Mission Action Plan.

Please return comments via the card to the Vicarage or Parish Office (email to admin@stmichaelbarnes.org) no later than Wednesday 18th September.

Please see all upcoming events and parish news in the Michaelmas Newsletter 2019

The Variety Show on October 19th brings together a host of St Michael’s talent in a programme of wit, wisdom, music and song! More than a dozen members of the choir, congregation and clergy are already rehearsing their contributions for your entertainment. Supper is included in the £15 price of tickets which can be bought from the parish office, via admin@stmichaelbarnes.org or call 020 8876 5230. This is a fundraiser for the church and its charities, so please bring family and friends for a fabulous evening!  (Please book early to help the catering.)   Variety Show poster

Click here for Auction prize details

Dear friends and parishioners, there will be a Requiem Mass at Saint Michael’s, Barnes, for the repose of the soul of the late Rosemary Hurry on Thursday 15th August at 2pm. All welcome to the service and the reception to follow in the adjacent Community Centre afterwards. In accordance with Rosemary’s wishes, You are invited to ‘wear a splash of colour like an artist’s palette’. Due to the usual preliminaries with the coroner taking rather longer than normal, a funeral with close members of the family only will take place a few weeks hence.

All are invited to High Mass this Sunday 18th August, at 10am.  Please see the poster here.

St Mary’s new Rector, Rev’d James Hutchings’ Institution service was held on Monday 22nd July. He was instituted at St Mary’s by the Bishop of Kingston. The service was followed by a well-attended reception in Kitson Hall to which many in the local community attended as well as guests from outside Barnes, some of whom had travelled from Devon.

Father James has since said ‘Alice and I are so grateful for the lovely generous welcome we have received moving to Barnes, and at the Institution on Monday evening. I know that many worked extremely hard to make it all possible, and please be assured this was greatly appreciated not only by us, but also all those visiting to support me from previous parishes and elsewhere. I look forward to getting to know you all over the coming weeks and months, and to our partnership together in the gospel.’

We are delighted to announce that applications are open for up to four
choral scholarships (SATB) to commence in September. Please see this Choral Advert for additional information.

In her usual modesty, Rev’d Judith has hardly made anything of a very significant anniversary which we this week with a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by lunch in the Community Centre.

Rev’d Judith and Fr Stephen at the celebration lunch

A lovely celebratory lunch after Mass

Rev’d Judith has been ordained a Deacon for 30 years, and a priest for 25 of them – she was among the very first women to be ordained in the Church of England and she has spent 27 of those years at St Michael’s. She has been an amazing pioneer of women’s ordination and she is still going strong!

Click here to read Annual Review

Click here to view 2018 Annual Accounts and Report

The Reverend James Hutchings

We are delighted to announce that the Bishop of Southwark, in consultation with the parish representatives and the Patronage Board, has appointed the Rev’d James Hutchings to the post of Team Rector of Barnes in the Deanery of Richmond and Barnes, subject to the usual legal formalities.

Father James is the Team Rector of Littleham-cum-Exmouth with Lympstone, and Rural Dean of Aylesbeare, in the Diocese of Exeter.  He has previously served in other parishes in the same diocese.  He is very much looking forward to starting at St Mary’s and to getting to know everyone.

James is the youngest of 5 children and was brought up and nurtured as a Christian in a Hampshire village.  He graduated from Exeter University (Economics) and worked in London in banking and the voluntary sector.  His faith grew as an active member of St Leonard Streatham and St Mary Twickenham and he was ordained in 2006.  He is married to Alice and they have 3 children: Ben (24), Ollie (22) and Sarah (19), plus Jessie the dog (15)!

It is anticipated that James and Alice and the family will move to Barnes in early July and that he will be instituted at St Mary’s by the Bishop of Kingston towards the end of July – this is very likely to be Monday 22^nd July at 7.30pm so please put the date in your diary.

Please pray for Fr James and his family as they prepare to move to Barnes, and we look forward to welcoming them.

The business case for the Church Hall project is now online and can be viewed here. Please get in touch with any questions or comments.

If so, we need your help playing for the 11.30am Family Service on some Sunday mornings.  It’s a good chance to dig out old music and enjoy playing it again as well as a few hymns.  Please let the Parish Office know if you, or anyone you know, could help us out.

Tel: 020 8876 5230 or email admin@stmichaelbarnes.org

Parish Calendar 2019 can be viewed to see upcoming services and events.

Please see the statement about the path through the church yard here.

The Barnes Music Festival, in which St Michael’s church plays a prominent role, is seeking an Assistant to the Artistic Director for the 2019 Festival which runs between the 9th-24th March.

The role is geared towards a gap-year student or recent graduate thinking about a career in music or arts administration. The role will include:

• Liaising with the Artistic Director, Committee and Artists over rehearsal timings during the festival period
• Assembling programmes for concerts
• Managing performance requirements (equipment, staging, music, refreshments etc) for concerts and rehearsals (excluding those at St Michael’s.)
• Attending the following additional events:

◦              Committee meeting // Wednesday 9 January at 6.30pm

◦              Festival Soirée // Thursday 24 January at 7.00pm

◦              Committee meeting // Wednesday 13 February at 6.30pm

◦              Committee meeting // Wednesday 4 March at 6.30pm

Remuneration for this role is £1000.

More information about the festival can be found at www.barnesmusicfestival.com.