Tag: st marys

Devizes Parish Wins Prestigious Award for Future Plans

The parish of St John with St Mary in Devizes has won a prestigious award for its plans for St Mary’s Church on New Park Street in the town.…

Last Friday, the town centre parish won the Innovation prize at the annual awards of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for Salisbury, the church body which examines and approves proposed changes to churches in most of Wiltshire and Dorset.

Nigel Carter of St Mary’s Devizes Trust said, “We were delighted to win the top prize for ‘Innovation’ for our plans to revitalise St Mary’s, making it fit for a wide range of community and artistic uses for decades to come while remaining a place of worship.”

The Rev’d Gerry Lynch, Curate of St John with St Mary, Devizes said, “Credit for the proposals for the future St Mary’s of winning an award is shared between many people who have put their time, energy, and imagination into ensuring this spectacular Grade I listed building is a blessing for the people of Devizes for generations to come. Both the parish and the St Mary’s Devizes Trust have played an enormous part.”

“Churchgoers and non-churchgoers from a wide range of interests, over many years, have worked so hard and all it’s a pity that all of them couldn’t have come down to Salisbury to receive the award together, as all of them deserved it.”

left-to-right: Nigel Carter, St Mary’s Devizes Trust; the Rt Rev’d Andrew Rumsey, Bishop of Ramsbury; the Rev’d Gerry Lynch, St John with St Mary, Devizes.

Devizine would like to congratulate everyone who has worked so hard on this ambitious and exciting project, and we look forward to a time when the work is complete and a programme of events is on the horizon. Nigel expressed, “we have a formidable fundraising task – similar to that associated with the Assize Courts – so maybe five years before completion.”

REVIEW – The Brook Street Band @ St Marys, Devizes – Saturday 1st October 2022

Baroque & Roll

Andy Fawthrop

The last time I was in St Mary’s church was well before the C-thing to see TiTCo perform Spamalot, and not a lot has changed to the venue since then.  It’s still a largely a disused church, with all the religious fixtures and fittings still in place, and with exactly none of the trappings one might expect of a proper music venue, nor of (let’s hope sometime) a real Arts Centre.  But that’s a whole different story for another day.

In the meantime, The St Mary Trust had done their best to make the place as hospitable as it could be on a cold, rainy October night.  The guests for the evening were the Handel-inspired The Brook Street Band, come to bring us a wonderful short programme of baroque music.  Their presentation was built around the idea of musical nights from 18th Century Leipzig’s Kaffeehaus culture, featuring pieces from Handel himself, Bach and Telemann.

The performers – Lisete da Silva Bull (flute & recorder), Kathryn Parry (violin), Tatty Theo (cello) and Carolyn Gibley (harpsichord) – turned in a polished and professional performance.  The quartet, formed back in 1996, have been regulars on the BBC and have played at all the principal classical venues across the UK and Europe.  Making the best of the chilly conditions in this large church, the four of them took to the six pieces with great humour and enthusiasm.  The pieces were not only introduced and explained, but so were their individual baroque instruments.  Thus we had both entertainment and some education thrown in for good measure.

Despite the technical difficulties presented by the tunings needed for the various pieces (the explanation of which was way over my head), what we got was a programme that was up-tempo, light and uplifting.  My partner-in-crime Gail used the word “cheerful” and I wasn’t about to disagree with her.  My particular favourites were the first Telemann piece (Trio Sonata in G Minor) and the final Handel (Op. 2 No. 4 in F).

On the down side, the acoustics of the church are not currently of the best, it was definitely quite chilly in there, and the audience of about 50 could have been larger.  But on the positive side, we had a really excellent and uplifting recital of baroque music.  Well done to St Mary Trust for staging this event.

Once again D-Town had thrown up a little musical gem out of (it seems) absolutely nowhere.  Yet again proof, if it were needed, that the building of St Marys could (and should) be refurbished and re-used as what I think will be a great venue for the town.

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Tutored Wine Tasting at St Mary’s

Discover new tipples at a professionally-led tutored tasting.

Communion wine won’t be among the offering at a tutored tasting in St Mary’s Church, Devizes, on Friday, 19th August, but instead look forward to exploring an eclectic mix of interesting wines chosen by renowned local vintner Casper Bowes.
There will be something to appeal to every palate at the masterclass, which will provide the opportunity to sample a range of fine wines from different parts of the world in the unique historic setting of the Grade 1 listed building in New Park Street.

Co-founders of Bowes Wine, Casper and Victoria, who describe themselves as a ‘healthily wine-obsessed husband and wife team’, started the business in 2002 and focus on sourcing new and exciting wines from both the classic and lesser known regions of the world, with both young and older vintages in their sights.
The tasting will enable those imbibing to go away with a better understanding and appreciation of a wide range of specially selected wines. The evening starts at 6.30pm and will end around 8.30pm with a glass of sparkling wine and nibbles.

Tickets, which are limited and cost £20, can be purchased through St Mary Devizes Trust website at: www.stmarydevizestrust.org.uk where you can also find further information about future events in the church and learn more about the plans to transform the building into a vibrant community arts venue for future generations.

Devizes Church Hosts Play Shining Light on Kids in Care                                   

A historic Devizes church will host a professional theatre company later this month as it performs a play that shines a light on the realities facing children in the care system in Britain today……

My Place is a powerful and moving evening of theatre and conversation, telling the interwoven stories of children – an individual, a sibling group and a refugee – as they journey through the care system.  

As part of its 8 week nationwide tour, My Place is coming to St Mary’s Church on New Park Street in Devizes on Sunday 26th June at 7.30 pm.

The evening will combine a performance of My Place with an opportunity to hear about the national fostering and adoption charity Home for Good and how each of us can play our part in transforming the lives of vulnerable children and young people.  

WHAT’S THE STORY OF MY PLACE?  

Both entertaining and thought-provoking, My Place follows the stories of four children in care, an individual child, a pair of siblings and an unaccompanied child refugee. They have different backgrounds and journeys, brought to life through a range of colourful story-telling techniques, including song and spoken word. Each story highlights the need for all vulnerable children to have a safe, stable and loving home where they can thrive.  

Home for Good is a charity that exists to find a home for every child who needs one. We hope to inspire and equip people to open their homes to children and teenagers through fostering, adoption and supported lodgings. We resource churches to be a welcoming and supportive community for families who care for vulnerable children and advocate on their behalf at all levels of government.  

WHO IS THIS EVENT FOR?  

Everyone! Any individual who cares about children, has a passion for justice and compassion for our society’s most vulnerable would be inspired by this event. We hope that many people will gain a better understanding of the experience of young refugees and children in care. The play is suitable for teenagers and adults but not recommended for younger children.  

Visit www.ridinglights.org/my-place for a full tour schedule, information and online booking.

Devizes Kids to Celebrate Jubilee with Professional Artist

Featured Image: Gerry Lynch.

A historic Devizes church will help local children celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by giving them the chance to work with a renowned local artist over the jubilee period.…

The parish of St John with St Mary in Devizes has partnered with artist Joanna May and historian David Evans to put an exhibition entitled ‘Majesty’ in St Mary’s Church on New Park Street from 2-4 June. Three local primary schools will participate: Wansdyke, Southbroom, and Trinity. 

Shirley Urwin, who is helping organise the exhibition, said: “The children will hear about Devizes’ historic links with the monarchy through story-telling, then Joanna will help them make paintings and drawings of story or person that resonated most with them. Joanna will then create a mosaic of the children’s drawings as part of a huge exhibition board, based upon her painting “Majesty”, which depicts Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation Crown. 

“We hope they will benefit from the opportunity to work creatively with a well-known artist and be involved in a unique project marking a memorable event in their lives. 

“The pupils will benefit from one-on-one time with a professional artist completely cost free. All three schools are state-funded, and both Trinity CofE and Southbroom receive higher than the national average Pupil Premium funding. This is about bringing art to everyone in our community. 

“This is part of a programme of activities that will secure the future of St Mary’s Church as a vibrant and viable multi-use venue for the community of Devizes and further afield. It will raise awareness and engagement in the town of the plans to make St Mary’s available for the community as a vibrant arts space, accessible to all.  “ 

The exhibition will be free, and take place at St Mary’s from 11 am – 3 pm from Thu 2 – Sat 4 June. 

For more information, contact Shirley Urwin on shirley.urwin@yahoo.co.uk or 07849 536 179.  

About Joanna May 

Joanna May is an artist based in Devizes.  She is recognised and collected widely, with a listing in ‘Who’s Who In Art’. Her work has sold at Christies’, including to celebrity buyers; she has paintings at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Raymond Blanc’s famous hotel near Henley. Her beautiful hare paintings for The Hare on the Moon – A Treasure Hunt Book hang in her Joanna May Gallery, lighting up Northgate Street in Devizes. She can be contacted on joanna@joannamay.com and has a website at joannamay.com. 

About St Mary’s, Devizes 

St Mary’s Church is a Grade 1 listed building and one of the town’s oldest and most historic landmarks with its magnificent 13m high internal arch. It is among the top 2.5% listed buildings in the country and of significant historic importance to the town. Plans are afoot to redevelop the building into a space for the arts, accessible to all, enjoyed for generations to come, thus preserving our heritage. Find out more at www.stmarydevizestrust.org.uk.  

Singing Bishop with Stories to Tell Comes to St. Mary’s Devizes

If there’s one venue I’m delighted to pen an event preview for, this new year, it has to be St Mary’s Church in Devizes. The Invitation Theatre Company showed us the potential of this disused church way back when, when Jemma and friends aptly dressed as nuns for Sister Act, if I remember rightly?!

Since it’s been on the cards to convert St Mary’s into arts centre, and must be said, it’s been a rocky road to get this far. Now the venue is ready for singing Bishop of Ramsbury, Andrew Rumsey to showcase his musical and literary talents.

The event is in aid of the church regeneration fund, as Wiltshire Council and Salisbury Diocesan Authorities have given the go ahead for an extension to house additional facilities and the necessary changes to the interior.

On the evening of Saturday 22nd January, Andrew will be sharing songs and readings from his new book English Grounds: A Pastoral Journal in the 12th Century Church.

Appropriate for a Grade 1 listed venue, which has been a place of worship in Devizes for the best part of nine hundred years. Dr Rumsey’s new book is rooted in the Wiltshire landscape, exploring themes of place, spirituality and belonging in a series of short essays and photographs.

As well as being an author, whose writing centres on themes of place and local identity, the bishop is also a musician, with a longstanding interest in song writing and popular music. Former Literary Editor of The Times, Erica Wagner, describes his latest title as “a marvellous book, lit by faith, love and imagination”.

The event will be the first of a number planned at St Mary’s for 2022, as the innovative plans to transform the church as a hub for arts in the community take a step nearer, which is exciting news for Devizes.

Entry is £10, you can book at Devizes Books, or pay on the door.

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