Reports
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December 2013
Family Service Celebrating Christmas
Picture, Hand-bell Ringers
Our Christmas celebrations finished on Christmas Morning with our now traditional Family Service, 'Celebrating Christmas'. The Service, which was projected using PowerPoint, began with the lighting of the Advent Ring and the placing of the figures of Mary and Joseph in our crib scene following their 'Posada' journey around the homes in the village during the four weeks of Advent. (Return to top)

The first part of the Service was more traditional with well-known carols and a reading from Luke's Gospel announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds, followed by a short talk using slides to emulate planks of wood repositioning themselves to build a star, a manager, a table and a cross which together illustrated God's purposes. He created life (the star), came in human life-form (a crib), gave us spiritual life (the 'Last Supper' table with bread and wine) and eternal life (through the cross). (Return to top)

We then became more celebratory - conscious of God's gift to us of a saviour, we looked at the presents the children had brought with them, 'The Young Voices' (our junior choir) played two Christmas pieces on the hand-bells and, after some prayers for the world, we heard that carols began as medieval circle dances so, whilst the adults sang "Good Christians All Rejoice" the children completed the Service by join together in a circle dance to celebrate Jesus' birthday. (Return to top)
Midnight Communion
Picture, Dymock's Altar Table
Fifty-five stalwart souls braved the late hour to gather in the church to welcome Christmas Day with a traditional Service of Holy Communion - The 'First Communion of Christmas', sometimes called 'Midnight Mass'. (Return to top)

This annual Service follows the traditional format to celebrate Christs's birth, before the more relaxed 'Family Service' on Christmas morning (see above). (Return to top)
Crib Service
Picture, Crib Cast + Donkey
For many years we've held a Crib Service with 'live' cast and donkey on Dymock Village Green in front of the church. Last year for the first time we had to hold it in the church due to the wet and windy weather and the same thing happened again this year. Being in the church creates it's own atmosphere it's more like being in a stable than doing it in the open air. Unlike last year, the donkey behave itself and left the carpet clean! (Return to top)

The church was packed full with some 120 people who heard the traditional story of Mary and Joseph's journey on a donkey from their home town of Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered for a census and where Jesus was born in a stable because the town was so busy that there was no room for them in the inns. (Return to top)

After the Service, we were served with mulled wine and mince pies (Return to top)
Carol Service
Picture, Dymock Church Choir
The Sunday Before Christmas saw this year's traditional Service of '9 Lessons and Carols' in Dymock Church. The Service followed the usual form with the nine readings interspersed with 13 carols, 6 sung by the choir and the rest by the congregation together. (Return to top)

The choir's carols included the Angel Gabriel (Traditional), Adam Lay ybounden (Ledger), Star Carol (Rutter), What Child is This (Hewitt Jones), Still the Holiest Night (arr Kern) and A Little Child there is y born (Archer). (Return to top)
Carols Round The Village
Picture of Carol Singers
We had planned that our junior choir, 'The Young Singers', accompanied by several adults, would move around Dymock Village on the Wednesday evening, December 8th, to sing carols to raise money for the James Hopkins Trust but unfortunately there was a considerable storm with very high winds and beating rain, so it was decided to put off the event until the following Friday evening. (Return to top)

Friday was not nearly so tempestuous, so the Carols singing went ahead and a goodly sum was raised to add to the collection made in the 'Carols in the Pub' the previous week. (Return to top)
Christmas Concert
Picture, Massed Performers
Our Christmas Concert this year, on December 14th, was 'home grown' involving performers from our own village and their friends, some from further afield. There was an emphasis on our young people - Ann Cam School choir began with three Christmas songs, followed by solos from Felicity Williams and Mia Walters. There was a violin solo from Emma Dodd and an oboe solo from Sophie Challonder before our junior choir 'The Young Voices' sang Winter Wonderland and the joint choirs sang the haunting 'Still the Holiest Night'. Marion Allan read Dylon Thomas' 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' and we all sang 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'. The first half concluded with a rendition of well-known carols on 12 hand-bells by the Newent Scouts Hand-bell Ensemble and an impressive arrangement of 'The First Nowell' by the joint choirs accompanied by the Hand-bells playing 'Pachelbel's Canon' at the same time! (Return to top)

The second half opened with Christmas music by the three trombones group 'Walk on the Wild Side', followed by a piano solo from Lydia Williams and a selection from 'Les Miserable' by the Young Voices. Sue Coombs accompanied herself on the guitar whilst singing 'In the Bleak Midwinter' and Chris May read a selection of amusing 'Christmas Thank-you Letters'. Emily Hutchinson gave us an early 20th century carol and the augmented adult choir sang 'A little child there is yborn' - a modern piece in an old style and the concert ended with us all singing 'O Come All Ye Faithful. (Return to top)
Carols in the Pub
Picture, Carol singering in the Pub
On the auspicious date of Friday 13th, and for the fifteenth year running, we held a celebration of carol singing in the Beauchamp Arms Pub next door to the church. As usual the pub was packed with people keen to sing the traditional carols and hear amusing readings, including some written especially for the occasion and delivered by their authors! (Return to top)

The whole was overseen by our Associate Priest, Andrew Perry, and raised nearly £300 for the James Hopkins Trust, a charity that provides practical help for severely disabled, life threatened and life limited young children with nursing needs, aged 5 years and under, living in Gloucestershire. (Return to top)
Tree of Light
Picture, People Round Tree
The first of this year's Christmas events was on Saturday 7th December, when the Friends of the Beauchamp Arms (FOBA) turned on the lights of their big Christmas Tree on the village green. There was a snow machine blowing out synthetic snow from the foot of the tree and people were able to pay for a light in memory of a loved one, recorded in a Book of Remembrance in the pub. (Return to top)

Music for carols was provided by members of the trombone group 'A Walk on the Wild Side', accompanied by the choir from Dymock Church, and a hot drink, mince pies and Christmas Cards were on sale in a side tent. (Return to top)

The money donated this year will be shared between Riding for the Disabled and Dymock Parish Church. (Return to top)