Augustine, Matthew and the Hermitage Ensemble

September has been a roller-coaster of a month at Saint Matthew’s and first I need to pay tribute to the extraordinary hard work that many otherwise busy people have put in to support the events: what we have achieved is truly magnificent. A month of celebration began with the celebration of Saint Augustine’s Day with a midday Mass at the end of August. Different in style from all that was to come during the following month, the liturgy had a power of its own and the congregation then adjourned to the Vicarage for a barbecue, which was, at one and the same time, an continuation of the patronal celebrations and Eddy McClenn’s sixtieth birthday.

Three weeks later, it was truly a pleasure to welcome Bishop Peter of Worcester and Mrs Selby to the Patronal Festival. Bishop Peter spoke as if he had never been away and managed to have found time to plan a sermon that struck exactly the mark. However, more than that even, was the event around his preaching. It was remarkable to welcome so many people to join with us and I think that most went away touched by the liturgical experience that is worship at Saint Matthew’s, aided, I am sure, by the conviviality in the Hall afterwards, which was, as ever, a model of Christian hospitality.

Then, a week later, the Hermitage Ensemble from Saint Petersburg rolled into town and the Vicarage. I am certain that I was not alone in reflecting that they surpassed anything we could have reasonably expected. The Mass of Michaelmas just felt like something from another world and the very well attended concert the next evening seemed to have delighted everyone who attended. We owe Natalia, their organiser, a debt of gratitude for setting up the visit. It was a privilege to play host during their visit to the city; many of us hope that it will not prove to be a one-off experience.

The breadth of their styles (indicated by the change of outfit at the concert) was phenomenal, one evening lifting our worship to the highest Heaven, the next evening encouraging even the most restrained folks in the congregation to clap along to the songs. I am told that many people saw the four of them and wondered where the other thirty might be, only to reflect, once they started singing that more would have overwhelmed the building!

In nine days, we welcome hundreds of people from all sorts of places to our Christian community. The presence of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress at the Michaelmas Mass and the style that they brought with them was much appreciated; but more importantly, it reminds us that as well as being locked into the Church network, we are part of the life of the City and in September, many folks from the city came to be part of our life for a little while. Saint Matthew’s is an unmistakeable part of the city skyline and also an important element of its cultural heritage and we need to take very seriously the part that we should play in the life of Newcastle.