I wonder if you like me enjoy listening to Desert Island Discs. Somehow music has that ability to take you back to a time and place in your life and open you up. Different pieces of music become like the theme tunes for events in your life. During the pandemic lockdown Max Richter’s: On the Nature of Daylight became like the film score for me as I walked through London’s deserted parks with headphones filling me with the music which seemed to be welling up out of all of creation around me. It gave me hope. Tonight our St Martin’s Group called The Archers will be meeting each of us bringing a favourite song to share and the memories it carries with it. Music is an unseen but deeply powerful language. Last Sunday a flashmob of 200 classical musicians led by renowned Russian-British conductor Petr Limonov, played a trio of Ukrainian compositions in Trafalgar Square on Sunday to protest against the Russian invasion. It starred violinist Jennifer Pike (and included as one of the violinists Pam Orchard CEO of The Connection). It was very moving.
This week our own St Martin’s Director of Music Andrew Earis was presented The Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. In the citation Archbishop Justin writes that the award is for his “extraordinary musical ministry during the pandemic, supporting the Church of England…. Andrew’s skill and expertise, not only as Director of Music of St Martin’s but also as an enabler of worship, have transformed what the Church of England was able to offer during the pandemic more significantly than almost anyone else inside or outside the National Church Institutions. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his outstanding contribution”.
Congratulations Andrew – and may all our choirs and musicians at St Martin’s play and on. You give us all hope.
Revd Richard Carter
