Former Chorister wins Young Choristers of the Year, 2019
Will Miles-Kingston has won BBC Radio 2’s Young Choristers of the Year 2019. The 13 year old won the title and was delighted to bring the award home to York.
Eight contestants from around the UK, aged between 11 and 17 years of age, competed in the final, where one girl and one boy were awarded the title. To win this prestigious accolade, Will competed with three other shortlisted boy finalists at MediaCityUK. After a day of rehearsals and interviews, Radzi Chinyanganya hosted the final competition in the BBC Philharmonic Studio. Will was the last boy to sing and treated the audience to an exquisite performance of Holst’s In the Bleak Midwinter and The Sussex Carol arranged by David Willcocks. The judges commended the confidence in Will’s singing and enjoyed how he engaged his audience through telling the stories of each piece. They added that Will had “a lovely musicality” before making their decision to award him the prize.
Will began singing at York Minster in 2014. As a chorister, he had singing practices as part of the school day and sang up to four services each week. He has performed a wide range of solos from Allegri’s Miserere to Mendelssohn’s O for the Wings of a Dove to Blake’s The Snowman. These opportunities helped build in him a level of focus and courage that was clearly visible in the final.
Will finished his choristership in July 2019 and has continued to develop his singing and performing at St Peter’s School, York, where he is a music scholar. As well as classical music, he is enjoying singing songs from the shows and playing jazz trumpet. In a busy first term, Will has had the opportunity to play alongside the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra, play in the National Concert Band Festival and sing Evensong at Durham Cathedral.
As Young Chorister of the Year 2019, Will, along with the winning girl chorister, Anna Haestrup from St Paul’s Girls School in London, will be recording with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and performing on a number of broadcasts. He will also be singing live as the soloist with the St Peter’s Chapel Choir, who will be accompanying the BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship programme to be broadcast on 26 January.
Will said of his win, “I am really happy to be the Young Chorister of the Year 2019, especially knowing how talented the other finalists were. Taking part was an amazing experience and I am looking forward to singing in various venues during the year. I am also looking forward to returning to sing at York Minster with the St William’s Singers, which will be very special.”
Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster commented, “Will’s work as a Minster chorister was exemplary not just for his outstanding voice and huge contribution as a soloist at services, but also as a team-player and keen supporter of his peers. This result is a very fitting recognition of his talents.”
Jeremy Walker, Head Master of St Peter’s School, York added, “We are tremendously proud of Will and wish him every success as Young Chorister of the Year. He continues the centuries old tradition of choral singing here at St Peter’s, where sacred and secular music form an essential part of everyday life at the school. We are very much looking forward to inviting listeners from all over the world to tune into Radio 4’s Sunday Worship on January 26th, where they will hear Will and St Peter’s Chapel Choir perform.”
Next Archbishop of York announced
Bishop Stephen Cottrell to be the next Archbishop of York
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell as the next Archbishop of York, Downing Street has announced.
Bishop Stephen, currently Bishop of Chelmsford, will succeed Dr John Sentamu who retires in June of next year.
A renowned preacher, author and communicator, he will be the 98th occupant of the see of York – in a line of succession dating back to St Paulinus in 627AD.
www.archbishopofyork.org/archbishop-york/previous-archbishops-york
As Primate of England and Metropolitan of the Province of York, he will share in the leadership of the Church of England in partnership with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at a time of change and challenge for both the Church and the country.
He said: “I am humbled and excited at the prospect of becoming the 98th Archbishop of York.
“I will receive the baton from Archbishop Sentamu. These aren’t just big shoes to fill, but a big heart and a big vision.
“However, I am not daunted. Archbishop Sentamu and I have worked together in mission on many occasions and I hope to build on the work he has pioneered. Working alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, I hope to help the church be more joyful and more effective in sharing the gospel and bringing hope and unity to our nation.
“Although I was born and grew up in Essex, I lived and served in Huddersfield for nine years. I know and love the north of England. Two of our children were born there.
“I now look forward to returning and being a voice for the North, sharing the liberating good news of the gospel and helping to address the discrepancies of wealth and opportunity that too often favour the South.”
Archbishop Justin said: “I am delighted that the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell has been nominated to become Archbishop of York.
“Archbishop Sentamu’s ministry has been extraordinarily significant. In Bishop Stephen there is a worthy successor.
“He is someone who radiates the joy and love of Jesus, making his hearers want to meet and know Christ better.
“He has been a Bishop for 15 years, and wherever he has gone he has spread the love of God, leading churches to be more confident in what they believe and more passionate in what they do for their communities.
“His long experience in many areas, including nine years in the north of England, means that he brings wisdom as well as gifts in his ministry. He writes beautifully, engagingly and honestly, easily read and profoundly thoughtful.
“He is committed not only to speaking of Jesus, but to the renewal and reform of the Church of England in every aspect, as a church with a living, spiritual presence in every community. He is committed to the church as a place of safety, of growth and of hope. He leads on the work of tackling our past failures in our attention to diversity, to outer estates. He has deep experience of both urban and rural work.
“With a particular passion for Kenya, Bishop Stephen knows well the variety and vibrancy of the Anglican Communion and is utterly committed to the life and unity of the communion as a whole.
“Personally, I know that he will be both an encouraging and a challenging colleague, and am sure that working together we will be able to address spiritually and practically the great challenges facing our country, and facing the Church of England.”
Archbishop Sentamu said: “In 1997 I was a member of the Springboard Committee, the Decade of Evangelism Initiative set up by the then Archbishops of York and Canterbury.
“In that year I met Bishop Stephen Cottrell and Bishop Alison White, who succeeded Bishop Michael Marshall and the Revd Canon Michael Green as Springboard Missioners.
“Bishop Stephen Cottrell has the Gospel in his belly and a tiger in the tank!
“I am glad he is returning to the Northern Province where he with others developed the Emmaus course for evangelism, nurture and discipleship. His greatest passion is to share the Gospel with everyone in a friendly and accessible way.
“His nomination as my successor has gladdened my heart and he can rely on my prayers. He and Rebecca will find a warm welcome here at Bishopthorpe and throughout the Northern Province.
“Bishop Stephen, God is blessing you.”
www.archbishopofyork.org/archbishop-york/role-archbishop-york
Joëlle Warren, Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for York, said: “The commission was excited by Bishop Stephen’s vision for the change needed to see the Church grow – both in numbers and depth of faith. We are sure he will be a powerful voice for the Christian faith, the Church of England and the people of the north of England.
“He is a natural communicator and evangelist, able to inspire and challenge people, and someone who will be able to work with the Archbishop of Canterbury to lead the Church, engaging with clergy and lay people and the wider community in the exciting missional challenge ahead.”
Biography
Born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 1958, Stephen Cottrell was educated at Belfairs High School, Leigh-on-Sea, and the Polytechnic of Central London. He found faith as a teenager through the work of youth organisations in his local church.
After a brief spell working in the film industry, he began training for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, in 1981 and was ordained deacon at the age of 26. He later studied for an MA with St Mellitus College.
Serving his curacy in Christ Church and St Paul’s, Forest Hill, south London, in the mid-1980s he was priest-in-charge at St Wilfrid’s, in Parklands, a council estate parish in Chichester from 1988 to 1993. He also served as Assistant Director of Pastoral Studies at Chichester Theological College at the same time.
He then moved to West Yorkshire, as Diocesan Missioner and Bishop’s Chaplain for Evangelism in the Diocese of Wakefield and in 1998 he took up the role of Springboard Missioner and Consultant in Evangelism. During his time in the diocese he adopted Huddersfield Town as his team alongside his beloved Spurs.
In 2001, he was called south to become Canon Pastor of Peterborough Cathedral and three years later was consecrated as Bishop of Reading. He took up his current role as Bishop of Chelmsford in 2010.
Author of more than 20 books including children’s books, he enjoys poetry, music and art. His 2013 book on the artist Stanley Spencer, Christ in the Wilderness, prompted a recent podcast reflection with Russell Brand, discussing the crucifixion and resurrection.
He has undertaken several pilgrimages, including twice walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, as well as pilgrim routes in England including to his future see in York.
A founding member of the Church of England’s College of Evangelists, he chairs a group of bishops with an interest in the media and is one of the authors of the Church of England’s Pilgrim course, a major teaching and discipleship resource. He also chairs the Board of Church Army. Based in Sheffield, but working across the British Isles, Church Army is an organisation committed to evangelism and social justice. He is Bishop Protector for the Society of St Francis.
Stephen is married to Rebecca who is a potter. They have three sons.
Prayer on the announcement of the Archbishop of York Designate
Generous God, we give you thanks:
you have heard our prayer,
guided your people
and raised up Stephen
to serve as the next Archbishop of York.
By your Holy Spirit, grant to him
good counsel, holy insight and
joy in the gospel,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer for Archbishop Sentamu
God of our Pilgrimage,
we give you thanks for your blessings to us all through the ministry of Archbishop Sentamu.
In days of change:
strengthen his faith,
bless him with joyful hope
Top Soloists to perform Handel’s Messiah at York Minster
Four of the UK’s finest soloists will join the York Minster Choir this Saturday (7 December), for a special performance of Handel’s Messiah at the cathedral.
The internationally acclaimed guest soloists – soprano Rowan Pierce, counter tenor Feargal Mostyn-Williams, tenor Nicholas Watts and bass Morgan Pearse – will perform with the York Minster Choir and the 21-strong York Minster Orchestra in the spectacular setting of the cathedral’s Nave.
“We are very excited to be performing with these highly talented, in-demand and globally renowned professional singers,” commented Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster and the conductor for Saturday night’s concert.
“Our annual staging of one of Handel’s greatest and most loved works has become a must-see event in the cathedral’s Advent and Christmas calendar. Rowan, Feargal, Nicholas and Morgan will bring exceptional vocal power and quality to the performance – an absolutely thrilling experience in the awe-inspiring and atmospheric Nave. Music lovers should not miss this opportunity.”
The illustrious work was first performed in Dublin in 1742 and has since become one of the best-known and most popular English oratorios.
The concert takes place on Saturday 7 December at 7pm. Tickets are priced from £12.50-£25 and can be purchased online at www.yorkminster.org, by calling the Box Office on 01904 557256 or from the admissions desks within York Minster.
Minster apprentice stonemason wins gold at WorldSkills UK
A young apprentice stonemason at York Minster was named as one of the UK’s best young apprentices and students at the National Finals of the WorldSkills UK Live competition at the NEC Birmingham last weekend.
James Digger aged 20, received a gold award for his exceptional skills. He was one of more than 500 apprentices and students competing in over 70 different disciplines, all battling to be the best in the UK. Participating in WorldSkills UK competitions equips young people with the world-class skills that they will need to help UK businesses compete in the global economy. More than 83,000 young people registered for the WorldSkills UK event.
James has been an apprentice stone mason in the Minster’s renowned Stoneyard since 2017. He studied at York College and completed his stonemasonry course in July 2019. James has recently commenced the Cathedral Workshop Fellowship programme which will complete in 2021.
Commenting on his achievement, The Right Revd Dr Jonathan Frost, Dean of York said: “The whole Minster Community is delighted for James. This gold award is a wonderful testimony to his exceptional skill and hard work. We are so proud of him.”
Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct at York Minster said: “James was in competition with some of the UK’s most talented young stone masons. To have emerged with a gold award is a triumph. We are immensely proud of him and look forward to supporting him in the next phase of the competition.”
Those taking part in the competitions will go through to the selection process for a place in the UK squad that will travel to China for the prestigious international competition, WorldSkills Shanghai in May 2021.
Ben Blackledge, Deputy CEO of WorldSkills UK, said: “This is a life-changing moment for these young people. They have already won regional competitions and now their National Finals.
“They are the new generation of high flyers that will give UK employers a competitive edge. We couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of them – the standard of competition could not have been higher.”
Minster’s thanks for super successful Northern Lights run
York Minster today thanked all 22,000 local residents and supporters from far and wide, for helping to make the spectacular Northern Lights show one of the most popular events to be staged at the cathedral in recent times. The show closes tonight with sold out performances at 7pm and 9pm.
Designed by award winning artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid from double Guinness World Record winning company The Projection Studio, the extraordinary sound and light installation staged in the Minster’s monumental Nave, has been a resounding success.
The Minster’s box office team experienced unprecedented demand for the 16-show sell out run. The marketing and media campaign for the event achieved extensive regional, national and international news coverage and has reached over two million users on social media since opening night – once again helping to put York and the Minster on the map.
The installation originally debuted at York Minster in June 2018 selling out all three nights as part of a fundraising event to protect the Minster’s priceless medieval stained glass. This current run was extended to eight nights due to public demand.
Commenting on the show’s success, Neil Sanderson, Director of the York Minster Fund, said the light installation has enabled people to experience the Minster in a different way. Neil said:
“The scale and ambition of the artistic endeavour by Ross Ashton and Karen Monid has been truly inspiring. They produced a stunning and breath-taking spectacle that reflects the Minster’s religious and artistic heritage and that entirely respects the Minster’s purpose as a place of worship, giving visitors some sense of the awe experienced by medieval visitors when they first saw the Minster’s stained glass windows”.
Due to public interest in the show, ticket sales have far exceeded expectation and as a result, the 11-year project to provide protective glazing to all of the Minster’s stained glass has got off to a flying start. Neil concluded:
“We want to thank everyone who came to see the show and for their support for the campaign to protect their Minster. With the ticket revenue and match funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF) and from the York Minster Fund, we will be able to continue our project to fit protective glazing to all of York Minster’s windows and preserve them for future generations.”
Minster to appear as backdrop to York’s Christmas Lights Switch-on
York’s city-wide festive celebrations will get underway from a new venue next month, when Duncombe Place hosts the traditional launch of St Nicholas Christmas Fair and the switching on of the city’s ever-growing collection of winter lights, from 6pm on Thursday 14 November 2019.
The event is jointly organised by Make It York and York Business Improvement District, and will be hosted by Town Crier Ben Fry and Laura Castle from Minster FM and BBC Radio York’s Georgie Spanswick. A stage will be set up in Duncombe Place to host the festivities, with music performances ahead of the official lighting up of the streets, which takes place at 7pm.
“This is one of the most popular events in the city calendar, and with more and more people turning out each year to mark the start of the festive season, we’ve moved the event to the larger venue of Duncombe Place, where we can more comfortably accommodate the larger numbers,” comments Make It York’s Managing Director, Sean Bullick. “The magnificent backdrop of York Minster reminds us of the reason behind our Christmas celebrations – and there are plans afoot to add some extra sparkle, too.”
Indeed, York BID – which organises York’s annual display of Christmas lights throughout the city centre – has commissioned even more lights for Duncombe Place, including sympathetic lighting that will highlight well known landmarks such as the Boer War Memorial, St Michael Le Belfry and the Minster.
“Creating a welcoming winter lights scheme for the city – including the historic Bar gateways themselves – has been one of the most visible parts of York BID’s work over the last few years, funded by city centre businesses to give the city even wider appeal during the darker, winter months,” comments Andrew Lowson, executive director of York BID. “We try to extend the displays slightly each year, and with the move of the light switch-on to Duncombe Place, we’ve added a number of new elements here, which will no doubt delight hundreds of thousands of visitors who come to the city centre to stay, shop and socialise at this special time of year.”
Lights and projections will also adorn the magnificent West Front of York Minster for the event, with plans to use the lights periodically in the run-up to Christmas when there are not services or events taking place inside.
York Minster’s Canon Chancellor, The Revd Canon Dr Christopher Collingwood said:
“York in winter is an absolute gem, full of light, energy and excitement and people preparing for the festive season. York BID and Make It York have worked wonders in extending the lighting show to Duncombe Place and in designing the Minster into the scheme. We hope that the lights will not only draw people to view the Minster but also encourage them to come inside. They will find a warm welcome and quiet spaces to rest and reflect upon the real meaning of Advent and Christmas.”
More information about the special guests appearing at the Christmas Lights Switch-on will be released closer to the event. For details on the St Nicholas Fair and the Christmas activities going on around the city see www.visityork.org/whats-on/christmas
Article by:
Jay Commins
Pyper York Limited
Tel: 01904 500698
Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk
A new Canon Precentor for York Minster
The Chapter of York today announced the appointment of The Revd Canon Dr Vicky Johnson, currently Residentiary Canon at Ely Cathedral, as the new Canon Precentor at York Minster. Vicky succeeds The Revd Canon Peter Moger, who is moving to a new role in the Scottish Episcopal Church.
At York Minster, Vicky will lead and oversee the cathedral’s liturgy and music team. Day to day she will enable the planning and delivery of worship and music, supporting the work of the Director of Music and the 48 choristers (24 boys and 24 girls) and 12 adult singers of the world renowned York Minster Choir. She will also be working with partners in the City of York to explore the development of music outreach in the years ahead.
Commenting on her appointment, Vicky said:
“I am absolutely thrilled to take up the position of Canon Precentor at York Minster. It is a huge privilege to be part of such a fantastic team providing opportunities for everyone to participate in the worship and praise of God in this magnificent cathedral”.
Reflecting on her departure from Ely, Vicky added:
“I will be sad to leave the very beautiful cathedral in Ely, as it is a very special place for me and I will miss the community here immensely, but I am delighted to be moving back north to serve in the Minster and in the Diocese of York.”
Welcoming Vicky to the Minster team, The Right Revd Dr Jonathan Frost, Dean of York, said:
“The team at York Minster is delighted to be welcoming Vicky as our new Canon Precentor. She brings a rich experience to ministry including a fruitful career in research science. Vicky’s calling to enable others to worship and serve God was strongly apparent to all those who met her at interview. She has done a wonderful job at Ely Cathedral and I am quite sure she will be a blessing to many here in York and beyond.”
Vicky will start her new role at York Minster in January.
Historic organ pipes auctioned to raise funds for £2m refurbishment project
Bidders are being given the chance to own a piece of York Minster’s musical heritage following the launch of an online auction of historic pipes from the cathedral’s Grand Organ.
The auction of 30 decorative case pipes has been organised to raise funds for the once-a-century, £2m project to refurbish the cathedral’s organ, which began last October and is due to be complete in autumn 2020.
The 30 pipes are part of a set of 102 which have decorated the Grand Organ’s case since 1832 and have been silent for more than 100 years, following the last major refurbishment of the instrument in 1903.
As part of the current project, the majority of the case pipes are being restored and around 70 will be brought back into musical use, but 30 were beyond economic repair and will be replaced, with the redundant historic pipes now being offered for auction.
The remaining originals are being cleaned and repainted in a chapel at the cathedral by graining and marbling specialists Robert Woodland & Son, who will also decorate the new pipes to match the originals, before the set is returned with the rest of the instrument next spring.
Neil Sanderson, Director of the York Minster Fund, said: “The auction is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a piece of York Minster’s musical heritage, while supporting the future of organ music at the cathedral throughout the 21st century and beyond.
“Although where possible we have tried to retain and refurbish the instrument’s original features, unfortunately around 30% of the case pipes were beyond economic repair. Three of these pipes will be kept in our historic Collection as a record of the instrument, but the remaining 30 are being offered for auction to raise funds towards the once-a-century refurbishment project.”
The case pipes being auctioned are among the oldest surviving pipes in York Minster’s Grand Organ and date from the early 1830s when a new organ was built following an arson attack in the Quire in 1829 which destroyed the previous instrument.
Originally painted green, the case pipes were updated in 1859 to the distinctive gold, green, cream and red decoration seen today.
The Minster’s Grand Organ is one of the largest cathedral organs in the country, weighing approximately 20,000kg. In total it has 5,403 pipes which range in length from the size of a pencil to 10m long.
As part of the current refurbishment project, organ specialists Harrison and Harrison removed the instrument from the cathedral in October 2018 and transported it to their workshop in Durham for repair and rebuilding.
The project includes replacing the organ’s mechanism and extensive work to clean and overhaul the instrument. A new music library is also being created underneath the organ, inside the screen which separates the cathedral’s Quire from its Nave.
The refurbished organ is due to be returned to the Minster in spring 2020, with voicing and tuning work carried out over the summer months ready for the instrument to be back in use in autumn 2020.
The auction of historic pipes will run until 12noon on Friday 27 September. For further details about the auction and refurbishment project, visit organ.yorkminster.org.
York Minster appoints Canon Missioner
On Sunday 1 September The Chapter of York announced the appointment of The Revd Canon Maggie McLean, to the new role of Canon Missioner at York Minster.
Maggie became a priest in 1994, one of the first women to be ordained in the Church of England. She is currently vicar of the Church of Christ the King Battyeford, in the town of Mirfield, in the Diocese of Leeds. Canon Maggie has held this post for over 10 years, having previously served in the dioceses of St Albans, Derby and Wakefield.
As Canon Missioner, Maggie will serve as an ambassador for York Minster, developing partnerships with Christian communities in the City of York, the Diocese of York, the Northern Province of the Church of England and with our link Dioceses in South Africa.
Each year nearly 700,000 visitors from around the world, and more locally, make their way to York Minster. Our research suggests a large proportion of those who find their way to the Minster speak of experiencing “a spiritual moment” – whether it’s through the beauty of music, architecture or the rich history that is woven into the fabric of this place. Maggie will serve alongside our existing team in supporting to develop the Minster’s response to this research.
Commenting on her appointment, Maggie said:
“I’m delighted to be making the move to York. I look forward to this new role at the Minster supporting the spirituality of everyone who finds this a significant place – and working with colleagues to share the love of God which inspired its construction”.
Welcoming Maggie to the Minster’s clergy team, The Rt Reverend Dr Jonathan Frost, Dean of York said:
“Maggie will bring great love, sensitivity, wisdom and experience to her new role. The whole Minster community looks forward to her arrival and to the gifts she will bring to us all.”
Maggie will start her new role at the Minster in November.
Northern Lights returns to York Minster by popular demand this autumn
See York Minster in a new light this autumn when the spectacular Northern Lights sound and light projection returns to the cathedral by popular demand for a seven-night run.
The installation, which is inspired by the Minster’s medieval stained glass and architecture, will be shown from Thursday 24 to Thursday 31 October, with tickets for the events going on sale this Tuesday (28 May) at 10am.
Designed by artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid from double Guinness World Record winning company The Projection Studio, the installation originally debuted to sell-out audiences in June 2018 to raise funds to protect the Minster’s medieval stained glass.
This autumn’s events will again support the cathedral’s 20-year campaign to ensure all of its 128 mostly medieval stained glass windows have protection from the elements.
Neil Sanderson, Director of the York Minster Fund (YMF), said: “We were overwhelmed with the response to the installation when it debuted last year, not just the hugely positive reaction to the projection events but also the heartfelt support for the campaign to protect the Minster’s unrivalled collection of medieval glass.
“The events allowed people to see and interact with this spectacular building in a new way while supporting a campaign which will help ensure this amazing collection of medieval stained glass – the largest in the country – is protected for generations to come.
“We look forward to welcoming people in October to see the awe-inspiring installation and support our campaign to protect these historically important masterpieces.”
Around 60% of York Minster’s mostly medieval stained glass windows currently have no external protective glazing, leaving them exposed to the elements and subject to corrosion and decay.
In 2017, York Minster launched a 20-year partnership working with York Glaziers Trust and the YMF, to extend state-of-the-art protective glazing to these windows, to halt the decay and buy much needed time for conservation work.
The project is supported by an endowment grant of up to £1m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which means that every £1 raised by the public will be matched by the lottery fund. The funding will then be invested to generate income for the 20-year project, which will cost around £11m to complete.
Tickets for the Northern Lights events go on sale on Tuesday 28 May at 10am. There will be two performances each evening (excluding Sunday 27 October) at 7pm and 9pm, with doors opening 45 minutes before the performance. The experience will last approximately 30 minutes.
Tickets, which cost £6 in advance and £8 on the door, will be available online HERE, by calling the Box Office on 01904 557256 or from the cathedral’s admission desks.
Go behind the scenes at York Minster’s Stoneyard Open Day
Visitors will have the chance to go behind the scenes at York Minster’s Stoneyard on Friday (30 August) to see the ancient craft skills used to preserve one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals.
The annual Stoneyard Open Day invites people to visit the cathedral’s workshops to learn about the work carried out by its craftspeople to repair, restore and protect the Minster’s historic fabric, using techniques passed down through the centuries.
Pieces of stonework on show will include four recently carved grotesques produced by stonemasons to replace four weathered figures removed from the cathedral last year, which were believed to date from the late 1700s. The new carvings include a figure of St George, his legendary foe the dragon and a medieval doctor.
Visitors will also have the chance to join special tours of the Stoneyard’s plaster cast museum and the Master Mason’s drawing office, or take a trip up the South Quire Aisle scaffolding to see the stone conservation work taking place on this part of the cathedral.
Alex McCallion, York Minster’s Director of Works and Precinct, said: “Our annual Open Day always proves popular with visitors and it’s a great way for us to showcase the incredible craft skills which go into maintaining this 800-year-old building, from new stone to joinery and leadwork.
“Every stone replaced on the Minster is hand carved by our team of 15 masons and we have a rolling programme of conservation works needed to maintain the building for the next 30 years.
“Our current project, to conserve and restore the cathedral’s 14th century South Quire Aisle, involves repairing and replacing stone in 15 window bays and will take 11 years and £11m to complete. Visitors will be able to see stone being worked in our workshop as part of this project, learn about the process for identifying, templating and producing the stones to be replaced, and see the actual work undertaken so far on the South Quire Aisle.
“We will also have displays showing lead casting, joinery, wood carving as well as an interactive children’s activity area for budding heritage experts.”
The free event runs from 9am to 3pm at the Stoneyard in 4 Deangate, York. Tours of the plaster cast museum and drawing office with Master Mason John David run every hour from 10am to 2pm and no pre-booking is required – spaces will be given on the day on a first come, first served basis.
The South Quire Aisle scaffolding tours will run every 45 minutes from 9.30am to 2pm. All pre-bookable tickets for the tours between 9.30am and 12.30pm have now sold out but tickets for the tours at 1.15pm and 2pm will be available to book on the day on a first come, first served basis. Spaces are limited to 10 people per tour so early arrival is recommended to avoid disappointment. The tours are for people aged 18+ only, and health and safety restrictions apply.
The open day is part of a range of family-friendly events taking place at the Minster this summer including free games and activities in Dean’s Park and open-air cinema with Luna Cinema , from 27 – 29 August. Visit www.yorkminster.org for further details.
Service of commemoration: 75th anniversary of the Battles of Kohima and Imphal
Seven veterans of the Battle of Kohima and the Burma Campaign, widely regarded as the turning point of the land war in South East Asia (1941-1945), will lay wreaths at a service commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battles of Kohima and Imphal. The service will take place in Dean’s Park, York Minster at 11.30am on Thursday 3 July.
Organised by the Kohima Educational Trust, the service in honour of the veterans will be attended by His Royal Highness The Duke of York KG, Patron, The Kohima Educational Trust, and special guests, family members and descendants of veterans of the battle. The Dean of York, The Right Reverend Dr Jonathan Frost will preside and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, will give an address at the service.
The seven veterans represent a generation of courageous men who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in the face of terrible aggression. The Kohima Educational Trust was set up in 2003 by these and other veterans to honour the Naga – the local people who as guides, scouts, porters and combatants – fought and died alongside them. The Trust raises funds to provide educational opportunities for Naga children, repaying the debt of honour from the past by helping to advance the future of the Naga people. The Duke of York has been Patron of the Trust since 2012.
In 1944, the Japanese Army launched the U-GO offensive, with two key aims: frustrating allied plans to re-take Burma (now Myanmar), and the invasion of India. The Japanese strategy depended on taking control of two remote jungle locations in Nagaland in the north eastern province of Assam: the town of Imphal and the garrison village of Kohima close to the India/Burma border.
Against overwhelming odds, 2,500 allied troops in Kohima withstood 15,000 Japanese troops for two weeks until they were relieved by the British 2nd Division. Their courage and bravery came at great cost. At Kohima and Imphal more than 12,500 British and Indian Troops lost their lives with another 4,000 injured. The defeat was a catastrophe for the Japanese forces with around 53,000 deaths, more than 7,000 injured and the destruction of Japan’s regional ambitions to control Burma and invade India. Historians regard the Battles of Kohima and Imphal as the beginning of the end of the war in Asia.
Commenting on the service Sylvia May, Chief Executive Officer of The Kohima Educational Trust:
“We are grateful to York Minster for allowing us to hold this annual commemoration service in their grounds, to remember those who fought and died and to think of those people in Nagaland who also gave so much. The Kohima Memorial that stands in Dean’s Park is the perfect setting for this remembrance service, attended this year by the families and descendants of the veterans who fought there.”
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu said:
“We stand together today in gratitude and in remembrance of all who served His Majesty The King at the battles of Kohima and Imphal. Kohima’s War Cemetery has the renowned inscription ‘When You Go Home, Tell Them of Us and Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave our Today’. In memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice, Father God, make us better men and women, boys and girls, and give peace in our time. Amen.”