The Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Barry Dodd CBE

The Dean of York, The Very Reverend Dr Vivienne Faull, today expressed her shock and sadness at the news of the death of The Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, Barry Dodd CBE.

Commenting on the news, The Dean said:

“This is a very sad day.  Barry’s passing will of course be most acutely felt by his wife and family and friends.  He was greatly admired and he will be missed by a much wider community of people across North Yorkshire and beyond.  He was a dear colleague and adviser and a great friend and supporter of York Minster.  His loss is profound and will be deeply felt by a great many people. “

York Minster launches new Heart of Yorkshire Festival for summer 2018

A NEW pop-up festival packed with exhibitions, events and activities for all ages will run in York Minster’s Dean’s Park this summer.

The Heart of Yorkshire Festival will see the space transformed for a range of events, including an international stone carving festival, open air cinema and a tipi bar with sculpture exhibition from the team behind the popular THOR’S tipi bar.

Other highlights from the summer in the park programme, which runs from 4 July to 2 September, include family music, dance and storytelling workshops, talks and activities for adults and the return of the Minster’s popular children’s craft activities.

The festival is themed around sustainability, the environment and conservation, reflecting the completion of the 10-year, £11.5m project to restore the cathedral’s East End and Great East Window, and the ideas of life and restoration which sit at the heart of the Christian faith.

The centrepiece of the festival will be the international York Minster Stone Carving Festival – the first the cathedral has hosted since 2010 – which will run from the 17 to 19 August. More than 70 stonemasons and carvers from across the UK and Europe will showcase their skills during the three-day festival, which starts with the popular annual Stoneyard Open Day, followed by two days of carving in Dean’s Park.

Throughout the two month festival, pop-up tipi bar SÓL ÁST, from the team behind THOR’S tipi bar, will provide street food and drinks with a summery vibe, including their signature cocktail the ‘Minster Martini’. A large outdoor garden and terrace will host an exhibition of contemporary sculptures by renowned Yorkshire artist Michael Lyons, paying homage to the bar’s theme of sun and light.

To conclude the festival, the country’s leading producer of open-air cinema, The Luna Cinema, will screen three blockbuster films between the 28 and 30 August, allowing viewers to enjoy a film under the stars with the Gothic cathedral as a backdrop. The films are Pan’s Labyrinth (28 August), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (29 August) and The Greatest Showman (30 August).

Family workshops include ‘Trashbang!’, an interactive music workshop from Billy Hickling, previously performer and rehearsal director with international stage hit STOMP, and a song-writing workshop with award-winning songwriter and musician David Gibb.

Hands-on children’s craft activities will run throughout the school holidays celebrating the theme ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Creatures Great and Small’, with the chance for youngsters to earn stickers towards the Arts Award Discover certificate.

Adult activities include flower arranging workshops with York Minster’s flower arrangers, willow weaving sessions, urban beekeeping demonstrations and interactive displays with the cathedral’s broderers. As part of the programme, York Minster’s flower arrangers will take centre stage on 7 July demonstrating their skills as part of the BLOOM festival – a city celebration of the 250^th anniversary of The Ancient Society of York Florists – the oldest florist society in the world.

Kathryn Blacker, Chapter Steward at York Minster, said: “We’re hugely excited to launch this new summer festival in Dean’s Park, which lies at the heart of the city, in collaboration with the team behind THOR’S tipi.

“The Heart of Yorkshire Festival programme has been created to celebrate and pay thanks to the depth of skill and dedication which goes into caring for this sacred place, and we look forward to welcoming people throughout the summer to experience it for themselves.”

Co-Founder of THOR’S Bars Ltd, Amanda Monaghan, said: “We are thrilled to be invited by the Minster to host our very first summer bar in such an iconic location. Dean’s Park is a hidden gem and our pop-up bar within the Heart of Yorkshire Festival offers residents and visitors alike the opportunity to come and enjoy the gardens.

“Our summer theme will offer the perfect setting to enjoy the sunshine with a terrace, large garden and an amazing summer drinks menu carefully designed to ensure there is something for everyone. With street food dining, alfresco drinking, day beds, summer tunes and contemporary sculptures to view, SÓL ÁST tipi bar at the Minster is the sunny and summery place to be in York.”

For full details of all events, including how to book tickets, visit www.yorkminster.org.

Northern Lights transform York Minster to raise glass conservation funds

A new and unique art experience will transform York Minster’s Nave next month when the cathedral opens its doors after hours for Northern Lights.

Artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid from double Guinness World Record winning company The Projection Studio have designed the sound and light projection, which will be shown on the 16 and 17 June, taking inspiration from the cathedral’s stained glass and architecture.

Visitors will have the chance to experience the Minster at dusk from 8pm, with its cavernous Nave completely cleared of chairs and filled with music from the cathedral’s organ, before the light and sound installation is shown at 9.30pm.

The events will launch a new three-year fundraising campaign to extend state-of-the-art external glazing to all 128 of the Minster’s mostly medieval stained glass windows, 60% of which currently have no protection from the elements.

The artwork realises a long-held ambition for London-based projection artist Ross, who is well known in York for outdoor projections including several artworks for Illuminating York and the highly successful projection Rose, shown outside York Minster’s South Transept in 2010.

Ross said: “Unlike our previous pieces, this one is particularly special as it will be inside the Minster itself. We have been looking at the Nave of the Minster ever since we first came to create a piece for York ten years ago, and we’re hugely excited to be given the opportunity to realise our ideas.

“The aim is to create something immersive, with projection stretching above the viewer along the vaulted Nave roof and in front of them on the Heart of Yorkshire in the Great West Window. It’s an ambitious and exciting prospect – a new and unique art experience for York and the Minster.”

Sound artist Karen has taken inspiration from the cathedral’s music and the artwork will include recordings by the York Minster Choir.

“The sound elements will fill the Minster’s Nave, surrounding the listener with soundscapes and effects,” Karen added. “The choir is outstanding and its repertoire is incredibly wide. The choices we made, in conjunction with Robert Sharpe, the Director of Music, will really add something special to the experience of the piece.”

The events have been organised as part of a fundraising weekend to raise money to extend state-of-the-art protective glazing to all 128 of the Minster’s mostly medieval stained glass windows over the next 20 years. Currently, over 70 of the windows have no protection from the elements, leaving them exposed to damage and decay.

To carry out the work, the cathedral has teamed up with the York Glaziers Trust and the York Minster Fund (YMF), supported by an endowment grant of up to £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Over the next three years, every £1 raised by the public and the YMF will be matched by the HLF up to £1m, meaning for every £1 donated by the public, up to £5 could be added to the conservation project pot.

All profits from the weekend events will support the fundraising campaign. Doors open at 8pm, with last admission 9pm, before the sound and light projection is shown at 9.30pm. The event will finish at approximately 10pm.

Tickets cost £5 and can be purchased through the Minster’s website at www.yorkminster.org. For more information visit the website or call 01904 557200.

Have your say: York Minster to consult the public on a Precinct Masterplan

The first phase of a public consultation that will contribute to the preparation of a masterplan for the future development and use of the buildings and land within York Minster’s boundaries, opens on Friday 25 May in Dean’s Park, York.

York Minster sits on a six hectare site that was first occupied more than 2000 years ago.  Known as the “Precinct”, the area includes, the Old Palace Library and Archive, the Minster School, the internationally renowned Stoneyard, homes for the Minster’s clergy team, office accommodation and Dean’s Park – the biggest area of green space within the city walls.

Commenting on the launch of the consultation, The Dean of York, The Very Reverend Dr Vivienne Faull said:

“We are at the very earliest stage of this work. We know that there is an extended, global community of people who are passionate about York Minster – worshippers, people who live and work in the city of York and the region, visitors, local businesses and many, many more.  We are at the very early stage and want everyone to have their say.

“We want to hear their responses to our vision and learn what is important to them.  We also want them to contribute their thoughts, ideas and suggestions for how the Precinct might evolve in the future.  The plan must reflect the needs of our community and visitors.”

Whilst York Minster is rooted in the city’s ancient history, wave after wave of human settlement has resulted in a site that has been subject to continuous change and amendment over many centuries. The impact of ancient communities such as the early Christians, the Romans, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons can still be seen around the Precinct.  The pace of change continued through the construction of the medieval cathedral we see today, and on through the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era. There has been frequent alteration, change of use and demolition of buildings to accommodate changing needs in the Precinct and in the city. Most recently, the Minster’s South Piazza was transformed into a welcoming public space as part of the Heritage Lottery funded York Minster Revealed project.

In recent years, the use of some of the buildings, land and public areas within the Precinct have become more challenging. Key issues include:

• ongoing conservation and restoration of some Precinct buildings
• better use of the available spaces for offices and residential use
• opening up the Precinct to create more attractive public spaces
• improving facilities at the Minster School
• addressing the use of buildings such as St William’s College and the Old Palace
• the lack of key facilities such as a dedicated café for locals and visitors
• how to make Dean’s Park a vibrant open space at the heart the city
• the future environmental and economic sustainability of the Precinct.

Dean Faull added:

“Our vision for the future will respect, enhance and protect more than 2000 years of human history, worship and activity on this ancient site.  It will also provide the blueprint for sustainable development that will meet the needs of current and future generations of worshippers, residents, workers, volunteers and visitors to the Minster.”

The consultation opens on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 May with an exhibition event in Dean’s Park. Large panel boards with information about the vision for the York Minster Precinct will be displayed in a marquee over the two days. Visitors will be encouraged to have their say and to share their ideas and suggestions.  Members of the Minster’s Precinct Masterplan team will be on hand to answer questions and queries.   The event will run from 11am until 7pm across the two days.  The boards will also be available to view in the Minster’s South Transept on Sunday 27 May.
For those unable to make it to Dean’s Park, the consultation will also be available online from 10.00am on Friday 25 May at masterplanning.yorkminster.org to give as many people as possible the opportunity to view the details and comment.  The consultation will run until midnight on Saturday 30 June.

All of the feedback received will be presented in a Statement of Consultation which will be published online later in the summer and will help to shape the development of the masterplan over the coming months before a further consultation in the autumn”.

Special services to mark the completion of work to York Minster’s Great East Window

Two special services will take place at York Minster this month to celebrate the completion of the decade long project to conserve and restore the cathedral’s Great East Window.

On Saturday 12 May, pilgrims walking from across the Diocese of York will gather at the cathedral to share in a special reception and Evensong service hosted by the Chapter of York and the York Minster Fund. The event has been organised to give pilgrims and worshippers from across the diocese an opportunity to enjoy the fully restored window for the first time in ten years.

Then, on Thursday 17 May, a celebratory Evensong will take place in the Minster’s Nave where the window will be rededicated by the Dean of York, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull. The service, which is open to all to attend, has been organised to thank everyone who has been involved in the restoration project over the last decade.

It will be followed by a reception where copies of the new book by York Glaziers Trust Director Sarah Brown – The Great East Window of York Minster – An English Masterpiece – will be available to purchase.

Neil Sanderson, Director of the York Minster Fund, said: “We are holding these events to say thank you to the many people whose work, support, wishes and prayers over the last decade have sustained us through this incredibly challenging and complex project.

“We look forward to welcoming people at both events to enjoy and celebrate the completion of work on the window, which is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country.”

The pilgrimage started on Sunday (6 May) with walkers setting out from locations across the diocese. Many pilgrims are walking to raise money for charities including Christian Aid and Embrace the Middle East, one of three charities sponsored by York Minster’s congregation. Most of those walking for Embrace are walking on Saturday 12 May from Huby Church to York Minster – a distance of 11 miles.

Pilgrimage is a personal journey: for some it involves a strenuous physical journey, while for others it is simply the act of travelling and arriving.

The pilgrims will travel through some of Yorkshire’s most beautiful scenery and along some of the most ancient pilgrimage routes in the country. The walkers will tackle a variety of routes with some distances taking several days to complete, whilst others will choose day walks or to walk short sections. York Minster’s walking group of 16 pilgrims recently embarked on a seven day journey from Whitby to the Minster.

Pilgrims will be welcomed at the cathedral on Saturday afternoon (12 May) for refreshments before the Evensong service takes place in the Quire at 5.15pm.

On Thursday 17 May the service starts in the Minster’s Nave at 5.15pm and the reception will follow at 6pm.

York Minster to screen Manchester Arena attack anniversary service

York Minster will host the live screening of a special service from 2.00 to 3.00pm on Tuesday 22 May to mark and reflect on the first anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attack.

The attack claimed the lives of 22 people and left those of many others changed forever.

The National Service of Commemoration at Manchester Cathedral will welcome a congregation including bereaved families, first responders, city leaders and senior national figures. Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu will be attending the service at Manchester Cathedral.

But in recognition of the fact that the terrible events of 22 May 2017 touched people across the country, and that many of the victims came from across the North of Britain, the service is also being screened at York Minster, Glasgow Cathedral and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral – giving others the chance to come together in solidarity and prayer.

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:

“The attack at Manchester Arena last year was an attack on our common humanity. The solidarity, love and support shown across the country and beyond helped us through an incredibly difficult period and demonstrated a collective refusal to give in to hatred and fear. We were incredibly grateful for that and I’m grateful to York Minster for giving people the opportunity to join with us as we reflect on the anniversary.”

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu said:

“I will be at the service in Manchester on Tuesday, as I was last year, standing alongside the Bishop of Manchester and many other leaders from a great city in shared grief at the loss of so many young lives.  We will stand together in shared solidarity and commitment to peace and the wellbeing of all.  This is a time for communities to hold together, to care for one another, to respect the privacy of those carrying this grief, and to hold on to the truth that: ‘Love is stronger than hate, light is stronger than darkness, life is stronger than death.’  May God give us his peace and blessing.”

The Dean of York, The Very Reverend Dr Vivienne Faull said:

“This will be a very difficult day for the people of Manchester and the many across the north of England who were affected by the attack. It is almost impossible to come to terms with an event so savage, so senseless and so inhumane. For those who lost loved ones or suffered serious injury, the loss and trauma will be life changing and life-long.

“However on this difficult day we will remember with love, those who died.  We will remember the courage of those who were first on the scene that night, the selflessness and professionalism of the emergency services and the wonderful response of the city of Manchester to this horrible event. Manchester is a resilient community united in grief but defiant and strong in the face of terror.”

The Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Barbara Boyce, said:

“The inhumane and senseless attack in Manchester last year affected us all either directly or indirectly. York lost two of its citizens and their children were left without parents. This special service gives everyone the opportunity to stand together and to demonstrate that we will continue to show love and compassion to one another and not live in fear of hatred and terror.”

The Very Reverend Dr Vivienne Faull Dean of York to become 57th Bishop of Bristol

Statement from The Very Reverend Dr Vivienne Faull Dean of York on her appointment as the 57^th Bishop of Bristol

Her Majesty The Queen has approved the nomination of the Very Reverend Dr Vivienne Frances Faull, Dean of York in the diocese of York, as the 57^th Bishop of Bristol. She will be consecrated on 3 July in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Commenting on her appointment, Viv Faull said:

“The invitation to become Bishop of Bristol is a delight to me: the Diocese of Bristol is pioneering. It was the first to ordain women as priests and it is investing in several ambitious projects around the diocese as it grows in confidence.

“The main tasks for the new Bishop are to broaden the outreach of the church and to link with wider civil society in Bristol, Swindon and (as they say in the Diocese) along the M4 corridor.

“But alongside the delight there is the sadness of leaving the Minster and York, and in particular the volunteers, worshippers and staff.

“It has been wonderful to lead this great community in inviting everyone to discover God’s love.”

Click here to download the full press release from number 10 Downing Street

Click here to download the press release from Diocese of Bristol, including a statement from The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.

Hundreds gather for special York Minster Beacon event to celebrate finale of global prayer movement

York Minster will be hosting a special Beacon event to celebrate the international, ecumenical, prayer movement – Thy Kingdom Come – on Sunday 20 May from 7.30 until 9.00pm. (Doors open from 7pm).

Organised by The Belfrey and York Minster alongside One Voice York, the event aims to attract hundreds of people from York and beyond to celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Dean Vivienne Faull will welcome all to York Minster and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu will preach at this contemporary event.  It will include music by The Belfrey Band and opportunities for informal prayer and reflection, as well as in-conversation pieces with Associate Ministers at The Belfrey, Ben Doolan and Ellie May.

The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said:

“Come and join me in the awe inspiring York Minster as we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirt, the same Spirit which powerfully raised Jesus Christ from the dead and now lives in us. It is my prayer that all who have joined in Thy Kingdom Come will be encouraged and inspired to live out lives which herald God’s kingdom of love, justice and mercy.”

York Minster is just one of a handful of Beacon events happening across the UK. Churches up and down the country will be hosting Thy Kingdom Come events from 10 – 20 May.

Thy Kingdom Come, began as a simple invitation to prayer from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in 2016, but has since blossomed into a global movement bringing together hundreds of thousands of Christians from across the globe to pray for more people to come to know the amazing love of Jesus Christ during the 11-day period from Ascension to Pentecost.

In 2017 alone, more than 85 countries – ranging from Canada to Australia, South Sudan to Japan – took part and it is hoped that this year, even greater numbers of individuals, families and churches will be involved.

York Minster’s Grand Organ to undergo once-a-century refurbishment

York Minster’s Grand Organ will undergo a major, £2m refurbishment this autumn for the first time in 100 years.

The instrument, parts of which date back to 1834, will be removed – including almost all of its 5263 pipes – and taken to Durham for repair/rebuilding by organ specialists Harrison and Harrison.

The project will take around two years to complete, with the restored instrument due to be ready for use in autumn 2020.

Robert Sharpe, Director of Music at York Minster, said: “The organ plays a key part in the Minster’s services, providing the heartbeat at the centre of daily worship within the church. This once-in-a-century refurbishment will ensure the instrument’s reliability for the next 100 years.”

Due to their regular use and environment, cathedral organs ideally require small-scale cleaning and adjustment every 15 to 20 years, with more extensive repairs carried out every 30 to 35 years and a major refurbishment every 100 years. The last major refurbishment of the Minster’s organ was carried out in 1903.

The project will include replacing the organ’s mechanism, extensive work to dismantle, clean and overhaul the instrument and minor changes to the organ case to both improve how it looks and the sound it allows out. The plans also include creating a new music library underneath the organ, inside the screen which separates the Quire from the Nave, subject to the relevant permissions being obtained.

The aim is to ensure the unique sound of the Minster’s organ is preserved, while restoring the grander, imposing qualities of the instrument which were altered during work in the 1960s.

During the two years of refurbishment work, the Minster’s full music programme will continue. A grand piano will be used alongside an existing chamber organ in the Quire and a digital organ will serve both the Nave and Quire.

A final series of organ concerts and recitals will take place at the Minster during 2018 before the instrument is removed. Dates include an informal organ promenade on Monday 7 May at 1.10pm, a performance of Olivier Messiaen’s L’Ascension on Sunday 13 May at 5.15pm and a gala concert on Saturday 25 August at 7pm to close the series.

If you would like to support the project please contact the York Minster Fund by emailing ymf@yorkminster.org or calling 01904 557245.

York Minster event explores the healing, calming power of silence

The restorative power of silence and silent meditation will be explored in Silence in the Minster, a special after-hours event in the magnificent surroundings of York Minster’s Nave on Thursday 26 April at 7.00pm.

The Revd Canon Dr Christopher Collingwood, Chancellor of York Minster said:

“We lead rushed, busy, lives, juggling multiple responsibilities, absorbing the daily noise of our lives as a matter of routine.  We are plugged into an amazing, exciting but often overwhelming online, digital world, which spends seemingly endless resources on capturing our time and attention. There is a huge amount of pressure, particularly on young people, to be involved and connected 24/7.

“Many report that they are totally exhausted by the noise and constant demands of everyday life and how difficult it is to find somewhere – anywhere – where they can escape and be quiet even if just for a short while.  The Silence in the Minster event will allow many people to encounter the restorative, calming, healing power of silent meditation and silence, possibly for the first time.”

Organised by the York Minster Pilgrimage Group, this event follows two highly successful pilot events run in the Minster last year. The response was overwhelming in terms both of attendance and appreciation. The evening will begin with Canon Chris talking about how to embrace, enter into, use and enjoy silence, drawing on the deep well of teaching, resources and experience in the Christian contemplative tradition, before leading periods of meditation. No previous experience of silent meditation is necessary, although those with experience are more than welcome, and the event is open to people of all faiths and of none.

People will be encouraged to sit and experience the silence and special stillness of the Minster in the evening or simply wander through the Minster quietly as they wish. The silence will be sustained by the reading of poetry at regular intervals. The evening will conclude with a contemplative service of night prayer with music provided by students from the University of York and arranged by one of the Minster’s choral scholars, George Clark.  George will also play violin at various stages in the evening.

Silence in the Minster will be held in the Nave at York Minster on Thursday 26 April from 7.00 -9.00pm. The event is free to enter, although donations will be welcome (entrance is via the Northwest door from 6.30pm) and everyone is welcome to attend.

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