Weekly Notices | 6 April 2025
A Reflection from
Chris Nicol
Spring is here and bird watching is one of my passions. Everywhere I look Spring is visibly bursting into new growth and birdsong. I’ve loved watching and drawing birds since I was a child and was introduced to the joys of nature from a young age growing up on the outskirts of London. The first time I saw a skylark was on Wanstead Flats. I was spellbound and stood watching it rise and ascend whilst continually singing. When I hear Vaughan William’s piece ‘The Lark Ascending’, I am transported visually to those moments when I stand in awe. The piece evokes a wide range of moods and feelings ranging from joy and ecstasy at one end of the spectrum to melancholy and sadness at the other with a sense of nostalgia inbetween. Similar to our journey in life.
The Christian understanding is that The Holy Spirit within us connects with all living things wherever we may be on our journey. Similarly Vaughan William’s ‘The Lark Ascending’, can connect with us pastorally and awaken within us a sense of joy and an interconnectedness with all living things. We can all personally own this piece of music for ourselves. If you have a recording of ‘The Lark Ascending’, I invite you to play it as you read on.
The Skylark’s flight represented by the violin’s cadenzas bring an instant connection to visualizing the Lark gradually rising and singing, rising and singing as the Lark ascends. As George Meredith’s poem, ‘The Lark Ascending’ beautifully describes, ‘He rises and begins to round, He drops the silver chain of sound, Of many links without a break, In chirrup, whistle slur and shake’.Listening to the ‘silver chain of sound’ dropping from the skies connects us with the Lark and creation, with open fields and grasslands, fresh air and clear skies, wide open spaces and with all things natural on a Spring day. Who wouldn’t want to preserve and care for such beauty?
Vaughan William’s piece has a calming influence and can sooth our souls in a way that only a handful of exceptional orchestral pieces do. It is peaceful, comparable to one seeking the presence of God in prayer. Being still in God’s presence and allowing God’s peace to realign our troubled souls. Likewise the music calms our hearts and can enable us to imagine a brighter future and be lifted above our troubles, at least for a time.
As the Skylark rises higher, beating its wings rapidly as it climbs, it gives voice to our yearnings to be one with it. It is a joy to watch. Slowly it disappears from sight and becomes transcendent. I’m instantly taken to the story of the disciples watching Jesus ascend from their sight. As the Lark eventually disappears from sight, one can still hear its sound and as Christ disappeared from sight, his life, his teachings, his voice through the scriptures, can still be heard.
As the last notes of the violin trail off up high, one can imagine the ascension of Jesus into heaven, to a place where he has gone before us, preparing the way when we will be one with Him. The music is brilliantly crafted and for many listeners can bring hope. Hope of something better, hope of life after death. The message still resonates today as the piece itself is timeless, like Jesus’ promise of eternal life, a gift open to all who will receive it.
Chris Nicol
Cathedral Reader
Dates for your diary…
Mynheer Exhibition - Sarum Cycle - 5 Mar – 20 Apr, at 8:00 am – 4:00pm
Yoga at the Cathedral - 5 Apr, at 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Activity Book Launch Days - 8 Apr, at 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Activity Book Launch Days - 9 Apr, 9:30 am – 11:30 am and 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Lent Course: Picturing the Passion - 9 Apr, at 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm
Compline during Lent - 9 Apr, at 8:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Meet The Dean - 10 Apr, at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Community News
Activity Book Launch!
On the 8 April we will be launching our new Portsmouth Cathedral Activity Book created in partnership with Designed by Esther. The book is packed with puzzles, games, word searches, colouring pages, and other interactive content that will take young readers and families through the long history of Portsmouth Cathedral. We hope the book will help children not only learn about the Cathedral's history and work today,but also enjoy the process with a sense of fun and discovery.
To celebrate the launch of the book we will be hosting a range of free family activities on the 8 and 9 April, click here to find out more. Our shop will also be running an exclusive offer, if you purchase a Portsmouth Cathedral Activity Book on the 8 or 9 April you will receive a free goodie bag! (Please note online purchases are not valid for this limited time offer)
Christian Aid 80
For 80 years, Christian Aid has been fighting poverty and injustice, offering hope to communities in need. Over these decades, we have harnessed something powerful—something that refuses to be silenced by injustice or stand by as poverty takes its toll.
Join us in marking this milestone on Sunday 11 May at Evensong, when our guest speaker will beJohn Plant, Christian Aid’s National Church Relationships Lead.
Part-time Visitor Experience Assistants
We are looking for a number of part-time (up to 14 hours per week) seasonal Visitor Experience Assistants to work with our existing expert groups of volunteer welcomers, guides and shop assistants during peak holiday periods. This role will involve welcoming people in and inviting them to explore our glorious Cathedral to learn more about the building and its purpose at the same time as developing new skills.
Find out more on our website here.
The Word is Near Update
Please note the following adjustments for the regular Word is Near group:
9 April - no meeting, 16 April - no meeting. We return on Wednesday 23 April to regular weekly meetings (10:30am – 11:30am in Bishop Kenneth Room.
Meet the Dean - 10 April at 12:00pm
Our regular ‘Meet the Dean’session in the Bishop Kenneth Room, offers a chance for members of the congregation and local community to have a one-to-one conversation with Dean Anthony. Whether you have questions, concerns, or ideas to share, this is an open and informal opportunity to speak directly with the Dean. It’s a space to discuss cathedral life, raise issues that matter to you, or simply get to know the person guiding our spiritual community. These sessions reflect our commitment to being a listening church, fostering genuine connection and open dialogue. Everyone is welcome – whether you’re a regular visitor or simply curious – and no appointment is needed. Just drop in and join the conversation.
Second 'Festival of Early Music'
Thank you to everyone who supported our second ever 'Festival of Early Music'. This year’s festival featured concerts, talks, workshops, outreach to schools and services. We were delighted to host Gesualdo Six to perform in Portsmouth for the first time and to work with PGS Chamber Choir and also with our Choral Scholars in two training sessions.
And in an innovation for this year, we worked with St Jude’s CofE Primary, St John’s RC Primary and St John’s CofE Primary (Gosport) who joined us for six choruses in Messiah—and what a terrific, musical and focussed sound they made. Thank you to the Cathedral Sing Team, Adrian, Sachin and Alex who led numerous sessions in schools this term. Our Sunday services featured the music of Byrd, Tomkins, Parsons, Gibbons and Croce.
Thanks to Bryn Hughes
Last Sunday we bade a fond farewell to one of our longest serving Lay Clerks, Professor Bryn Hughes. Bryn has been a member of the choir here on and off (more on than off) since 1980! A remarkable tenure which has included tours to France, Denmark, Stockholm, Estonia, Germany and Belgium as well as numerous CDs and broadcasts during his long tenure.
Bryn selected the music and hymns for the two services last Sunday and we were joined by current and former colleagues including Bishop Graeme and Susan Knowles and Anthony and Carol Froggatt. We know Bryn will continue to be part of the cathedral community and congregation here, but we honour his remarkable fortitude, expertise and commitment to the music in this place over 45 years.
Myanmar Appeal
There is an opportunity to donate to Christian Aid's Myanmar Emergency Appeal at the Cathedral. We are all aware of the desperate need for food, shelter and medical help for millions of displaced people in Myanmar. Emergency Appeal envelopes for cash or cheques and a QR code for online giving are available in the Welcome Area and at the north door. Please fill in the gift aid form if possible, include it with your gift and put the sealed envelope into a collection box.
You can view the Christian Aid Myanmar appeal here.
Thank you!
Easter Lilies in Memoriam
Remember a loved one this Easter, donate £5 for an Easter Lily that will form part of our beautiful floral display at Easter. The last date for the name of your loved one to be entered in our Easter Lily Memorial Book is 13 April 2025, donations can be made after this date, though names will not be included in the Memorial Book. Donate online below, or complete a form in the Cathedral.
Donate online →
Cathedral Mailing Announcement
It is now five years since we first started sending out a Cathedral mailing sheet and some copies of sermons after Easter in 2020. It was clear that during lockdown a number of our Cathedral congregation and community weren’t able then to access updates and keep in touch online, or join in the virtual Sunday coffee sessions or services that the Ministry Team relayed from our homes.
Five years on, with many fewer people on our circulation list, we are now proposing to stop sending out this fortnightly mailing after a final Easter edition. One reason for this is practical: we know a number of people on our mailing list have email and can get our regular weekly Cathedral notices now. Sermons are also put on the Cathedral website each week. One reason for this, frankly, is financial: the Cathedral is still in deficit, and the price of postage, even franked mailing, means that the mailings cost something over £1000 each year. Sadly we are having to do everything we can to bring our expenditure down and increase our income.
We are offering still a simple printed version of the notices instead of a full mailing, which we can send out to people who cannot get online and would like to stay in touch. We are asking them to tell us that they would like this. We don’t want to lose contact with anyone! And of course we hope that everyone who has email will now opt to be included on the Cathedral electronic mailing to get the weekly notices.
5 years on we are thankfully in a very different place to when the mailings started. It has been so good to keep in touch with so many people this way through an anxious and vulnerable time, and good that we have many people supporting us and praying for us through this time. We are saying to everyone: please keep in touch with us – and, please, always get in touch if there are any concerns or needs or if we can pray for you specially, or anyone close to you.
Canon Jo
Chapter Meeting
Chapter meets on Tuesday, 8 April 2025, with the Cathedrals auditors to approve the 2024 annual report and accounts. These were reviewed by the finance committee when they met on the 25 March. The annual accounts will be published next month in advance of the APCM.
You can download the agenda for the meeting from our downloads page.
Renewal of Electoral Roll
The electoral roll is being fully renewed this year, if you have not yet submitted an application and would like to be included, the deadline for new applications is Thursday, 10 April 2025. Everyone, including those on the existing roll, needs to submit an application (if they wish to be included on the new roll).
Every six years we are required under Church Rules to completely renew the Electoral Roll. This needs to be done this year and requires everyone to apply.
Your membership is an important sign of your commitment to the Cathedral and parish. The Roll assists us with our sense of Christian fellowship, it keeps us in touch with people’s needs and with the gifts and talents that we all bring to the Cathedral and the wider church. Your membership also entitles you to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting which will be held this year on 22 May.
Elections this year include one member of Chapter, the Cathedral's governing body and one member of Deanery Synod alongside the annual election of Churchwardens.
For more information see our website →
Worship & Visiting
Every day, Portsmouth Cathedral is open for worship, prayer, and visiting. Unless otherwise specified, services do not require booking. Our website contains orders of service, as well as information about visiting the Cathedral.
Services this Sunday 6 April - Fifth Sunday of Lent
8:00am - Holy Communion
9:30am - #PompeySundays Eucharist
11:00am - Eucharist
5:45pm - Evensong
8:00pm - Taizé Service
Prayers & Intercessions
We pray for: all those preparing for baptism and confirmation at Easter.
We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Gerald, John, Phoebe, Peter, Elizabeth, Chris, Tom, Marion, Sheila and baby Lottie.
We continue to pray for the long-term sick, including: Richard, Suzy, Jill, Alison, Graeme, Alistair, Spencer, Mathai, Philip and all in need.
We remember those who have died recently, including:The many hundreds dead in Myanmar and Thailand after the earthquake; Pat Valler, Irene Morgan (Cathedral funeral 10:30am on Thursday 10 April), Richard Owen (Cathedral Requiem 12:00pm on Tuesday 15 April), Betty Lebbon (Cathedral funeral 2:00pm on Wednesday 23 April), Lorna Green, Christine Evans, Judy Unwin and Rosie RIP.
Upcoming Services & Events
Getting in touch
Please feel free to get in touch if we can help in any way, or if you just want to hear another voice!
Get in touch with us by email to info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or leave a message via phone on 023 9282 3300.
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