THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST JOHN BAPTIST FABRIC REPORT

Churchwardens Report on the Fabric, Goods and Ornaments 2007
1. The Tower
The work to the pinnacles was completed in April 2007.  The cost of these works has been fully covered with a grant from the Friends of Cirencester Parish Church.  We are very grateful to the Friends for their generous support.

2. Progress on the Programme for major internal works
A new stone floor has been laid under the tower.

Following the tender procedure, Ward & Co (Building Conservation) Ltd were awarded the contract by the PCC for the following major works to the interior of the church. A stone paving floor, incorporating under-floor heating, will replace the existing wooden flooring and Victorian tiles. The Monox tomb (currently in the St John Chapel) will be dismantled and cleaned before being reassembled at the west end of the North aisle.

Towards the end of the year it became apparent that the quarry near Tetbury, selected to supply the paving, was not able to provide, in sufficient quantity, the quality of stone required.  An alternative source was found and the stone has been approved by the Diocesan Advisory Committee. Work will begin in April 2008.

3. The Organ
Further construction work for the organ has taken place at the Durham works of Harrison and Harrison Ltd, the appointed organ builders.  It is expected that the existing organ will be removed at the beginning of 2009 and returned towards the end of that year.  Final design on the new case above the St John’s chapel arch has still to be agreed.

4. South Porch
The Architects prepared a paper entitled “Outline methodology for repair and conservation of the South Porch”  This was presented to the PCC at the meeting on 5th November 2007.  Following discussion this has been adopted by the PCC. It will now be necessary to discuss proposals with the statutory consultees.  These include the Diocesan Advisory Committee, English Heritage and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

5. Inventory
With the help of Mr Brian Bruton, we are in the process of compiling an updated photographic inventory of the silver, vestments and furnishings of the Church.
                                                    
Dr Martin Hockey Mrs Elizabeth Gledhill

THE FRIENDS OF CIRENCESTER PARISH CHURCH

Conservation of the Parish Church is proceeding at an increasing pace. The work on the tower pinnacles and associated stonework was completed during the year at a total cost met by the ‘Friends’ of around £100.000.

The ‘Friends’ have released £50,000 of funds as a contribution towards the cost of repairs to the organ and designated £100,000 towards the restoration of the floors of the church, which is due to start after Easter 2008. As part of the appraisal of the needs for repair and conservation of the south porch, £7000 has been expended on a detailed survey of the building.

During 2007 grants totalling around £110,000 were made. Taking into account net incoming resources and unrealised losses on investments, overall funds decreased by £90,000 to a total of about £750,000.

Planning for the major fund raising for the conservation of the Parish Church is in hand and a major membership drive is being co-ordinataed with the fund raisers.

The Anniversary Celebratory Evensong and AGM in June was an enjoyable success.
Evensong was led and addressed by The Very Rev’d Hugh Dickinson. The reception at 12 Park Street by kind permission of Mr.& Mrs Philip Beckerlegge was a thoroughly enjoyable occasion.

The AGM and Reception for 2008 are planned for 22nd June 2008.

The challenge to the ‘Friends’ continues in meeting the objectives of the charity in the care, preservation and adornment of the Parish Church.
                                                                             
David Lloyd.   March 2008

PARISH CHURCH MUSIC REPORT
This has been a very exciting year for both the Parish Church Choir and the St. John Singers.

At the end of July 2007, the joint choirs recorded a C.D. of music for the church year. In January 2008, I recorded the Symphonie-Passion for organ by Marcel Dupré to complete this album. I hope that many people will recall that I played the four movements of this magnificent work, which illustrates the life of Christ, liturgically between Advent 2006 and Easter 2007, and the whole work in my Easter Sunday organ recital in 2007. We now have a superb album of music which uses the four movements of the Dupré symphony – for Advent, Christmas, Good Friday and Easter Sunday – as a framework, around which we have recorded choral music for the appropriate church seasons. The organ accompaniments were played by Paul Walton, Assistant Organist at Bristol Cathedral. For my part, I felt a tremendous sense of achievement and privilege conducting our choirs at the recording sessions and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work. It is in the nature of projects such as these that if they are to be done well, they take time. We plan to release the disc in July 2008 and all those who have heard the early edits have agreed that it is something of which Cirencester will be enormously proud.
 
The organ recital on Easter Sunday this year marked the temporary retirement of our pipe organ. This instrument has served the church well for over a hundred years and the last major restoration work done to it was in 1982. It is in the nature of pipe organs that as well as regular maintenance, every few decades more far-reaching work needs to be undertaken. To the surprise of many who see only the pipes which are on display  in the front of the case,  the working mechanisms of organs rely on
a very large amount of wood and leather, the latter serving to carry pressurized wind from the bellows to the pipes. These materials have a finite life-span, beyond which they begin to dry out, split and leak which reduces their functionality significantly. The Parish Church organ has reached and passed this point and so the decision has been taken not just to restore what is there, but to take steps to address certain other significant problems.

At present, the principal pipes of the instrument, those which create the majority of the sound, speak into the chancel and choir instead of into the nave where they are most important. Conversely, the pipes of the soft stops which are used in accompanying choral music speak into the nave instead of into the choir. The result is that the organ at present has to be played at a certain volume in order to be audible to the choir, but that volume is often sufficient out in the nave to drown out the singers. The instrument is thus rather severely compromised, the result of numerous piecemeal ‘improvements’ carried out over the years. The restoration project centers around addressing these deficiencies, turning sections of the organ through 90 degrees in order that the main choruses speak towards the nave and the accompanimental sections towards the choir. As any such project would inevitably involve the complete reconstruction of the instrument, opportunity is being taken to enlarge as well. Additional stops are being added with the aim that Cirencester Parish Church will boast not only one of the finest parish church organs in the country, but also an instrument which will better that of many cathedrals and will be suitable to earn international renown. The work is being undertaken by the leading British firm of organ builders, Harrison and Harrison of Durham.

Although, at the time of writing, this the pipe organ can still be heard on Sundays, as soon as the restoration work on the nave and south aisle begins and services move into the north aisle, Trinity and Lady Chapels, accompaniment for our liturgy will be provided by a splendid electronic organ which has been hired from Makin Organs of Oldham in Lancashire. The hire was the result of a considerable amount of research and testing of various different electronic organs. It is a great pleasure to be able to say that not only have we obtained an instrument from a company which, in my opinion, provided the best quality available, we were also able to take advantage  of  by  far  the  most  cost effective solution offered to us by the various firms which tendered.

In the Parish Church Choir, we now have two members who are about to start preparations for the Royal School of Church Music Gold Award. This is the most advanced qualification available in the R.S.C.M. awards scheme and requires a considerable amount from candidates. The choir is very fortunate to have singers who are not only capable of undertaking this exam, but are also willing to dedicate the time required.

The St. John Singers has, regrettably, lost a number of members in the last year as a result both of clashing commitments and of people leaving the area. Typically, the choir has continued to produce good quality even with reduced numbers and we are now actively recruiting for new members. To that end, our rehearsal pattern has been altered to make membership more appealing to busy people, without reducing total rehearsal time. Only time will tell how effective this will be but there is a strong determination to maintain standards, for which I am very grateful. Throughout its history, this choir has enjoyed periods of high membership numbers in alternation with periods when numbers have dropped considerably. The pendulum has always swung back in time and there is no reason why that cannot happen again.

As we enter the period of restoration work within the building, which will inevitably mean considerable upheaval and disruption, all plans are in place to ensure that the musical side of our liturgy continues undiminished. When the pipe organ returns, restored, enlarged and improved, we will have fine choirs ready to capitalize on it to the fullest extent. The enviable musical tradition at the Parish Church, which stretches back over many centuries, is about to enter a new and exciting phase in its history. It is our collective responsibility to safeguard this tradition for future generations.
Anthony Hammond – Director of Music

PARISH CHURCH FLOWERS April 2007 – March 2008
In 2007, Easter fell at the beginning of April. For various reasons, it had become impossible to have the stone garden tomb in the South Porch, which has been constructed for Easter for many years, and the Vicar. James Butterworth, suggested that we create an Easter Garden in the Trinity Chapel.

Many people were involved in this, and it contained a Calvary with three crosses, and a tomb with a stone that could be rolled away on Easter Day. Many plants of all sorts and sizes were lent to the Garden, and votive candles and others were put around, with various pots, stones etc. For Easter Day, flower arrangements and potted plants brought by children and others were added, and the stone was rolled away to show the empty tomb. This Garden drew many people into the Chapel, and made a great impact.

Many stayed to pray or meditate. On Maundy Thursday, after the service, the Chapel was full of those who wished to keep vigil by candle light. The flickering lights and shadows of the greenery, all backed by the three crosses and the tomb were a powerful focus for thoughts and prayers.

In July, we said farewell to the Rev’d Katie McClure with social arrangements in her favourite colours.

At the end of September, Harvest Festival had the theme of conservation of water resources, with special reference to our linked branch at Dornakatal, S.India. Powell’s helped us with this by covered hoops strung between the pillars in church from which coloured watering cans etc. of cardboard could be hung.

We decorated as usual for the Remembrance Day Service, and for the Advent Market, which was held at the end of November, when the church was open to everyone in the town and the lights on the Market Place tree were switched on.

We held two open meetings in late November, inviting anyone who would like to do an arrangement occasionally to come and join us, but this was not successful, and we find we do better by actually asking friends, or Flower Club contacts if they would like to help, which they often do.

Decorations for Christmas followed, and Powell’s made scenes from the story of the Magi to wrap round the pillars; these were very effective and well executed.

In February 2008, we met to discuss Easter flowers and whether to create another Easter Garden. It was decided to make another, but a much simpler one. Using the tomb material from last year, and creating a hill with three crosses as a back drop, we would fill the space with cut greenery and candles, adding flowers for Easter Day. It would be easy to clear all this after Easter, when the Church has to be cleared in readiness for the re-ordering.

 During the year we did some wedding flowers, and Mrs Cherry Nicholls and her husband took over as treasurers from Alison Gunary. We are most grateful to Alison for all her hard work on our behalf, and to the Nicholls for taking it on. We are also grateful to Powell’s for their support, and colourful input.

We acknowledge our debt to the ‘Friends’ of the Parish Church for their most generous donation to our funds, and to those who give for special occasions.

Lastly, but not least; our thanks go to so many people who help us in many ways, and of course, to all those who use their skills to create and delight everyone with their arrangements. Many visitors comment on them, and stop to chat as we are working. When the re-ordering begins, we shall try and keep some flowers going in the part of the Church we are in at anytime.                                                                                 
 Teresa Davies.  

THE CAMPAIGN FOR CIRENCESTER PARISH CHURCH
As work begins on Phase 1 of the project to conserve and renew the interior of St John Baptist, we in the fund-raising office are looking ahead to Phase 2, the restoration of the exterior of the South Porch.     This is in its own right a Grade 1 listed building and a uniquely magnificent example of a medieval porch.  It has a fascinating and varied role in Cirencester’s history and is a very exciting major project with which to approach potential funders.

After several months of preparatory work, we now enter a phase of seeking major donations from private sources, trusts and statutory bodies.  To aid us in this, we are very pleased to have gathered a distinguished and enthusiastic group of local people to form a Campaign Board under the chairmanship of Kevin Ronaldson.  These include Lord Apsley, Major Tom Wills DL, Philip Beckerlegge, Mark Booth and Steve Jones.  The Campaign President is Sir Crispin Tickell GCMG, KCVO.  Vice-Presidents are Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP and the Rt Revd Michael Perham, Bishop of Gloucester. 

Our target to fund work on the South Porch is £1.2 million, providing stabilisation of areas currently causing concern, cleaning, removal of corrosive deposits and preservation and renewal of eroded stonework and statuary.  With test work commencing in summer 2008 and the major works  scheduled for 2009,  the schedule is tight but it is heartening that so much has already been achieved in funding Phase 1 of the project. 

Looking further ahead to 2010, the focus returns to the interior of the building.  We have a £1.4 million target to undertake cleaning of the stone work, the installation of a new audio system and new lighting.  This will bring into view much of the fine stone carving and other architectural detail around the building which is currently not easily appreciated. 

Our final ambition for the Campaign is to leave an invested £1.5 million Fabric Fund.  We hope that it will ensure a means of meeting the inevitable future challenges of conservation, renewal and restoration for this magnificent place of worship and landmark for the town and locality.

For further information about the Campaign’s fund-raising work, please contact me on 01285 656206 or e-mail cirencestercampaign@tiscali.co.uk.  My colleague Ailsa O’Connor is Campaign Administrator, and will also be happy to answer any questions.
                                                                                                     
Alison Giles
 
Campaign Director