Feasts and festivals for the Saints in March and April
It’s a busy couple of months for the saints as we have St David’s day (Tues 1st) and St Patrick’s day (Thurs 17th) in March and St George’s day (Sat 23rd) in April.
Saint David’s Day
Saint David’s Day is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on the date of his death (c. 589 AD) 1st March.
St. David, born in Caerfai, south west Wales into an aristocratic family, was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St. Davids) during the 6th century.
The feast has been regularly celebrated since his canonisation in the 12th century. It is not a national holiday, though there is strong support for it becoming a bank holiday in Wales. In the past, schools have taken a half-day holiday, which continues in some parts of Wales.
David’s fame as a teacher and his asceticism spread among Celtic Christians of the time. He helped found about 12 monasteries and his foundation at Glyn Rhosyn became an important Christian shrine.
Saint Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day held on 17th March, the traditional date of the death of St. Patrick (c.385-461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
St. Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilís, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Historically the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday’s tradition of alcohol consumption.
St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. There has been criticism of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for having become too commercialised and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish people.
St. Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and Bishop in Ireland. It is believed he was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century, to a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church. When young, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland. After 6 years God told Patrick to escape his captors and flee to the coast, where a ship would be waiting to take him home.
According to tradition, Patrick returned to Ireland, becoming a priest and converting the pagan Irish to Christianity. He spent many years evangelising in the northern half of Ireland and converted thousands.
Patrick’s efforts were eventually turned into an allegory in which he drove ‘snakes’ out of Ireland, despite the fact that snakes were not known to inhabit the region.
Tradition holds that he died on 17th March and was buried at Downpatrick. Over the following centuries, many legends grew up around Patrick and he became Ireland’s foremost saint.
Saint George’s Day
George is the patron saint of England. His cross forms the national flag and features within the Union Flag of the United Kingdom. By the 14th century, he had been declared both the patron saint and the protector of the Royal Family.
It is thought that George was a Roman officer of Greek descent, martyred when sentenced to death for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.
The earliest documented mention of St. George in England comes from the Catholic monk the venerable Bede (c.673–735). English soldiers evoked St. George as a battle cry during the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453) and displayed his cross on their pennants.St. George’s Day was a major feast and national holiday in England on a par with Christmas from the early 15th century. But this tradition had waned by the end of the 18th century after the union of England and Scotland.
Similar to St. David’s Day in Wales, there is a growing reaction to the recent indifference to St. George’s Day. Organisations such as English Heritage and the Royal Society of St. George have been encouraging celebrations, and arguments have been made to make St. George’s Day a public holiday.
England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Moscow, Catalonia & Aragon in Spain have all claimed George as their patron saint, as have several other regions, cities, universities, professions and organisations.
George and the dragon
First recorded in the 11th century, the legend tells of a fierce dragon causing panic in the city of Silene, Libya. To stop the dragon from devastating the city the people sacrificed two sheep each day to him. But sheep were not enough and they were forced to sacrifice humans instead. Eventually the king’s daughter was chosen but no one was willing to take her place. George saved the girl by slaying the dragon with his lance. The king was so grateful that he offered him treasures as a reward for saving his daughter’s life, but George refused and instead he gave these riches to the poor. The people of the city were so amazed at what they had witnessed that they became Christians and were all baptised.
The bones of Saint George are buried in the Church of Saint George, Lod, Israel.
Inspiring Women Concert
The Inspiring Women Concert, organised by Hennessey Brown Music & Guildford Cathedral, is the weekend following International Women’s Day and will celebrate women in music as composers, conductors and performers.
Inspiring Women includes performances from Amies Freedom Choir who are an ensemble including female survivors of human trafficking who sing together. In 2020 this choir was awarded the prestigious Women of the Year Community Spirit Award.
The concert will also include the girls from Guildford Cathedral singing works by Cecilia MacDowall and Imogen Holst. There will be an instrumental interlude with Harriet Mackenzie, two London Conservatoire and a professional cellist performing ‘Riff for Strings and Snare’ by Hennessey Brown Music composer Dominique Le Gendre.
The climax of the concert will be a performance of Cecilia Macdowall’s ‘Everyday Wonders; The Girl From Aleppo.’ The music of this work depicts the incredible journey undertaken by Nujeen Mustafa in a wheelchair from Syria to Germany. The solo violin part will be played by Hennessey Brown Music violinist Harriet Mackenzie and sung by the Guildford Cathedral Girls Choir, performed by the Conservatoire Concerts string orchestra and conducted by Katherine Dienes-Williams, organist and Master of the Choristers at Guildford Cathedral.
The aim of the concert is to showcase inspiring women in music. Tickets are available from the Guildford Cathedral Box office: www.guildford-cathedral.org/events/boxoffice/534 for more information.
Become part of Guildford City’s new academy!
The newly launched Guildford City FC Academy is now looking for students for September 2022!
Once on the programme, new players will be given the opportunity to train on a regular basis, whilst also studying from a Department of Education approved curriculum. All match days will be taking place on the first team pitch at the Spectrum Stadium, with the squad taking part in the FA Youth Alliance League.
Students attend the Academy daily to train and to undertake a 2 year BTEC Level 3 certificate in sports. The course covers a range of sports related units including: anatomy and physiology; assessing risk in sport; fitness testing for sport and exercise; sports nutrition and leadership.
You can call Guildford City FC’s academy manager Adam Clarke on 07922 421 777 or you can email: info@guildfordcityfc.co.uk
Smile for the camera please
Over Christmas and New Year we’ve all probably had to pose for a few photographs, especially now that almost everyone has a smart phone with a camera in their back pocket.
Images portrayed in the movies or on social media put unreasonable pressure on us to continually look our best for the camera.
Along with the impact of the indulgences over the festive period, likely to be consisting of some of the foods and drinks that can discolour teeth, some of us may well be less willing to smile for the camera.
But what can we do, or rather what should we do to keep our smiles as healthy as possible?
We spoke to dentist Mitul Patel, Clinical Director & Principal Dental Surgeon at Waterden Dental Practice in Guildford to see what advice he could give us.
Back in National Smile Month (May-June) the organisers carried out a nationwide poll that found most of us regularly feel self-conscious about the appearance of our teeth.
More than half of British adults (51%) say they are often made to feel anxious about how their smile looks and less than a third (29%) are likely to pose for a photograph with an open-mouth smile. Discoloured teeth are the biggest reason we are not smiling for the camera (33%).
This got us thinking…
What makes a beautiful smile? Is it a Hollywood smile of straight, white, perfectly uniform teeth? Or is it a healthy smile with all its quirks and imperfections? Or maybe one that’s full of gaps?
The answer, of course, is whatever you feel comfortable with and one that you are proud to show off.
Dentists all agree that a healthy mouth is what’s essential, not for aesthetic reasons but for health.
Healthy mouths reflect a healthy body – they have pink gums and are pain-free. Red gums or gums that bleed when you brush your teeth indicate that something is not right and the main culprit is gum disease.
The 3 key messages being promoted during National Smile Month were:
- Brush last thing at night and at least one other time with fluoride toothpaste.
- Cut down on how much and how often you have sugary food and drink.
- Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.
Ultimately, the aim is to help us achieve good physical and mental wellbeing by improving our oral health.
Smile niggles
However, if you don’t feel happy to show off your smile, then ask your dentist for advice. There are lots of ways they can help.
Dentists all agree that a healthy mouth is what’s essential, not for aesthetic reasons but for health.
If discoloured teeth are causing you concern, the first and best place to start is with a hygiene visit – not only will your teeth look better, they will be healthier too.
Be selfish with your toothbrush!
Despite it being bad news for our health, one in four of us are happy to share our toothbrush with others.
A new study has found that more than a quarter of the UK population admit they would share their toothbrush with family, friends, a partner, neighbour or celebrity.
Men are significantly more likely, at 32%, than women (20%). Younger adults are nearly twice as willing at 55%, compared to their parents (30%), and around four times more open to do so than their grandparents (13%).
Dr Ben Atkins, dentist and trustee of the Oral Health Foundation, says: “Although it may seem like a kind gesture to share your toothbrush, it really is not a very good idea. Sharing a toothbrush leaves you susceptible to all sorts of oral and general health problems.
“This is because brushing sometimes causes the gums to bleed, which exposes everyone you share your toothbrush with to bloodstream diseases. This means that by sharing a toothbrush, you could also be sharing blood, which is a lot riskier than just swapping saliva.”
There are many hundreds of different bacteria and viruses in our mouths and people sharing a toothbrush could be passing these on to others. This could include common colds, cold sores or even Hepatitis B.
Keeping your teeth clean & healthy
Airflow is an advanced and predictable
hygiene procedure for effectively removing stains and plaque from your teeth, implants or restorations. It uses a mixture of air, water and a very fine powder to thoroughly polish and clean your teeth.
Spotlight:
Opening bottles, nail biting & tag tearing
Do you use your teeth to open bottles, tear clothing tags or bite your nails?
If so, you are not alone but the advice from dentists is to stop!
Most of us are putting our oral health at risk by using our teeth as tools for jobs they weren’t intended for.
Joint research by the Oral Health Foundation and Philips has found that 65% of us frequently use our teeth for tasks other than eating and drinking.
The most common misuse for our teeth is tearing sticky tape with 41% of us admitting to doing this regularly. More than a quarter of us bite our nails while over a fifth use our teeth to carry things when our hands are full.
Other popular uses include taking tags out of clothing (20%), chewing pens and pencils (16%), opening bottles (9%) and doing up zips (4%).
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation. says that while it may seem trivial, using our teeth as tools poses a considerable risk to our oral health: “Anything from opening bottles to chewing foreign objects can damage existing dental work or cause our teeth to crack.”
The most common misuse for our teeth is tearing sticky tape with 41% of us admitting to doing this regularly.
“There are also examples of teeth shifting out of place, chipping, and in some cases breaking, due to the pressure and strain. Accidents are also more likely to happen which could result in invasive and expensive emergency dental work.”
Young adults are the biggest culprits when it comes to using teeth in improper ways with 85% of 18-35-year-olds admitting to abusing their teeth by performing unusual tasks with them. This is significantly higher than 35-54-year-olds (70%) and the over-55s (54%).
Restoring teeth
However, if you have cracked or chipped a tooth, don’t worry help and advice is available and there are a raft of solutions at dentists’ fingertips, from dental veneers or crowns, to composite bonding.
Composite bonding can transform the appearance of one or more teeth in a single visit. Tooth-coloured composite resin (like a white filling) straightens uneven or chipped edges, or closes gaps between our teeth. This fast, affordable and impressive treatment requires minimal tooth preparation and is completed in less than one hour per tooth often without the need for any anaesthetic.
Sight for Surrey announces Dame Judi Dench as Patron for Centenary Year!
Sight for Surrey has announced that acting legend, star of the screen and Surrey resident, Dame Judi Dench, CH, DBE, has agreed to become a Patron of the charity for its Centenary year, 2022.
Sight for Surrey supports and enables people in Surrey who are blind, vision impaired, deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind to lead full and independent lives, a mission that Dame Judi Dench holds close to her heart, as in 2012, she was diagnosed with macular degeneration.
Dame Judi said, “Sight for Surrey is a charity that I respect and support. I live with an eye condition and know first-hand how losing your sight can make even the most simplest tasks, like reading the newspaper, post or emails or a list of ingredients, a challenge! The work that this charity does in getting people set up and adjusted to life with a vision impairment is amazing and I am honoured to be their Patron in their Centenary year”.
Bob Hughes, Chief Executive at Sight for Surrey said, “we are delighted that Dame Judi has agreed to be our Patron during an exciting and eventful year for the charity. We have been supporting people in Surrey with a sensory loss for 100 years and look forward to many more. We hope that Surrey residents will be spurred into fundraising action this year and set themselves a fundraising challenge that will test their boundaries and highlight the challenges that people with a sensory loss face every day.”
Sight for Surrey supports over 8,000 people in Surrey who are blind, vision impaired, Deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind. The charity was established in 1922 when we first started assisting vision impaired soldiers returning from war and we have continued to help people in Surrey with a sight and/or hearing loss.
Saving Christmas
By Rev. Kate Whiting Minister of QE Park Baptist Church
When my daughter was little one of her favourite activities was cutting and sticking. One Christmas she presented us with a collage of pictures cut from catalogues to show us what she was hoping for at Christmas.
On examining this wish list in detail, I realised that it had been compiled solely from the Argos catalogue (although other catalogues were available). I don’t really enjoy shopping, and so I was delighted to think that my job was going to be relatively simple. However, I scoured my catalogue in vain! Upon further examination I was distressed to discover that the catalogue the preschool children were cutting up was three years out of date.
Today as we worry about shortages of turkeys, trees and toys this Christmas because of issues with global shipping containers, the lack of HGV drivers and shortages of poultry workers –the list of ‘crises’ goes on – perhaps we need to remind ourselves that there are more important things in life than material possessions. Many of the things that we can be grateful for don’t come with a price-tag and can’t be found in Argos or any other catalogue. Family, friends, our health, the crunch of autumn leaves, looking at a wonderful sunset all remind us that the best things in life really are free.
Family, friends, our health, the crunch of autumn leaves, looking at a wonderful sunset all remind us that the best things in life really are free.
Every day we have opportunities to value such gifts. We are of course all too often distracted by all our modern paraphernalia—the things that are anything but free. Countless studies have demonstrated that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is good for us in terms of our health, our emotions and our relationships.
Countless studies have demonstrated that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is good for us in terms of our health, our emotions and our relationships.
Why panic buy this November and December to stockpile things when you could plan to remember the good things of life, the things that really matter? Our insatiable desire for the newest gadgets, the latest mobile phone, the must have toy, and designer perfume can eclipse the real gift that Christmas was invented to celebrate.
It’s not the government’s job to save Christmas. It’s not your job to save Christmas. The real Christmas has happened. The gift of Jesus means that it is Christmas that saves.
The first Christmas found the newlywed couple Mary and Joseph with an accommodation crisis. The gift of a baby son, and having a roof over his head, was all they were worried about. Soon after his birth they heard from local shepherds, of all people, that their son Jesus was a gift to all humanity. Having learnt that he was this gift, and the bringer of peace, they chose the name Jesus, which means God saves. It’s not the government’s job to save Christmas. It’s not your job to save Christmas. The real Christmas has happened. The gift of Jesus means that it is Christmas that saves.
Church Office: 01483 235185
www.qeparkbaptist.org.uk
How to prepare your property for the market
Recently, despite the various social and economical restrictions and lockdowns, the property market in this area has been particularly busy with some estate agents even complaining of a ‘lack of stock’. Whilst this may seem extreme, it is always worth investing time in preparing your property to sell and making sure it is presented at its best for when it is listed.
Stoughton Pages spoke to Lucy Moulton, Owner & Branch Director of EweMove Guildford Sales & Lettings, to get her advice on how to prepare your property for the market.
“Have you been thinking of putting your property on the market, but waiting until your children are heading back to school? If so, now is your time to get into action. To help, we have put together a list of tips on how to prepare your property to sell or let.”
Tips for the Exterior
Neat, well maintained gardens will appeal to buyers and tenants. When they see that little work is required, your outside space becomes all the more attractive.
- Weed the garden and sweep up leaves
- Jet wash pathways and driveways
- Repair broken fences and gates
- Paint exterior woodwork and metalwork (e.g. gates, fences and doors)
- Clean windows inside and out
- Plant seasonal flowers and/or hanging baskets to lift your property’s street appeal
Tips for the Interior
Your home should feel happily lived in and look neat, clean and clutter free.
- A full de-clutter is essential to increase the sense of space. (Anything you do not wish to take with you, clear it out beforehand)
- Clean and vacuum, paying particular attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. Clean all kitchen appliances and keep bench tops clutter free
- In bathrooms, clean the shower screen, remove personal hygiene items and minimise the hanging of towels/dressing gowns
- Re-grout and re-whiten all tiles in the kitchen and bathroom(s)
- Touch up paint work on the walls and skirting boards
- Wash down all window frames, clean blinds and wash around light fittings
- Add pops of colour for neutral tones (e.g. a throw and cushions on the sofa and bed, a vase of fresh flowers in the kitchen)
Our final tip – Talk to your agent to make sure you can check your listing before it goes live. If you’re not happy with the quality of the listing (photographs, floor-plan and marketing description), ask for changes to be made until you are. After all, for many, your property is your biggest asset. Therefore, it is important that it is marketed to the highest standard to seize the attention of buyers, so that you can achieve the best price you can.
Guildford ghosts & their stories
By Alex Rose
Although Halloween is behind us, the ghouls and ghosts of Guildford and its neighbouring towns still lurk. If you have a steady nerve, read on to hear their haunting stories.
For 20 years, ghost tours of Guildford have uncovered a darker side of the town centre to tourists and locals alike. In this article we’ll explore some of the most intriguing tales from our local area, including the chilling sightings of Guildford Castle, an unexplainable A3 apparition, the infamous legend of Silent Pool and more.
Nestled in the Surrey Hills – an area of outstanding beauty – lies Silent Pool near Shere, a well-known walker’s hotspot boasting a popular gin distillery company of the same name. The serene and mysterious Silent Pool is a spring-fed lake secluded by trees and shrouded in an eerie stillness said to be haunted by the presence of a woodcutter’s daughter. It was near here that Agatha Christie’s car was discovered whilst she was missing for eleven days before being discovered at a hotel in Harrogate with apparent memory loss, a mystery likened to her own novels. It was also here that the 19th century poet, Alfred Tennyson used to visit and muse over his poems.
There are many variations of the legend of Silent Pool, but most begin with the woodcutter’s daughter, Emma – sometimes Alice – bathing in the tranquil water. It is generally believed that a nobleman on horseback approached her, and in an attempt to escape his advances, the girl swam to a deeper part of the lake and drowned. The nobleman, frightened, made his escape, leaving behind his hat which would be discovered by the woodcutter the next day, in search of his daughter. The hat bore the royal crest of Prince John, who later became Bad King John. The ghost of the woodcutter’s ill-fated daughter is said to be seen at midnight, dressed in virginal white, floating over the surface of the water and at times, the silence of the pool has reportedly been broken by Emma’s (or Alice’s) screams for mercy. However, the most common phenomena experienced at Silent Pool are strange noises and the feeling of being followed.
More recently, on December 11, 2002, Surrey police received a frenzy of calls reporting a car veering off the road near the A3 turn off to Burpham. This was no regular accident, and what unfolded afterwards has become local folklore.
In this article we’ll explore some of the most intriguing tales from our local area, including the chilling sightings of Guildford Castle, an unexplainable A3 apparition, the infamous legend of Silent Pool and more.
When the police went to investigate the incident, no trace of a crash was found, despite the numerous sightings. No tyre marks were on the road, nor any flattened foliage where the car was said to have crashed, and it took until the next morning, when dawn broke, for a car to be found. However, this car, a maroon Vauxhall Astra was covered in undergrowth, indicating that it had been there for much longer than one night. The wreckage was nose down in a ditch, invisible to the road above, and nearby lay the decomposed body of the driver who seemed to have survived the crash and managed to drag himself part way up the embankment in an attempt to get help, before dying. When he was discovered along with the car five months later, he was no more than a skeleton. The driver was eventually identified as Christopher Chandler, an alleged robber on the run from the police, who had been reported missing in July 2002 by his brother. But how could this be, when a multitude of witnesses saw the accident only the evening before? How could so many people have witnessed a crash five months after it occurred? Many believe that it must have been some sort of ghostly re-enactment of that fateful night.
One of Surrey’s most impressive ruins is the mighty Guildford Castle. Now known for its beautiful grounds, it was built shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066, and renovated around 2003. It seems to be these renovations that have stirred the slumbers of the castle’s oldest residents. In recent years, there have been a number of reports that visiting families have come running out of the castle’s ground floor carrying near hysterical children. These children have described witnessing an emaciated figure chained to the castle walls. Chillingly, the apparition was sighted in the part of the castle used as a prison for those incarcerated accused of serious crimes such as murder, and any prisoners would await their execution here, if found guilty. None of the children, of course, would have been aware of this.
The highest point to be seen from Guildford town centre is The Mount, where, in the 18th century, executions would be carried out in view of the high street. Halfway up The Mount sits The Mount Cemetery, where Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland author, Lewis Carrol, is buried. The Mount happens to be the setting for one of the most convincing photographs of a ghost. The picture features an unidentifiable spectral figure looming in the centre of a path, surrounded by spindly trees, and half obscured by the heavy fog. These were taken by Mark Baker, and the Director of The Ghost Finder Paranormal Society, Barri Ghai said “I am stuck for words on this one – these images have caused quite a stir among my team. We are actually convincing ourselves that this could be genuine, a real ghost, but obviously for us to say that without a full investigation of the area is a tough one.”
Guildford appears to be littered with paranormal attractions like The Angel Hotel and The King’s Head pub as well as the aforementioned locations and many more. Clearly, the town we live in boasts a rich and ghostly past of people who were once as alive as we are now, so what will our presence today create for the future?
Getting back to ‘Normal’!
Sunday March 15th 2020 was the last time Manor Road Evangelical Church in Stoughton had a ‘normal’ church service – but now things are starting to get back to ‘normal’.
Sadly we also had to cancel our Little Sunbeams Parent & Toddler Group the Friday Ignite Group for Primary School Children and the Friday Youth Group for Secondary School Young People. The church moved as many things on-line as possible, but it’s not the same as it was pre-Covid.
We hope that September will be the month we get back to something like ‘normal’ activities again. Hence we would like to invite you to the following activities at our church, assuming that restrictions will ease sufficiently for them all to take place again at the church.
Sundays 11.15am
All Age Service
On Sunday at 11.15am, every week, we have our All Age Service, everyone is welcome. Tea, coffee & biscuits are served from 10.45am. For approximately the first half hour we sing and enjoy other activities together. Then, for the next half hour we listen to a Bible-based talk, which is relevant and challenging for life in the 21st century. During this time there is a crèche for pre-schoolers, Sunday Club for primary school children and, alternate weeks, a Bible class for secondary school young people. This service is already taking place, with risk assessments and other precautions in place, based on the government guidelines.
Fridays 7.30pm
Youth Group
On Friday at 7.30pm, in term-time, the Youth Group will meet. This group is for Secondary school young people and will start from Friday September 10th. Each week the young people will enjoy a variety of games and activities and also time to socialise. Each session concludes with a short talk on some aspect of the Christian faith.
Week day evening TBC 6.00pm
Ignite Group
One evening in the week (which is yet to be decided) at 6.00pm the Ignite Group, for children in the reception to year 6 age group, will meet in term-time. Children, in that age group, are invited to get together for about an hour of fun activities, including games, crafts, quizzes, Bible stories and prizes.
Tuesdays 9.00-11.15am
Little Sunbeams
Little Sunbeams is for pre-schoolers, and will meet on Tuesdays between 9.00 and 11.15am, in term-time, starting on Tuesday September 14th. Parents may bring their toddlers and babies to the group anytime during the morning. Tea and coffee are available for adults. At approximately 10.15am we have mat and snack time for the children, when we enjoy singing and listening to a Bible story together. (Parents make a contribution of 50p per child, if they can afford this.)
For more information about any of these activities:
Phone: 07498 211384 or 07914 322988
E-mail: AbrahamDebbarma@manorroad.church or JohnKnight@manorroad.church
Girl Chorister at Guildford Cathedral wins BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2021
Guildford Cathedral is delighted to announce that a member of the Girl Choristers, Ruby has won the prestigious joint BBC Radio 2 and Songs of Praise Young Chorister of the Year 2021.
The final, held in Salisbury Cathedral, was broadcast on BBC 1 at 12.30 pm on Sunday 5 December and on BBC Radio 2 at 7.00pm.
The programme was hosted by Songs of Praise presenter, Aled Jones, and the panel of expert judges – Lesley Garrett, Howard Goodall, and David Grant – selected the winner and the runner-up.
Ruby said, on winning the final: “I still can’t believe I won. I feel very lucky and have loved every minute. I’m so excited for the future. Huge thank you to all those who have supported me, especially Katherine.”
Katherine Dienes-Williams, Organist and Master of the Choristers of Guildford Cathedral said ‘We are all hugely proud of Ruby and are delighted to celebrate her fabulous achievement.
Congratulations to her and to all the competitors and thank you to all who have supported her on this journey. We look forward to continuing to enjoy her singing here at the Cathedral on a regular basis.
“I still can’t believe I won. I feel very lucky and have loved every minute. I’m so excited for the future. Huge thank you to all those who have supported me, especially Katherine.”
In summing up the competition, the judges gave Ruby glowing comments. David Grant said: “It was translucently brilliant”. Lesley Garrett said: “She’s got this fantastically free, powerful, gorgeous lyrical sound.”, while Howard Goodall, on making the announcement that Ruby was the winner said: “In a very, very tight field we felt that this singer gave a performance that was truly outstanding and flawless.“
When thinking of which Christmas Carol to sing for the final of the BBC Young Chorister of the Year, Ruby was very keen to sing ‘The Shepherds Sing’ by renowned composer and former Kings singer, Bob Chilcott. However, the piece only existed in a four-part choir version. The Cathedral reached out to Bob who very kindly made an arrangement of his own piece for solo voice specifically for Ruby to sing! Huge thanks must go to him for this generous gift.
