MONTHLY UPDATE FROM SIMON

MARCH 2026

Dear Friends

The undisputed jewel in the crown of Anglican worship is Choral Evensong.  Its very name is evocative of peace and beauty, and it has the power to restore a sense of harmony and wellbeing even to those who don’t regard themselves as religious.

The former Astronomer Royal, Lord Rees, who is agnostic about matters of religious belief, has said, ‘Every Evensong is a chance to be inspired by the liturgy and music of the Anglican Church, and by the choral tradition that should be cherished.  Attending Evensong makes me especially mindful of “the spacious firmament on high” - its wonder and its mystery.’

And John Rutter, the celebrated composer, has written, ‘Choral Evensong is my favourite way of spending an hour, with glorious music in a glorious building.’

It’s often noted that at a time of falling church attendance, Evensong retains a special place in our culture as a source of spiritual nourishment that is both sublime and accessible.  Many people listen to Choral Evensong on Radio 3 each week.  And there is an organisation called The Choral Evensong Trust which publicises those places – churches, cathedrals and college chapels - where it is possible to hear it sung regularly to a high standard.

It is therefore a great privilege for us, here in Harting, to be hosting the choir of Chichester Cathedral to sing Evensong for us on Saturday 14th March at 4pm.  How wonderful it will be to hear words and music dating back to Tudor times, sung in a church that was itself largely rebuilt during the reign of Elizabeth I.  I am sure that the magnificent roof timbers in the chancel (dated 1577) will particularly resonate to the sound of the choristers and lay vicars singing directly below them!

The setting of Evensong that the choir will be singing will be by Thomas Weelkes, as will the introit and the anthem.  Weelkes was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Chichester Cathedral from 1602 until his death in 1623 and became a significant composer of madrigals and church music.  His particular interest to us is that he was born in Elsted 450 years ago, in 1576, and was baptized in Elsted Church, of which his father was the Rector.

I do hope that you will be able to join us on the 14th and that you will encourage your friends and family members to come as well.  Our Cathedral Choir is of a particularly high calibre (I was privileged to accompany it on a tour of Bamberg and Bayreuth three years ago) and it has recorded much of Weelkes’ music.  We shall be providing tea for the choristers after the service, and we warmly invite you all to stay for drinks.

At the end of this month, we shall begin our observance of Holy Week.  Please look out for details (particularly regarding Palm Sunday) on our website.

With my prayers and best wishes

Simon

Quiet Garden

The first of our Quiet Garden afternoons will be taking place at Harting Church on Wednesday 18th March.  This will be a chance just to stop and ‘be still’.  It will begin with a short reflection at 2pm and end with a simple form of evening prayer at 4.30pm. Tea will be provided. 

Open Evening at The Malthouse

On Thursday 19th March, Jim Blackstone and Martin Earle are kindly inviting us once again to visit their studio in The Malthouse.  The Malthouse is, more than ever, a source of exquisite pieces of liturgical art and a truly holy place at the heart of our parish.  It will be good to be able to talk with Martin and Jim and learn about their recent commissions.  The 19th March is the Feast of St Joseph, the patron saint of craftspeople, so the evening will begin with a simple Eucharist at 6pm for those who would like to come.  Or just drop in afterwards…

Thank you – and well done

Chichester Foodbank recently sent this message:

‘Dear Simon & all at South Harting Church, 

On behalf of the Chichester District Foodbank team, I want to say a huge thank you for your amazing support over the past year. 

In 2025, you generously donated 184.7 kg of provisions - that’s around 462 meals! 

Your kindness really does make a difference and means so much to us and the people we support across Chichester District.’

The Feast of the Annunciation: Wednesday 25th MarcH

The Feast of the Annunciation (‘Lady Day’) is our Patronal Festival at Harting Church.  After the Eucharist at 10am the Mothers’ Union will kindly provide coffee and cake.  

Treyford Churchyard

A significant amount of work has been done at Treyford Churchyard to clear away the brambles and weeds that were threatening to take it over.  This was made possible by the generosity of Elsted PCC and Elsted Parish Council, and we are grateful to them both.  Furthermore, Paul Glue has kindly offered to undertake occasional tidying-up and to mow the main area once the grass and wildflowers have seeded in the summer.  If any other volunteers would like to help in any way, please contact the Rector.

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