Advance Notice

 

‘This Jesus can bring tears to your eyes.

You will be deeply moved - a powerful experience’ original 1941 review of The Man Born to Be King by Dorothy L Sayers

 

The Good Friday Service 2007

contemplation in words and music for Easter

 

7.30pm Friday 6 April

Mercury Theatre Colchester

 

The Man Born to Be King (extracts) by Dorothy L Sayers 

Music by Quire – Colchester World Music Choir 

 

Admission is free

 

This year’s Good Friday service at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre looks set to be an innovative and original presentation of the Easter message in words and music.  

 

Parishioners from St James the Less and St Helen Catholic Church, Priory St together with Quire, Colchester’s sensational world music choir of 50 voices, will  lead the Mercury Theatre audience on Good Friday in a highly creative contemplation of the Easter story at a free event on behalf of Churches Together In Central Colchester at 7.30 on Friday 6 April 2007.

 

The words come from Essex based author, best known for her sleuthing detective novels of Lord Peter Wimsey fame,  yet few may realise Dorothy L Sayers, who lived in Witham, Essex, wrote 12 plays radio plays for the BBC based on the life of Christ,  The Man Born To Be King.  The plays, first broadcast in 1941, caused a storm of controversy, mostly for depicting Christ and his followers as real people who spoke real words and had human emotions.

 

The Music is provided by Quire, Colchester’s World Music choir of 50 voices. Quire has a reputation for singing passionate, soulful music from around the world as can be heard on their best selling debut CD Pilgrim.  Professor Bill Tamblyn, who leads Quire, has chosen some powerfully contemplative, dramatic and moving music to accompany the readings from The Man Born To Be King which tell of events leading up to the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ.

 

“Everyone is welcome to come and join in this special free Good Friday service. This is a chance to experience the Easter story in a new way. This service is a collective remembrance of a world-changing event - namely the ritual murder of a Jewish prophet who was hailed as the Son of God and King of the Jews. 

 

Readings from The Man Born To Be King are interwoven with moving music by Quire who will lead the audience in a range of contemplative songs including Black American spirituals, African chants from Zimbabwe, in the original language,  as performed by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches as well as contemporary music,  as sung by the Iona Community” says Bill Tamblyn, leader of Quire.

 

Now for the first time you can experience the Easter story via dramatised readings from the The Man Born To Be King at the Good Friday service together with songs performed by Colchester’s sensational world music choir, Quire at 7.30pm 6 April at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.

 

Admission is free. Seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis – so it is advisable to arrive in good time to be sure of a seat! There will be a retiring collection in aid of Christian Aid and CAFOD.