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Heart of the City Festival at St. James’

For 21 years, the Heart of the City Festival has been grounded in the Downtown Eastside. Guided by the theme Threads of Connection, the 2024 Festival features 100+ live and online events, including at St. James’!

Thursday, October 31

2:00 pm : Tolling of the Bells for the Dead

Come to the corner of Gore and E. Cordova at 2:00 pm, or stop outdoors in the surrounding neighbourhood, and listen for the ringing of the bells from St. James’ Anglican Church.

6:30 pm : Solemn Requiem for All Souls

At this service, we shall remember all who have died, among them all who have died of opioid overdose, all who died at Residential Schools, and our own loved ones.

Wednesday, November 6

5:00 pm : Tour of the Historic St. James’ Church

Join a guided tour of the historic St. James’ Anglican Church with guides Elisabeth Kwan and PJ Janson to learn about the fascinating architecture and beauty of this unique building. If you can’t make it, you’ll have another chance on November 10.

6:00 pm : The Bells of St. James’

Here is your golden opportunity to climb the stairs to the top of the Bell Tower, to see the bells up close, and have an unforgettable experience. If you can’t make it, you’ll have another chance on November 10.

7:00 pm : Vancouver Cantata Singers Open Rehearsal

Have you ever wondered what it takes for a choir to sing in perfect harmony ? Here is a great opportunity : Artistic Director Paula Kremer invites you to an Open Rehearsal by the Vancouver Cantata Singers as the choir prepares for their annual Christmas concert. Enjoy beautiful unaccompanied choral music sung by this outstanding choir in the resonant acoustics of St. James’ and learn from insightful commentary.

Sunday, November 10

12:15 pm : Introduction to the Pipe Organ

How does the organ work, and how does the organ use its many stops to create the classic ‘organ sounds’ ?  Join Organist PJ Janson for an introduction to the organ in the choir gallery at St. James’. Learn the features of the King of Instruments and experience the original meaning of ‘pulling out all stops.’ No experience required!

1:00 pm : Tour of the Historic St. James’ Church

Join a guided tour of the historic St James’ Anglican Church.

2:00 pm : The Bells of St. James’

See the bells up close.

7:00 pm : The Sojourners Concert

The Sojourners’ music honours gospel’s foundations in freedom, social justice and community. Exceptional musicians and artists such as Marcus Mosely, Khari McClelland, Will Sanders, Daniel Ruiz, Rob Becker, and Simon Kendall. To reserve a special free ticket for parishioners of St. James’, please email [email protected] by noon on Friday, October 25.

To see the full schedule visit heartofthecityfestival.com.

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Music Notes for Pentecost 22 — October 20, 2024

 

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise – Text: Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908) / Music: Melody Welsh trad.; adapt. John Roberts (1808-1876)

 

Click to watch the video on Youtube.

This Sunday’s final hymn in church is based on the familiar ascription of praise in 1 Timothy 1:17. Though the emphasis is clearly upon God who is eternal and unchangeable, the hymn advances through the attributes of might, justice, goodness, love, light, and life toward a climax in “Great Father of glory, pure Father of light.” The author, Walter Chalmers Smith, first published the hymn in six stanzas of four lines in his Hymns of Christ and Christian Life in 1876. The first three stanzas in our hymn books are original, but stanza four is a cento from the remaining three. Smith was born in Aberdeen, educated at Marischal College, and served as a pastor and then moderator in the Free Church of Scotland.

The tune “St Denio” is based on a Welsh folksong ‘Can Mlynedd I ‘nawr’ (A hundred years from now) and was associated with a song about a cuckoo, ‘Y God Lwydias’. As a hymn tune it appeared first in John Roberts’ Caniadau y Cyssegr 1839, where the editor simplified the  melody considerably. A hearty song, it follows a ternary form. The English Hymnal 1906 was the first English book to include this tune.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest—to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render; O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

Gerald Harder

 

 

 

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