Advent by Candlelight
Advent by Candlelight, a gathering in the two churches, raised money for EMMAUS
which helps to house, train and re-emply the homeless and unemployed of the
Cambridge area. Ian de Massini with Cambridge Voices performed a sequence of old
and new choral pieces.These were interwoven by readings chosen by Hilary Sage
and read by members of the village. With the experience of several years Ian
and Hilary have found a way of touching on the creation, shopping at
Christmas, discomfort and poverty, angels and politics which brings welcome
laughter and a chance to share thoughtful silence.
Just as the choice of music brought a wide range of association: childhood memories, biblical texts, the fusion of musical ideas with verbal imagery: so the physical projection of those sounds into the space around us both shockingly reverberant and strangely comforting.
We sense the governing idea behind each choice, it becomes part of the ritual and,with the shaking of hands and passing of mince pies, becomes part of somethinglarger. Our ability to remember depends on the strength of the language we use, musical or verbal. The awkwardness and variety of language is a reflection of humanity in front of the abundance and awfulness of nature. The Advent by Candlelight ceremony is an example of a form which by being constantly adapted can give us a more dependable idea of ourselves.