Sunday 29th June, St. Peter’s Day11:00am Parish Eucharist 6pm EvensongWednesday 10am Holy CommunionSunday 6th July, The Third Sunday after Trinity11:00am Parish Eucharist & Baptism 6pm EvensongPlease see the Calendar of services attached.Mid-week service: Wednesday 10am Holy CommunionPlease see David’s Music Notes attached.Parish magazine : The 40-page Summer issue of the magazine is now available, with plenty of news about church, school and community; local history - and more.As usual, copies will be delivered to regular subscribers and extra copies are available from the back of church. (Price £2)Foodbank – Weekly message from Lynda Delf : On Sunday Steve collected food and a financial donation from Church, many thanks to all of those who donated; I am away this week and will take these donations to the foodbank on the 30th June and will confirm the total donation.This week our food shortages include jam, sugar, rice, coffee, squash and tinned meat, fish, spaghetti hoops, potatoes, fruit and rice pudding. We always need household cleaning materials, toilet rolls and long life milk and fruit juice.Thank you for your support.Many thanks for your generosity including those who anonymously give money.Cash or cheque donations for the foodbank: These should be posted through the door at 23 Church street Head, rather than the Institute letterbox. Cheques can be made payable to Durham Foodbank. Here is a link to the gift aid form:https://durham.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-money/Thanks for your generosity, LyndaThe Durham Singers present a concert exploring composers’ responses to the idea of sleep in our summer evening concert on Saturday 5 July at 7.30pm in the atmospheric setting of St Brandon’s Church, Brancepeth. Tickets available via the following link: The Durham Singers - 05/07/2025 7:30pm - Only in SleepConsultation on Elvet Waterside: https://letstalkcountydurham.co.uk/en-GB/projects/elvet-waterside-outdoor-gym-equipmentAmongst the sick please pray for Andrew Perry, Angie Robley.Amongst those being ordained deacon this Petertide, please pray for Marc Voase, and for the parish of St. Margaret Ilkley, and for Helen Miller and for the parish of St. Nicholas Durham. And thank you for your part in their training for ministry whilst on placement here.With All Good Wishes and Prayers, Peter
There has been a bonfire every year in the churchyard for hundreds of years, and this year's bonfire took place, for once, on 5th November itself. Our usual crowd was even bigger than previously, with St. Oswald's schoolkids, students, and longstanding residents enjoying the fire, the sparklers, and the refreshments. Thanks to everyone who came and made it such a lovely evening, to Roz Layton for organising everything brilliantly, to everyone who contributed toffee, biscuits and sweets, and to Giles Radford, Scout Leader extraordinaire, silhouetted in the photo, for building and superintending the magnificent fire.
Oswald, King of Northumbria 634–642ᴀᴅ, was instrumental in bringing Christianity to this region, and is celebrated on 5th August every year with a choral evensong at the cathedral in which we traditionally join to celebrate our patron saint. Generally, we meet in church for a short prequel, and then peregrinate the 715 yds. (0.65 km) across Kingsgate Bridge to the mother church, though this year for a variety of reasons we made our own ways there. Nonetheless, we were very graciously welcomed by the Dean as the 'pilgrims' from St. Oswald's, and three of our younger members made a fine job of processing His Northumbrian Majesty's banner to the high altar.The banner party is pictured here with other members of the congregation, in an image that has been watercolourised to try and rescue a truly dreadful snap.
ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛ: ᴛʀᴇᴠᴏʀ ꜱᴍɪᴛʜCongratulations to David Harris, our much-loved organist and choirmaster, who is joint winner of the 2024 Laudemus! competition with his setting of the anthem Hail, Gladdening Light! for SATB and organ. Laudemus!, an adult choir which meets annually to sing evensong in churches down in Dorset, will be singing the winning anthems at Wimborne Minster on 10th August, which by happy coincidence is also David's birthday.The Royal School of Church Music will be publishing both winning pieces, and our choir at St. Oswald's will be singing Hail, Gladdening Light! just as soon as it has been premièred.David has been Director of Music at St. Oswald's since his second year at Durham University in 2014. Before that, he was an organ scholar at Portsmouth Cathedral, and works as a performer, teacher, and church musician.
