St Peter ad Vincula
Noticeboard
- August 2010
OERAMMERGAU
2010
Three years in the
planning and in the early hours of the 15th June 34 pilgrims boarded their coach,
which at times felt like home for the next week, en route to Oberammergau via
the Channel Tunnel and Metz in France. In a study on holiday travel, it was
found that the coach was the least stressful way of getting to a destination
– and although at times it felt tedious, this proved to be the case. We
arrived in Ohlstadt, near to Oberammergau on the afternoon of 16th June relaxed
and ready for the big day on the 17th. Vivid descriptions of the once-a-decade
performance of the Passion Play had always thrilled, and here I was for the
50th performance – a dream come true - among the crowds and the actors,
the sights and the sounds: and almost 5,000 other excited members of the audience.
Performed only once every ten years, the Play fulfils a vow dating back to 1633,
when villages who had survived war and plague pledged to perform a play about
Jesus Christ’s life in thanks for their own. From that moment, the story
goes, there were no more deaths from the plague. We had lunch in a local restaurant
before settling down in the huge theatre with its backdrop of the Bavarian Alps
to the first three hours of the Play which began with Christ’s triumphant
entry into Jerusalem, then to the Last Supper, the betrayal of Judas and the
arrest of Jesus. Each of the 11 acts in the Play drawn from the Gospels was
linked by a beautifully-presented ‘living tableau’ of episodes from
the Old Testament which helped to emphasize the relationship between the Old
and New – actors posing as still as stone and in vibrant colour told the
stories of how the people overcame adversity with God’s help in those
dark days. We then returned to our allocated restaurant for dinner, after which,
wandering back to the theatre, we glimpsed en route a disciple selling ice-creams,
a Roman soldier peddling woodcarvings – performers being drawn from within
the village community. To take part, actors must either have been born in the
village or have lived there for twenty years; no wigs or false beards are used,
so from Ash Wednesday last year everyone, apart from the Roman soldiers, had
to grow his or her hair to the appropriate length! 2,000 villagers, including
toddlers and children and some 50 animals are on stage at some point, with 150
speaking roles and 19 main characters, each of which is played by two actors
alternately. Another 400 are involved behind the scenes, in the choir or in
the orchestra. The people of Oberammergau must be exhausted when the season
comes to an end in October! We took our seats for a further three hours, which
were more of an arduous experience as we watched the trial and crucifixion of
Jesus so graphically acted out - but when the climax was reached and the glowing
light representing the character of the numinous was carefully placed in the
centre of the empty stage, followed by our Risen Lord, we too rose as one to
applaud this most spectacular of theatrical experiences. We spent the last few
days in the Tyrol, visiting Salzburg – the birthplace of Mozart and the
setting for The Sound of Music, and the Krimml waterfalls, before returning
home, again via Metz, where mid-summer was celebrated throughout the night of
the 21st June where we joined the crowds on the streets and in the bars rejoicing
amidst vibrant styles of street music. Now back at home and the trip itself
a distant memory, I am nevertheless quite sure that the thousands of people
who visit Oberammergau to watch the Passion Play will never forget the experience
– I know that I never shall.
Pat Farmer
FROM THE REGISTERS
Baptisms: Alice Baker on 27th June
Charles Spiers and Scarlet Hunter on 11th July
Weddings: Glen Harfield and Donnya Etheridge on 10th July
Nicholas Lindop and Louisa Holt on 17th July
SERVICE TIMES FOR AUGUST - click here
YOUR CHURCHWARDEN WRITES:
It is with great pleasure that we can now announce the appointment of our new
Parish Priest. He is the Reverend Peter Dixon, who is presently serving his
Curacy in the Team Ministry of Redruth in Cornwall. Peter is married to Charlotte
and they have three children: Sam (14), Polly (11) and Ben (8). Sam and Polly
will be at the Weald School and Ben will attend the local Primary School. Peter
writes: “… we can now count the days until we land in our new home.
Charlotte, Sam, Polly, Ben and our two dogs Revel and Winnow are really excited
about our move from deepest, darkest ‘Pirate Country’ to civilisation
in this beautiful village. Some of you may remember that at the beginning of
May, we all came ‘incognito’ to St Peter’s to look around,
but it was soon clear that with a warm and generous welcome comes a sense of
inquisitiveness and very quickly we were swept up by the community of St Peter
ad Vincula.” At the time of writing, Peter’s appointment is subject
to the usual CRB checks. The Institution and Induction service will take place
on Thursday 30th September at 7.30 pm Please put this date in your diaries and
keep Peter and his family in your prayers as they prepare for this new phase
of his ministry with us here in Wisborough Green.
DIEPPE SERVICE – the 10.30 am service on Sunday, 22nd August will be the annual Dieppe Service. Please come and support the Canadian Veterans, their families, and other guests who will be present at this service as we remember and give thanks for all those who sacrificed their lives in the Dieppe Raid.
Pat Farmer