Christmas 2011
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The church was beautifully
decorated to welcome everyone to the Christmas services, with a crib
scene, Christmas tree and seasonal decorations.
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Messy Church - Sunday 27 November
Many churches natiowide are
already running "Messy Church" and our aim is to encourage families to
come and enjoy themselves at Holy Trinity too. Our first
"Messy Church" for children accompanied by a parent or carer was held
in
the church hall on Advent Sunday, 27th November.
This was a time for parents and children of all ages to come
to a fun
afternoon of stories, music, songs and crafts,
followed by a simple meal together. The theme for our first
session was "Advent - Preparing for Christmas". The afternoon was
a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by everybody - children, parents
and carers and helpers.
Parish Christmas Fair
The parish Christmas Fair was
held on Saturday 19 November. In addition to seasonal stalls and
refreshments, there was entertainment provided by the handbell
ringers.
Remembrance Service and
Parade
The Civic Remembrance Service
was held at Holy Trinity on Sunday 13 November and the church was full
to capacity. The service was followed by the Parade to the
Cenotaph and the photographs show the Parade leaving the church.
Piano Concert
On Friday 11 November the
American pianist “Carmen” performed a piano concert at Holy
Trinity Church in Llandudno, as part of her UK tour. This was
an enjoyable evening of Broadway and classical pieces.
"50 Favourite Psalms"
Saturday 22 October
Psalms from the
King James Bible were read by members of Llandudno churches
This was a Bible Society
event.
Blagovest Ensemble Concert
Following the success of last
year’s concert, we were once again
delighted to welcome Blagovest
Choral Ensemble of St Petersburg, who performed a wonderful concert
of folk and spiritual
choral music on Sunday 2 October.
"Based at the St Petersburg Conservatoire – the centre of
traditional Russian choral music - the Blagovest Ensemble is noted for
its musicians’ high professionalism and their unashamed passion for the
music they love to share. Their concert repertoire includes
pearls of Russian choral a cappella
music, both spiritual and secular.
"Russian choral music, with its distinctive melodic patterns,
holds a unique place in the musical culture of the world - due in no
small measure to the Russian Orthodox Church, which allows only the
sound of the human voice to praise God in worship and whose choral
tradition goes back a thousand years. Even a small ensemble
allows an audience to feel the dramatic and melodic wealth which
characterises this music. It fascinates with its beauty and
strength and leaves nobody indifferent.
"Censored in Soviet Russia for almost 70 years, it is only in
recent years that the masterpieces of Russian choral spiritual music
have sounded again, thanks to the work of professional musicians like
Blagovest, who are devoted to this wonderful genre. Today this music is
experiencing a second birth, allowing us all to re-open forgotten pages
of world culture."
Open Churches Day
Holy Trinity took
part in the national Open
Churches Day on Saturday 17 September.
The day is organised annually by
the Churches Tourism Network
Wales.
Organ
Music in August
There was a series of lunchtime
organ recitals each Wednesday during
August. The organ at Holy
Trinity is one of the finest in the land and this was an
opportunity for more people to enjoy it. The music played was
of a fairly popular nature, including some of the
old favourites. The soloists were:
3rd - Michael
Rhodes (Victoria Hall, Hanley)
10th - Fay Adamson (St Paul’s,
Llandudno)
17th - John Hosking (St Asaph Cathedral)
24th - Charles Jones (Holy
Trinity)
31st - Norman Rimmer (Holy Trinity)
Deanery Pilgrimage
A very special
pilgrimage walk for
members of our parishes took place on Friday 26th August. It began at
9.30 a.m. in the Chapel in Abergwygregyn village with a short
act of worship. Cars were then taken to the car park for Aber
Falls from where we walked across the hills to Llanbedr ending
the day with a hot or cold meal in the Bull Hotel.
Fr John, Area Dean
of Arllechwedd
University of Warwick Chamber Choir
The University
of Warwick Chamber Choir performed at Holy Trinity Church
in Llandudno aon Thursday 14 July, as part of their tour to
North Wales and Chester. This highly talented group of young
singers provided an evening soirée of both moving and amusing
music
from the 1500s to the 21st century in a fabulous programme that had
something for everyone.
Sunday School and Parish Picnic
On Sunday July 17th we had a
Family Eucharist at Holy
Trinity during which the Sunday School Prize Giving ceremony took
place. The service was followed by a ‘bring and share’ picnic
to which everyone was invited.
It’s important that as a
parish we
mix socially from time to time as well as worship together; but it’s
especially important that we take the opportunity to meet our Sunday
School leaders and their children. The only contact most members
of the
congregation have with the Sunday School is to see them briefly when
they come to the altar at Communion week by week, or when they take
part in a family service. This was an opportunity to meet them
socially
and perhaps find out more about what goes on in the Hall on a Sunday
morning when the rest of us are in church.
Fr. John
Strawberry Tea
There was a Strawberry
Tea in aid of the Bible Society in the church hall on Thursday 16 June
from 12.00 noon till 4.00 pm. The Strawberry Tea
consisted of strawberries, cream, homemade scone, bara brith,
shortbread
and a pot of tea, all for just £3.00! Sandwiches and cake
were also available for those who wanted a light lunch.
Confirmation
On Sunday 15th of May, the Bishop
of Bangor visited Holy Trinity to administer the rite of
Confirmation during the 10.30 am Eucharist service. This year we
had four candidates for Confirmation: two junior and two
adults, shown here with the Rector and Bishop Andrew after the
service.
Christian Aid Week and other events
Christian Aid week
was from Sunday 15th May to Saturday 21st May, the Christian Aid
Joint Churches and Chapel service
was held at Seilo on Sunday 15
May and Parchedig Dafydd Roberts
was the preacher. As part
of Christian Aid Week there was a Coffee Morning on Thursday
19 May in Holy Trinity Church Hall.
Another Coffee Morning for
Christian Aid was held at Holy Trinity on Thursday 21 July
and the Summer Market on
Thursday 18 August.
North Wales Coast
Branch of the Aircrew Association laid up its Standard
On 8 May, the North
Wales Coast Branch of the Aircrew Association laid up its Standard
at Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno. Membership of the Association was
open to anyone having been awarded a flying badge who was serving or
who had served in the RAF, the Army, the Royal Navy or the forces of
commonwealth and other nations. The national organisation recently
resolved to disband the Association because of a dwindling number of
members, many of whom were World War 2 veterans. Last year, the
worldwide membership was 4500, down from a peak of over 40000 in the
mid-1990s. With 75% of members being aged 80 or more, it was inevitable
that the Association was experiencing a loss of energy and was becoming
unviable.
The North Wales Coast Branch which meets at Llandudno’s RBL Club
had,
at its peak, over 60 members. However, in line with the national
organisation, continuation has now become impractical and as a
consequence, the Branch is disbanding this year. Its Standard was
entrusted to the care of Holy Trinity Church at the 10.30 service on
Sunday 8 May and will be laid up in the church’s Memorial Chapel. The
Rector of Llandudno Parish, the Rev Prebendary John Nice received
the Standard for safe keeping from the Branch’s Chairman, Arfon Evans.
The Branch’s Chaplain, the Rev Prebendary Robert Griffiths, Rector of
Rhos-Cystennin Parish, was the guest preacher.
Holy Week and Easter
Holy
Week began with the Palm Sunday celebrations, which included a palm
procession around the church led by two donkeys and pictures of this
can be seen in the Parish
Magazine for May 2011.
On the Tuesday evening, a service of the Stations of the Cross was
followed by a Table Eucharist in the Memorial Chapel.
On the Wednesday evening there was a
Service of Light and Shadows at St. Tudno's Church and there are
more details of this on the St. Tudno's
2011 page.
On Maunday Thursday the evening Eucharist included the Washing of Feet
and was followed by stripping of the altars (photograph below
left).
On Good Friday there was a children's service with activities in the
morning and the Cytûn
Procession of Witness through the town from the Emmanuel centre
finished with an open air service at Holy Trinity, supported by
Llandudno Town Band (photograph below right).
Easter Day began with the Easter Vigil service at St. Tudno's at 5.30
am, followed by breakfast (see the St. Tudno's
2011 page), while Holy Trinity was beautifully decorated for
the Parish
Eucharist (right).
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Lent
Events with Rhoscystennin Parish
Lent
Compline: 7.00
pm each Wednesday during Lent in the Hospital Chapel, beginning on 16
March.
Lent study course:
"Growing the Church - Lessons from the Acts
of the Apostles and the Contemporary World Church". This was
a
course from USPG comprising five weekly meetings with a choice of times
and venues.
Sunday
Evening Prayer during Lent
On the Sundays in Lent at the
5.00 pm service we explored
the riches of the new Church in Wales Morning and Evening Prayer
Book.
Archbishop Barry of Wales' visit to Holy
Trinity
On Saturday 9 April, Archbishop Barry came to Holy
Trinity to give out awards
for services to church music for people from
throughout Wales. One person received the Archbishop of
Wales' Award for Church Music and 26 choir members and organists
received
long-service certificates, seven of whom are members of Holy Trinity
choir,
though most of the candidates were from South Wales.
This was the first time since its inception that the service had not
taken place in one of the cathedrals.
The service was a choral evensong at 2.30 pm and was attended by 300
people from throughout Wales. We welcomed Graham Eccles from
Bangor Cathedral on the organ and the conductor was Holy Trinity's
Organist and Choirmaster Norman Rimmer, a previous recipient of the
Archbishop of Wales' Award for Church Music.
Holy Trinity's
bells rang out before and after the service; the ringing
beforehand was a quarter peal lasting for about 45 minutes.
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Members
of Holy Trinity Choir can be seen in the centre of the group of
recipients after the service. There are more photographs on the
Holy Trinity extra events 2011 page.
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John Griffith, organist at St.
Mary and St. Nicholas Church Beaumaris for 25 years recieved the
Archbishop of Wales' Award for Church Music.
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Three people received an Honorary Archbishop's Award for Church Music:
Jeanette Massocchi (left), Revd. Paul Bigmore (centre) and Llywela
Harris (right).
Amongst those receiving the Award of Merit for long service, we were
particularly pleased to welcome three very long-serving muscians.
Georgina Jones, 88, has been the organist at Dolwyddelan Church for 70
years; Arthur Thomas, 92, has been a chorister at St. Margaret's
Blackwood since he was seven years old; Nesta Hughes has been the
organist at St. Mary's Tregarth for 50 years.
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Georgina Jones (left),
Arthur Thomas (2nd from right, above)
and Nesta Hughes (right).
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An evening with Peter Owen-Jones
Peter Owen-Jones, Anglican
parish priest and BBC
presenter of "Around the World in 80 Faiths", "Extreme Pilgrim" and
"How to
Live a Simple Life", visited Holy Trinity on 24 March. Peter
talked about some of his experiences while making the television
programmes and read extracts from his new book "Letters from an Extreme
Pilgrim".
After his talk, Peter took questions from the audience, talked with
individuals and signed copies of his book.
Proceeds were in aid of Peter's
charities and Holy
Trinity Church.
Deanery Quiet Day for
Lent
This was held at the Stella
Maris Centre in Llandudno on Saturday 19 March. The theme was
"With Jesus in the Wilderness - Reflections
on the Beatitudes"
Christmas 2010
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Llandudno
experienced a white Chrismas but good numbers of people braved the snow
and ice to attend the Christmas services. As they entered the
porch at Holy Trinity they were greeted with the crib scene "Waiting
for Jesus", shown in the photograph here.
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Many thanks to Mrs. Jill Scupham
for this lovely picture of Holy Trinity Church in the snow.
The working party
on Saturday 14 May was well
supported and the benches were set out for the open air services and
the church and churchyard cleaned and tidied. There are more
photographs
on the St. Tudno's 2011 and Friends of St.
Tudno's archive pages. 
