Wild Church Blyford
Spring Concert at All Saints Blyford
As the snowdrops of March give way to the daffodils of April, a change of season is in the air. Here in Blyford we are looking forward to Easter and our first concert of the year.
Heartbeat, a women’s a cappella singing group, will perform in Blyford church on Thursday April 24th. Founded in 1989, Heartbeat is a musical experiment in democracy without a leader or conductor. The choir performs songs from all round the world as well as works by contemporary British composers. Virginia Storey, a long-standing member of Heartbeat, is a member of Blyford PCC.
Jane Parker and Karen Thomas will also perform at the concert. Jane and Karen began playing together after getting to know each other at the Loaves & Fishes Open Mic in Blyford Church in October 2024. They are both members of the recently formed East Suffolk Folk Orchestra, which rehearses in Bungay twice a month. Jane and Karen are exploring a range of music for harp, voice, keyboard and violin with a particular focus on reflective, folk-inspired songs and melodies. Karen is a Blyford resident and Jane lives in Halesworth.
Doors open at 6.30pm, and the concert starts at 7pm. Entrance is by donation.
At last, a new bench for the churchyard!
In March we were delighted to commission a hand-made bench for the churchyard thanks to a generous donation from a local resident.
Crispin Chalker will make the oak bench from timber sourced from his own wood in Thorington. Suffolk sculptor Mary Anstee-Parry will decorate the bench with one of her beautiful wildlife carvings. Halesworth residents will be familiar with Mary’s distinctive work on the Millennium Green noticeboards. The timber needs time to season and the bench will be installed in the autumn. We shall have a grand unveiling!
April work party
Our first work party of the year will be on the morning of Saturday April 19th. We shall continue work on the French drain, a project that we started last year, and there will be other tidying up jobs inside and outside the church. Everyone is most welcome, even if not able to pitch in. The morning will be a great opportunity to visit the church, meet volunteers, and find out more about activities at All Saints Blyford.
The work party is from 10am to 1pm with a mid-morning break for refreshments at the Queen’s Head. Please bring gloves and hand tools.
Wild church services
All Saints Blyford is a wild church: we are a congregation that celebrates God in nature. We hold monthly wild church services on the third Sunday of the month at 10am. In April the service will be on Easter Sunday.
Wild church services are relaxed and informal. They combine prayer and poetry, reflection, readings and music. Wild church always involves some outdoor activity, so please dress appropriately for the time of year.
Blyford PCC AGM
The AGM of the Blyford PCC will be on Wednesday April 9th at 2pm in Blyford Church. The AGM is open to the public and everyone is most welcome.
Future events
Once into May, the PCC will hold a monthly stall on the green opposite the church on the third Saturday of the month. Roy Tricker is returning to Blyford on Friday September 19th to entertain us with a guided tour of the church starting at 6pm. The annual Loaves and Fishes Open Mic is on Tuesday October 7th, in the church, 6-8pm.
We are also open to ideas for other community events. We are talking to Matt Goodwin about the possibility of a Blyford Big Breakfast at the Queen’s Head one Saturday later in the year. Watch this space!
Thank you
Blyford PCC is very grateful to all our volunteers and donors and to everyone at the Blyth Valley Team Ministry. Special thanks to everyone who helped with the jumble sale in March. It was a huge team effort! Thank you also to those who donated preloved belongings. Many local residents donated anonymously and we have not been able to thank everyone in person. On the day, the church was full to the brim with a gloriously wide range of clothes, shoes, books, toys, games, household items and bric-a-brac. it was wonderful to see the church filled with people after a quiet couple of months in January and February.
Get in touch!
If you would like to know more about All Saints Blyford, please come to an event, attend a service, or contact any members of the PCC: Virginia Storey, Charlie Hawkins, John Handley, Martin Clark, Christina Ballinger, or our Team Rector Rev Dominic Doble.
Photo: Heartbeat Choir