The Holy Week and Easter period is one of the busiest and most important periods in the Church year, with more than thirty services and events taking place over the seven days from Palm Sunday on March 24 to Easter Day, March 31.
The liturgy follows the age-old story of Christ as he makes his journey to the Cross and ultimately to his Resurrection and the Cathedral is ‘dressed’ in accordance with the narrative and mood of the story for the day. For the Church the narrative of the dying and rising of Jesus represents ‘new creation’ and hope.
Throughout Holy Week, the Cathedral offers many opportunities for prayerful reflection.
On Monday, March 25 at 7.30pm, Lay Vicars will sing the ancient service of Compline (from the Latin completorium, meaning completion), a beautiful short service to end the day using plainsong texts that would have been chanted in the Cathedral in medieval times as well as Tallis’ beautiful Lamentations of Jeremiah.
This will be interspersed with brief addresses from the clergy concluding the series of Lent Addresses examining Christian perspectives on General Election issues.
Salisbury Cathedral’s Canon Precentor, Anna Macham, said: “We look forward to welcoming people to our Eastertide services ranging from the intense and sombre worship during Holy Week to the celebratory services on Easter Day. The sacred music played and sung during this time is some of the most beautiful and moving music ever written, in particular the Seven Last Words from the Cross by James MacMillan, which is to be performed in concert during Holy week.”
MacMillan’s Seven Last Words from the Cross will be sung during the Choral Foundation Concert on March 27.
Commissioned by BBC Television in 1993 and screened in seven nightly episodes during Holy Week the following year, the text of Seven Last Words is taken from the first four books of the New Testament, known as the Gospels (Matthew Mark, Luke and John). The extracts form a sequential presentation of the last seven sentences uttered by Christ before he died.
Other highlights include the Eucharist of the Chrism on Maundy Thursday (Thursday, March 28) when hundreds of priests and lay ministers from across the diocese, gather to renew their commitment to ministry and receive the Holy Oils.
During this special service The Right Revd Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury, blesses the three holy oils used in worship - the oil for the anointing of the sick and dying, the oil for baptism, and the oil of chrism, which is used for confirmation and at the ordination of priests – and they are carried from the Cathedral out into parishes across Wiltshire and Dorset for use in the coming year.
The Return of the West Front Easter Garden
Once again, the Easter story is to be narrated outside as well as inside the Cathedral, with a specially designed Easter Garden (created by award-winning garden designer Andy McIndoe) installed by the Visitors entrance from Saturday, March 16.
The display includes three crosses hanging high above a symbolic tomb made of Chilmark stone (the stone used in the building of the Cathedral), which sits in a ‘garden’ of Mediterranean plants - rosemary, laurel, olive and santolina – reminiscent of the landscape and story of Jesus. The tomb and crosses were specially made in the Cathedral’s Works Yard.
The Revd Dr Kenneth Padley, Canon Treasurer, who has oversight of the Easter Garden, said: “Since medieval times Christians have created temporary gardens to tell the story of Eastertide. The sealed tomb symbolises Jesus’ burial on Good Friday and on Easter Day the stone door is opened, representing the Christian belief that Jesus came back to life, three days after he was buried. Traditionally the garden remains in place until Pentecost, when we - as Christians - recall how God’s Holy Spirit was given to the disciples bidding them to continue God’s mission on earth.”
For more information on the services and for tickets, go to salisburycathedral.org.uk.
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