A clock of clerks? Photo: Photo: Sarah Cairncross / flickr CC.
Eye - 22 November 2013
From minutes as muse to vocal harmony
Minutes as muse
Take one linguistically-inclined Quaker, add a sprinkle of inspiration and stir.
The ‘nature notes’ from Judith Roads (15 November) set cogs and gears whirring in David Jones’ mind.
David, of Spalding Meeting, said Judith ‘wrote wittily about “a recent gathering of Area Meeting clerks at Friends’ House” as if they were a flock of birds.
‘This set me wondering what might be an appropriate collective noun for a group of clerks.
‘It occurred to me to me that, as clerks are concerned with the recording of minutes, then we could speak quite appropriately of “a clock of clerks”!’
Sitting in a circle
Shirley White, of Newport Meeting, spied a Friendly sight in the Isle of Wight County Press in October; a group of school students sitting in a circle like Quakers in Meeting.
Shirley writes: ‘I read with interest the article on “Quaker concern about RE” in schools (25 October) and thought this [news story] could be of interest to readers of the Friend.’
The newspaper reports that David Harrison, another Newport Friend and a former headteacher, led the first ‘Tuesday Talks’ assembly at Priory School, Whippingham, and spoke to the senior pupils about Quakerism.
Edmund Matyjaszek, principal of Priory School, said: ‘He put the seniors into a circle just as is done in a Quaker Meeting and spoke very eloquently about the four elements of Quakerism: simplicity, truth, equality, peace.’
Students also learned about Quaker work in the abolition of slavery and the founding of charities such as Oxfam.
Edmund said: ‘The measure of just how affecting his talk and presence were was shown by the spontaneous applause from the pupils at the end.’
Shirley added that this is one of a number of talks David will be giving to schools on the Isle of Wight.
Singing Quakers
Friends broke into vocal harmony at the Guild Chapel in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon in September.
Philip Morris recalls the event, which was heralded on the front page of the local newspaper as ‘Singing Quakers’:
‘It was a wet Tuesday, at noon, when six of our Meeting were joined by three visitors for a programmed Meeting for Worship in the Guild Chapel in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon…
‘The Meeting ran as follows: “We are gathered here to take part in what is known to Quakers as a Programmed Meeting for Worship. This is a public Meeting and everyone is warmly welcome to take part.”
‘Five minutes quiet and Advices & queries 3 and 9 were read. Another five minutes and we stood to sing “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind” by John Greenleaf Whittier. Another five minutes quiet and the Quaker STEPS were stated: Simplicity, Truth, Equality, Peace and Sustainability followed by the reading of 20.27, on Simplicity, from Quaker faith & practice.
‘We then started the main silence hoping for several to speak. We heard: “Having been a life long pacifist and ardent peace worker going on marches, demonstrations, vigils and protests I’d like to sing ‘O Bother Man’, a hymn that speaks to my condition.” This second of Whittier’s hymns was sung solo.
‘A closing prayer was offered: “We give thanks, today, for being able to share our Quaker worship in this Guild Chapel. Being acutely aware of the suffering of the Syrian people we pray that our world leaders may be guided into peaceful solutions enabling the millions of refugees to return to their home land. We pray that, as trustees of this world, we may find ways to live simply and sustainably showing a love for all who share it with us. We ask it through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
‘Hands were shaken and we found our three visitors had left before the end so we’ll never know what they thought of it.’
