Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 15 December 2007
Birth of Charles Wesley Celebrated
Tomorrow (Sunday) the tercentenary of the birth of Charles Wesley, the author of some of the greatest hymns in the English language, will be marked at Evensong in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, where the preacher will be the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Revd Roy Cooper.
Charles Wesley, like his more famous elder brother, John, was ordained in the Church of England but is remembered more as a leader of Methodism. His reputation as an evangelist, theologian and preacher has been overshadowed by his brother but in the field of hymn writing his reputation is peerless. Hymns such as Christ whose glory fills the skies, Forth in thy Name O Lord I go and Come thou long expected Jesus have for long been standards in Anglican hymnals while there have been few weddings which have not included the by now iconic Love divine all loves excelling. And, of course, at this time of year there will scarcely be a cathedral or parish church in the length and breadth of Ireland in which Hark the herald-angels sing will not be sung.
Yet for all that little is generally known about Charles Wesley but there will be an opportunity to easily learn more next Tuesday evening at 7.30 pm. As part of the Charles Wesley tercentenary celebrations, the Revd Dudley Levistone Cooney, President of the Old Dublin Society, will give a lecture on ‘The Underestimated Mr Wesley' in Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, where admission is free and all are welcome. Mr Levistone Cooney, who is the historian of Irish Methodism, has recently made a study of Wesley’s hymns.
Today (Saturday) in Dublin there will be a lunchtime recital in Christ Church Cathedral by Aisling Kenny a soprano lay vicar in the Cathedral Choir while in the evening at 8pm another former member of the Cathedral Choir, Eurovision Song Contest winner, Eimear Quinn, will give a concert as part of her current tour, ‘O Holy Night - A Cathedral Tour’ which has already seen her perform in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork. At 6pm in St Patrick’s Cathedral there will be a ‘Come and Sing’ Carol Concert with the Cathedral Choir in aid of the Coombe Hospital.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the Archbishop of Armagh will be in Hillsborough parish church, Co. Down, where he will preach and dedicate a new bell. Meanwhile in Armagh two new Honorary Clerical Vicars’ Choral, who have been appointed by Archbishop Harper, will be installed in St Patrick’s Cathedral at Evensong. They are Dr Eric Culbertson, Rector of Tullaniskin & Clonroe, and the Revd Joyce Moore, Curate in the Drogheda and Kilsaran group of parishes.
In St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, at 3.30 pm there will be a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at which the blessing will be given by the Bishop of Meath and Kildare. The Cathedral Choir, directed by Derek Verso, with organist Kerry Houston, will lead the singing. The Bishop of Tuam will attend the Galway Civic Carol Service in St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church at 4pm while the Archbishop of Dublin will be in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, for the Dublin Civic Carol Service at 7pm.
At 3.30pm in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, there will be a Carol Service with combined cathedral choirs for which no tickets are required. However, tickets are required for the Diocesan Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on Monday evening in Christ Church at 8pm.