Cantabile Jersey

20/04/2026

29/01/2026

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina- Brittanica gives us a bit of an insight into this early composer.

His music will form part of our very beautiful Compline Service on the 10th Feb 2026 at 9pm in St Mary's Church.

Palestrina was born in a small town where his ancestors are thought to have lived for generations, but as a child he was taken to nearby Rome. In 1537 he was one of the choirboys at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he also studied music between 1537 and 1539. In 1544 Palestrina was engaged as organist and singer in the cathedral of his native town. His duties included playing the organ, helping with the choir, and teaching music. His pay was that of a canon and would have been received in money and kind. His prowess at the church there attracted the attention of the bishop, Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, who later became Pope Julius III.

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Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Italian Renaissance composer of more than 105 masses and 250 motets, a master of contrapuntal composition. His works were especially noted for their variety of form and type. Learn more about Palestrina’s life, music, and legacy.

22/01/2026

The Night Prayer by Lucy Walker & music by Palestrina.

Both can be listened to at our Compline service 10th Feb 2026 9pm St Mary's Church.

15/01/2026

We are looking forward to our serene Compline service at St Mary's Church on the 10th Feb 2026 at 9pm.

This is the first service of 2026 for Cantabile and one we look forward to after the joyous energies of the festive season.

Using the up to the minute trend of AI we thought we would ask it what phrase would be suitable to sum-up a Compline service.

Here's what our AI quoted....

"The Compline service, also known as Night Prayer, offers numerous positive qualities and can be described using words such as peaceful, reflective, beautiful, contemplative, and soothing."

"It connects with an ancient tradition: The service has roots in early monastic practices (dating back to the 6th century) and provides a sense of connection to a timeless rhythm of prayer observed by Christians for centuries."

03/07/2025

Join us for our upcoming patronal festival this Sunday 6th July.

Did you know?
The only Martins who are considered saints by the Church of England are Martin Luther, Martin de Porres and our very own Martin of Tours.

01/07/2025

Join us for a St Martin's Patronal Festival on the 6th July at 6pm.
A Fabulous Choral Evensong and we even top if off with wine and nibbles afterwards!
Looking forward to seeing you all there.

25/06/2025

As you know the St Martin Church Patronal Festival is coming up on the 6th July.

Bit of interesting trivia....
"St Martin is the 20th most common dedication for churches in the Church of England" (Source Wikipedia)

I asked our very own Martin....
"Why was St Martin of Tours chosen as the patron saint of St Martin Parish Church?"

His reply:-
"It reflected the influence of Rome / the Roman Catholic Church, as the parishes were all named before the Reformation, so the particular reason has been lost in the mists of time.
St Clement, for example was the fourth Bishop of Rome and he was hugely popular back in the day, when the saints had the status of modern-day pop stars."

There you have it folks!
Looking forward to seeing you on the 6th July.😉

22/06/2025

Cantabile will be singing at a Choral Evensong to mark the Patronal Festival at St Martin's Church on the 6th July 2025.

According to legend, Martin of Tour was a soldier in the army of Constantine the Great serving in Gaul, near the French city of Amiens, in the fourth century. On a winter's day Martin encountered a poor beggar at the city gates and cut his military cloak in half to help shield the shivering man from the cold. The night after his act of charity, Martin had a vision that Christ came to him wearing the part of the cloak he had given to the beggar, saying: "What thou hast done for that poor man, thou hast done for me." Martin, who had converted to Christianity as a child but who had entered military service at his father's behest, then left the military to devote his life to the Christian faith.
Text abstracted from the National Gallery of Art website who has this painting in their collection, but is not on view.
It is by Jan Boeckhorst (painter) Flemish, born Germany, 1604 - 1668.
www.nga.gov

03/06/2025

Pentecost is also referred to as Whit Sunday (or Whitsun), especially in the north west, where traditional parades called Whit Walks take place, often featuring brass bands.

Credit goes to:- https://kidsofthe50sand60s.com/
Sheffield Star
Telegraph & Argus
https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/

26/05/2025

The Descent of the Holy Spirit
by Jacques Blanchard (1634)

Jacques Blanchard
Blanchard was 34 years old when he painted this canvas. Critics recognized his talent as a promising painter. From his journey to Italy, Blanchard learned from the Italian masters, skillfully incorporating the play of light across the different planes of the composition.

From https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/