Patronal Festival Report - St Aidans

St Aidan’s, Carlisle
Patron saint: St Aidan
Festival date: 31 August

St Aidan’s Patronal Festival was transformed into a memorable celebration thanks to the grant and the addition of professional musicians. With no resident choir and the churchwarden normally playing the organ, the parish was delighted to welcome Hannah Ord as Musical Director and David T. Shingler as organist. They assembled an excellent choir drawn from groups including the Wordsworth Singers and Carlisle Cathedral Lay Clerks.

Invitations and social media promotion helped secure a congregation of more than sixty. The service opened with the introit Cuthbert’s Vision at Lauderdale, sung from the back of the church and accompanied on Celtic harp. Wood’s Evening Service in E flat No. 2 and Harwood’s An Antiphon for the Feast of All Saints were performed with real assurance, supported by David’s expressive use of the organ. The Mayor of Carlisle read the Old Testament lesson, and the Priest-in-Charge preached, with the Lay Reader acting as cantor. Bach’s BWV 545 provided a rousing conclusion before guests enjoyed a buffet prepared by the local Hospice catering team.

Many in the congregation were experiencing Choral Evensong for the first time and spoke with enthusiasm about the beauty and power of the worship. The festival was a striking success and a source of great encouragement to the parish.