Patronal Festival Report - St Mary, BIshops Frome

St Mary the Virgin, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire
Patron saint: The Blessed Virgin Mary
Festival date: 1 June

St Mary the Virgin held a well-attended Festal Evensong for the Visitation, supported by a grant that enabled the parish to invite members of the Cambrian Singers. Directed by Stephen Yeo and accompanied by Paul Trepte, the choir included local professional musicians who offered a polished and expressive performance. The music featured Parsons’s Ave Maria, Maxim’s Responses, Murrill in E and Mathias’s Lift up your heads.

Sixty-eight people attended, many of them visitors rather than regular worshippers, and the service was warmly received. Father Steven Baggs hosted the liturgy, which was followed by a convivial lasagne supper in the village centre, with dishes prepared and partly donated by parishioners. The evening was a real success, and the parish expressed sincere thanks for the support that made it possible.