Patronal Festival Report - St Mary's, Storrington

St Mary, Storrington
Patron saint: The Blessed Virgin Mary
Festival date: 10 August

St Mary’s marked its Patronal Festival with a well supported Choral Evensong, part of a day of celebrations honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary. The church’s choir, directed by Stephen Bloxham and joined by organists Stephen Bloxham and Ian Miles, sang Stanford’s Psalm 150 and his Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in C. Incense was offered during the Magnificat, giving the service a solemn and distinctive character. After the Third Collect the choir sang Jesu, joy of man’s desiring. More than fifty people attended, including visitors and those from other denominations.

A grant supported the drinks reception and publicity, helping draw a good congregation to an Evensong not sung in this form for many years. The evening concluded with a Festival of Puddings in keeping with Mary’s traditional association with fruit and herbs, raising funds for Mothers’ Union projects in the Diocese of Chichester. The Rector, the Revd Jonathan Swindells, expressed warm thanks to all who contributed to a memorable celebration of worship, community and generosity.