Swiss Church in London Eglise suisse de Londres Schweizerkirche in London Chiesa Svizzera a Londra Baselgia svizra a Londra Spring 2014 This was my project: to write about the transition from polytheism to monotheism in the early stages of our religion, and the traces that this change of mind left in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, God says: “Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad.” (Gen 3:22) Who is ‘us’? Who is Jahweh’s female counterpart, Asherah, who appears in a number of ancient sources? And why do some theologians say that Christianity in its heart is not actually a monotheistic religion, but a religion with three Gods? It is a fascinating question worth exploring, and I was ready to go and do some research for this article. But then, Ben Hur crossed my plans. There is this famous film scene of Ben Hur standing on his horse chariot, holding the reins strongly and confidently in his hands. Ben Hur became a champion charioteer and raced to fame in the Circus Maximus in Rome. It is a simple and yet so obvious analogy with life: In this edition From the Glass Box 24 New Faces 5 Spiritual Life at the Church 6 THEOlogical 7 People from our community 8 Art Exhibition 8 Music @ The Swiss Church 9 Fondue & Ballet 10 Announcements 11 Dear Reader, Dear brothers and sisters, I love living in London, even tube strikes cannot break my enthusiasm for this creative and multifaceted place. During the strike in February, London looked like an ant hill that has been poked with a stick! Moving over ground I have seen so many things that I usually miss out on. I love living in London and working in Covent Garden and I want to share my passion with as many people as possible. Therefore, it is always a great pleasure to welcome visitors from Switzerland. From 7-13 April, twenty confirmation students from St Gallen will come to London to discover the religious variety in the metropolis. We will visit different places of worship such as Mosques and Synagogues, Hindu and Sikh Temples. If you would like to join us on these visits, please drop us an email and we can send you the programme. The confirmation class will also hold a Christening service with lunch at the Swiss Church on Wednesday 9 April. Everyone is warmly welcome to join this weekday service and meet the young visitors from Switzerland. Enjoy reading this Swiss Church News! Blessings, Rev. Carla Maurer Editorial Swiss Church News (continued on page ) THEOlogical: Ben Hur’s intervention L’arbre de Pâques - Ostereierbaum
Transcript
Swiss Church in LondonEglise suisse de LondresSchweizerkirche in LondonChiesa Svizzera a LondraBaselgia svizra a LondraSpring 2014
This was my project: to write about the transition from polytheism to monotheism in the early stages of our religion, and the traces that this change of mind left in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, God says: “Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad.” (Gen 3:22) Who is ‘us’? Who is Jahweh’s female counterpart, Asherah, who appears in a number of ancient sources? And why do some theologians say that Christianity in its heart is not actually a monotheistic religion, but a religion with three Gods? It is a fascinating question worth exploring, and I was ready to go and do some research for this article.
But then, Ben Hur crossed my plans. There is this famous film scene of Ben
Hur standing on his horse chariot, holding the reins strongly and confidently in his hands. Ben Hur became a champion charioteer and raced to fame in the Circus Maximus in Rome. It is a simple and yet so obvious analogy with life:
I love living in London, even tube strikes cannot break my enthusiasm for this creative and multifaceted place. During the strike in February, London looked like an ant hill that has been poked with a stick! Moving over ground I have seen so many things that I usually miss out on. I love living in London and working in Covent Garden and I want to share my passion with as many people as possible.
Therefore, it is always a great pleasure to welcome visitors from Switzerland. From 7-13 April, twenty confirmation students from St Gallen will come to London to discover the religious variety in the metropolis. We will visit different places of worship such as Mosques and Synagogues, Hindu and Sikh Temples. If you would like to join us on these visits, please drop us an email and we can send you the programme.
The confirmation class will also hold a Christening service with lunch at the Swiss Church on Wednesday 9 April. Everyone is warmly welcome to join this weekday service and meet the young visitors from Switzerland.
Enjoy reading this Swiss Church News!
Blessings,
Rev. Carla Maurer
Editorial
Swiss Church News
(continued on page �)
THEOlogical: Ben Hur’s intervention
L’arbre de Pâques - Ostereierbaum
The vicarage now has a new hob! This means that Julian and I will be able to cater more com��fortably for friends and members of the Swiss Church in the
future. The fundraising for this hob was rather spectacular. On the 15th of Novem��ber, the band My Glass World (featuring Peter Yardley��Jones at the organ and the minister as a background singer) played a gig at the Swiss Church which saw 120 people attending. A colourful light show created a stunning atmosphere in the church hall which was truly inspiring. The band leader who happened to be the founder of the kitchen business ‘Round��house’, agreed to exchange a new hob for the free use of the hall. Thanks, Jamie!
Also truly inspiring as well as busy were the many events in the run up to Christ��mas. I particularly enjoyed the service with soprano Olivia Doutney on the first Sunday of Advent. Olivia’s choice of mu��sic made me re��discover the visit of Mary with Elizabeth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke and I realised how much meaning there is in the simple words ‘Ave Maria’.
The dialogue between the written and the sung word gave this service a whole new dimension. I hope that we will hear Oliv��ia’s wonderful voice again soon in one of our services. Only one week later, ‘Dieci Voices’ gave a wonderful performance of Christmas Carols with more enchanting voices filling our church hall.
The Christmas Eve service in a familiar atmosphere was a peaceful moment of re��flection which was completed with a visit to the pub afterwards. My father Hermann accompanied Peter on the violin, and it was a wonderful start to the Christmas days together with new and old members of the congregation. The vicarage was quite busy on Christmas and Boxing Day with my family travelling to London from Germany and Switzerland. Two long ta��bles were just about enough to fit fifteen people around the roast turkey.
It was not only an intense season in a spir��itual sense, but also in a physical sense, as Nicky and I started to join the ballroom dance classes that take place at the church every Tuesday night. The dance classes with Vera la Diva are great fun and to��gether with a group of other beginners we are quickly improving our Waltz, Tango and Quick Steps, hovering over the dance floor. It is a pleasure to see people enjoy��ing the church hall – and well, wonder��ing that the local minister has got some rhythm in her feet.
I am delighted to announce that we will soon welcome a new member of staff at the Swiss Church. Matthew Stone has been selected as community worker. Matt’s outstanding ability to build rela��tionships and his experience to work with volunteers and reaching out to people will make the Swiss Church an ever more welcoming and vivid place in Covent
Garden. At the same time, it is sad that we have to say goodbye to our very talented office admin��istrator Nicky Bischof, who did not just keep the office in order, but also helped me a great deal during this transitional period by running prayer meetings, engaging with church projects and visitors, and by making sure that I am not losing the overview in my first year as minister. I have no doubt that Nicky’s various talents and people skills will get her far. Tante buone cose a Roma, cara Nicky! Ci vediamo!
Rev. Carla Maurer
From the Glass BoxNews from the Consistoire
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News from the Minister
ImprintPublisherThe Swiss Church in London79 Endell StreetLondon WC2H 9DYA company limited by Guarantee registered in England & Wales, no 4454591. A registered Charity no 1094992.
Websitewww.swisschurchlondon.org.ukYou can download the latest Swiss Church News on our website.
Deadline for the nextSwiss Church News 15 April 2013
My Glass World
My last news ended with a message of good wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Looking back we did have some wonderful
and memorable celebrations which our Minister planned and organised for us during December. The Carol Concert was enjoyed by a large congregation, and the Family Service also attracted many members, friends and children, some taking an active part. We are grateful to the volunteers who helped with preparations and catering for the friendly gathering after these events. I liked the idea of the Christmas Eve service which Carla Maurer arranged and was sorry I had to miss it. Instead I celebrated Midnight Mass and a traditional Christmas Day service of Lessons and Carols on board a ship sailing in tropical waters.
A new year has unfolded with a new chapter bringing hope and challenges for the future. The final version of the Concept and Business Plan, which we were required to produce for the Commission of the Swiss Churches Abroad (CHKiA), to outline our approach in order to achieve financial sustainability once the financial support from the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches comes to an end, has been completed and submitted by the deadline of 31 January 2014. All our efforts have been dedicated to determining a new vision and mission and the financial sustainability. The deliberations and discussions took up many hours in Consistoire and other meetings. I would like to take this opportunity of expressing our thanks to the consultants,
Anita Kerwin��Nye and Matt Overd, who diligently took on the enormous task of researching, interviewing and compiling the facts for the production of this document in observance of the strict deadlines we were given. I would also like to pay special tributes of thanks to Suzanne Egloff who led the BCP sub��committee in a professional and expert way, Carla Maurer who contributed some very valuable ideas and projects, and also Yvon Tse who assisted with the financial part. We are also grateful to the individuals and groups who took part in the interviews and sent in their ideas. Anita Kerwin��Nye and team will present the inner��workings of the Business Concept Plan and next steps in an open forum discussion to the congregation after the service on 16 March.
Having completed the strategic business plan for the Swiss Church in London, the Consistoire and Minister are encouraged by the findings. We now have a roadmap in place of the steps necessary to achieve financial sustainability of the church as an independent entity under a renewed vision/mission. We have also identified the requisite building blocks required for a phased implementation and plan to execute upon these priorities in a clearly delineated manner. We much hope that we can count on the support of our parishioners and friends for the various fundraising efforts we have to envisage and any practical help they can give. Although we are opening our Church to wider communities we shall always carefully guard our Swiss identity and endeavour to make more contacts with churches and parishes in Switzerland. It is good to see that some are already supporting us with donations.
I am pleased to announce that Gregory Allegro has joined the Consistoire and
been appointed as Treasurer at our meeting held on 22 January. He has taken on a very important and exacting position and we wish him a successful and fulfilling term of office. Gregory hails from the Canton of Valais. He studied business and economics at the faculty of business and economics of the University of Lausanne and has also obtained a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) diploma. He and his wife Melanie have been living in London since October 2012.
Sadly, Nicky Bischof, our reliable office administrator, will be leaving us at Easter this year. We shall all miss her efficient work and service which she has given in such a friendly, cheerful and helpful manner. She willingly stepped in to take on additional duties to help Carla with the administration and organisation of some parish activities and church events.
As for myself, I have decided to retire from the Consistoire and relinquish my duties as Vice��President and Company Secretary at this year’s AGM. I have served as a Trustee of the Swiss Church for 10 years and worked on committees of other Swiss societies and organisations for some 25 years. I feel that the time has now come to pass on duties and responsibilities to younger people on our Consistoire who, together with our Minister, will be capable of leading the Church into a challenging new future.
Rose-Marie BreitensteinVice-President
3 Swiss Church News
From the Glass BoxNews from the Consistoire
5 Swiss Church News 4 Swiss Church News
From the Glass BoxNews from the Office
It was Carla’s and my first Christ��mas to organise, and it has kept us busy, but we were rewarded with some won��derful moments at the Sit in Silence
and our other Christmas services. Before Christmas, we had a lovely outing with some Au Pairs to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Queues were long on a Sat��urday afternoon but we managed to get in quickly. We enjoyed all the stalls and the much needed hot chocolate. And funnily enough, we all ended up eating German Bratwürste in one of the Bavarian huts before ending the evening in a pub. Our neighbouring church, the Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, organised a Christmas Fair in December and asked if we would like to hold a stall. As we did not have our own Christmas Fair, it was a welcome opportunity for us to be present at a neighbourhood event and raise some funds for our church. Thanks to the hard work of some generous volunteers, we were able to sell lots of home��made bis��cuits, Christmas cards, some Butterzöpfe
(white plaited bread) and even a Christ��mas cake. On the day, Cecile Mistry, Silvia Greenfield and I were present and made some efforts to decorate the stall. The most snazzy and best decorated stall was to win a prize so we put up some Swiss Flags, fake snow and a Fondue set and won 2nd prize. On the same day we were able to watch the Santacon parade, where hundreds of people dressed up as Santa, and walked through the streets of London from St Pauls Cathedral to Tra��falgar Square. It was a unique sight!
The November concert was a Jazz im��provisation by the saxophonist Urs Le��imgruber. It was a challenging insight into Jazz improvisation and Urs produced
some most extraor��dinary sounds. Dieci Voices who sang for the Carol Concert were absolutely fantastic and the audience was very delighted and have already asked if they would come and sing again. We hope to or��ganise another concert with the eight singers this year. Recorders were the central part in our January concert,
when the ensemble Consortium5 brought along with them a mas��sive variety of record��ers, some of them up to six feet in height! Listeners enjoyed a beautiful variety of ba��roque, renaissance and contemporary music on this rare instrument which is seldom heard in concerts.
And this, sadly, is my last report for the Swiss Church as I have decided to turn my dream of living in Italy for a while, into reality. At the end of April, I will do a two months stay in Italy to study and practice Italian. I will come back to Lon��don afterwards and will definitely see you around at concerts and other events. Most of all, I would like to say thank you for all the amazing moments I have been able to experience here. It was such a varied job and no two days were ever the same, and it is all the people that have always made we feel welcome with their smiles, words and laughter. A huge thank you goes to Carla who is very inspiring and exciting to work with, and also to Peter who is al��ways around with ideas and shows me the latest computer tricks. I would also like to thank Yvon, for his patience and expert advice in bookkeeping which was very much appreciated, and the whole Consis��toire for being so supportive.
Ci vediamo!
Nicky (Nicole) Bischof
Consoritum5
Winter Wonderland with Au Pairs
5 Swiss Church News 4 Swiss Church News
Johannes Reich
New Faces in the Consistoire
On the first Sunday after our move to London in March 2013, Rebekka and I, together with our three children Jonathan, Aaron and Elliot, attended the service at the Swiss Church. We immediately felt welcome and over the last year, the regular attendance of the Sunday serv��ices has become a cherished part of our family life. Christian faith in its Protes��tant tradition and the critical examination thereof have informed my life since my early childhood. Not only was my late father the minister of a small parish of the Established Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich but my mother gradu��ated in Theology as well. It is, therefore,
an honour to serve as a member of the Consistoire in order to maintain, renew and expand the Swiss Church in London as the spiritual home of this wonderful community of ours. I understand that this time of transition provides our commu��nity not only with opportunities but also with challenges. Yet, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7; King James Version). Regarding my professional background, I work as an Assistant Professor at the University of Zurich Faculty of Law where I teach Con��stitutional and Administrative Law.
Gregory AllegroAfter living for one and a half years in London, I felt the need to get involved in a local society, with the aim of sharing moments of friendship, and giving part of my free time for the benefit of a commu��nity. So quite naturally I accepted the in��vitation from the Consistoire to take over the role of Treasurer of the Swiss Church in London, from the beginning of the year 2014.
My wife Melanie and I arrived in London in October 2012, following a business opportunity that was given by my em��ployer Edmond de Rothschild, for which I worked for four years in Geneva in the finance area, specifically in Asset Man��agement. After settling in, we wanted to become integrated, but also to share with some people the strong relationship we
have with our native country, Switzerland. The Swiss Church was the ideal commu��nity to meet Swiss people and to cultivate our spirituality in a peaceful location in the heart of the hectic city of London.
Personally I have always been active in local societies in my canton of origin, the Valais. I was a trombonist in a brass band for nearly fifteen years, and I was also a pianist for ten years in the “Oundikwe” choir, which I co��founded with some friends and in which I was head of the music committee and also accounts au��ditor. Now I am pleased to actively par��ticipate in the development of the Swiss Church’s new projects, and I hope to meet you soon, either after a service or any ac��tivity organised by the Swiss Church.
Suzanne Egloff, Anita Kerwin/Nye and Matt Overd together with the Consistoire warmly invite you to the presentation of the new Business Concept Plan on 16th March
2014 after the service.
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Impressions from ‘Sit in Silence’Time for contemplation
Easter is the most important Christian fes��tival of the year. We celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross and ap��peared to his friends and disciples three days later. At Easter we celebrate life over death, light over darkness and we
are reassured that there is hope, even in the most desperate hours. This Easter at the Swiss Church we are not only going to hear about Easter, but we are going to have the opportunity to experience the way from darkness to light throughout the night on 19/20 April 2014.
Together with a group of volunteers, the Swiss Church team is planning an over��night Easter vigil for the first time, start��ing with a performance of Bach’s St John Passion on Saturday evening. A vigil, which is a period of purposeful sleepless��ness, still is a tradition in many cultures when someone has died. From Saturday night until the traditional Easter service on Sunday morning, we will be at the church for 16 hours, praying, being si��lent, sharing food, singing, reading and lighting the Easter fire in the early morn��
ing hours. We will experience Easter in a whole new way. Everyone is welcome to join the whole event or to drop in and out for parts of it. This unforgettable over��night experience in our beautiful church will be a unique event for us as a com��munity. A more detailed programme of events will be published on our website closer to the date.
“God has written the promise of the res-urrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.” (Martin Luther)
If you wish to join the planning group, please contact Nicky: info@swiss��churchlondon.org.uk .
We need to raise £1000 to run this event. Your contribution will be most welcome.
Inspired by the idea of the ‘Pop Up Mon��astery 2015’ organised by the Ecumeni��cal Forum of European Christian Women (EFECW), the Swiss Church will run a Pop Up Monastery Day on the 10th May where you will be given the opportunity to join in with a contemplative rhythm of prayer, readings, silence and hymns. The day will be organised in cooperation with the UK branch of the EFECW. Men and women are equally invited. There will be a prayer room for women only in the Gal��lery.
If you wish to help in organising the Pop Up Monastery Day, please get in touch with us!
Easter Night at the Swiss Church
Monastic Day in May
Easter Vigil concept
‘Sit in Silence’ before Christmas
7 Swiss Church News 6 Swiss Church News 7 Swiss Church News
standing steadfast on our chariot, we are holding the reins to control the spirited horses that pull us forward. But the tension on the reins can grow too high. It is a feeling we are all familiar with. We know what can happen if we ignore this tension: we might fall and hurt ourselves badly. Human beings are creative and caring beings, embedded in a society with certain expectations and rules – our own and those of others – and therefore there are so many horses that pull us: new plans and projects that we want to realise, the care for our friends and families in good and in bad times, the pressure of society that we should have certain things and behave in a certain way, the constant worry about our future and about money. Holding all these strings, we could easily have the impression that the chariot would collapse below us if we let them go. This leads us to holding them even tighter and set ever higher goals to compete with the other charioteers. When I set myself the goal to write an article on a complex theological issue, that is exactly what happened: the tension grew too great.
There is a Zen saying that says: You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re too busy. Then you
should sit for one hour. Whatever we call it, praying, meditating, resting, taking time off, letting go, we cannot find the strength to stand upright on our chariot if we do not let the reins slide from time to time. After a long period of creative production, God took a day off. “On the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and rested on the seventh day from all the work. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that she had done in creation.” (Gen 2:2��3) The Prophet Ezekiel, when he received his first visions, was called by God to go to the desert: “Rise up, go out into the valley, and there I will speak to you.” (Ez 3:22) Also Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he remained for forty days, struggling with the ‘evil’.
The tension on the reins of my chariot led me to think about Ben Hur and what would happen if I let go. There were two images that came to my mind: I would either flap away high into the sky, or the horses would slow down and lapse into a leisurely trot. I liked both images, and therefore decided to leave the researches about Judeo��Christian polytheism for now and enjoy the ride. It is not easy to
follow the Spirit when we are called to go into the valley and to follow God’s example to take a day off. Letting go is scary. What holds us back is the fear that we would fall behind in the race and that we would lose control. What might be true for a sports race is often not true for our lives – quite the opposite: By letting go the reins, we literally give way for what is not in our hands. We give way for the Holy Spirit to act. The Bible begins with this very image: “In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the waters. Then God commanded, ‘Let there be light’ – and light appeared.” (Gen 1:1) This is one of the biggest challenges in our busy lives: to let the reins go and let the Spirit blow…
Rev. Carla Maurer
THEOlogicalBen Hur
Ben Hur
8 Swiss Church News
People from our communityRichard Reich
Art Exhibition
In this category we want give people who are associated with our church a voice. Richard Reich is a Swiss writer who was in London for six months with a Landis&Gyr scholarship. He returned to Switzerland end of January.
Praise of the imperfectWhen I started to work with the staff of a Swiss newspaper some 100 years ago, people told me: Do not missppell any words! Be capable to put, each, Coma, at, its, right, place! Never, never use the same expression twice in the same same sentence! And, so, on… In short, I was taught to use my German mother tongue, when writing, like a knight is using his sword: always on the point of killing somebody.
When I came to London, I had in my suit��case and in my mind a project: a very long novel. Now, six months later, I just left my manuscript in one of these pink recycling bags which are official in Tower Hamlets. It was too perfect, too nicely done. It was
a construction, not a narration. It did not flow… Some disaster for me, of course. But at the same time perhaps a milestone on my way towards… imperfection?
During these months I quite often came to Swiss Church. I attended some Sunday services, but more often Prayer & Pub or lately Sit in Silence. I do like the spir��itual impact of these small events. And even more I like their relaxed, self��confi��dent imperfection. They are not meant to save the world (or the worldwide protes��tant church from losing its members and significance). They are just an idea. Let’s give it a try! Let’s see, what’s going to happen…
Richard Reich
In corporation with the MFA Curating at Goldsmiths College, the Swiss Church offers a competition to curate an exhibi-tion at the end of February. This year the Arts committee received six applications and we are happy to announce Adrienne Groen with her project “instead to meet strangers who might change our minds” as the winner. Congratulations!
The Swiss Church gave me the opportu��nity not only to work as a solo curator for the first time, but also to work closely with one artist. I see the site��specific installa��tion from Dorine van Meel as a perfect fit, taking into account the church space, its visitors, aiming to integrate the art into the existing architecture, and creating an experience that at first might feel out of place but is actually at home.
I have only been living in London since last September. I used to live in Amster��dam where I received a bachelor and a master degree in Art History, specialising in Modern and Contemporary Art. Dur��ing my bachelor, I got the chance to work as assistant curator on the exhibition God
Save the Queen: Art, Squatting, Punk 1977 – 1984, focussing on an era I have always been interested in despite not be��ing born in that time (I was born in 1988). This then led to an opportunity to work on a retrospective of the work of film di��rector Stanley Kubrick. Both experiences could not have been more different, but they led me from my art historical back��ground and into a more practical interest in curating.
I am very excited to open this exhibi��tion and it would be great to see you at the Opening on Thursday 27 February at 6.30pm.
Adrienne Groen
Thursday 27th February 2014, 6.30pm
9 Swiss Church News
Music & Art @ the Swiss ChurchForthcoming Events
Music @ the Swiss ChurchSixty minutes of music and a glass of wine with the opportunity to meet the musicians after the concert.
Tickets are available at the door. Booking by phone: (020) 7836 1418 or by email: [email protected]: £10, concessions £8. Four free tickets are offered to St Mungo’s Residents.
Thursday 27 February 2014, 6.30pmOpening Art Exhibition...instead to meet strangers who might change our minds presents a site specific installation by artist Dorine van Meel that makes use of both the architectural setting and her own experiences within a church, where she recalls her memories of youth and reinstates them through layers of sound and light. The installation can be read on a number of levels, with van Meel harnessing the familiar features that would be commonplace inside such a space.
Thursday 27 March 2014, 7.30pm Richard Burkhard & Edward RushtonRichard and Edward met in Glasgow in 1994 while both were studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Since then they have enjoyed working to��gether at irregular intervals, highlights of their musical friendship being Richard’s creation of the role of Oliver in the Opera Group’s production of Edward’s opera “The Shops”, the first performance of Edward’s song��cycle “To Bed”, dedicated to Richard, in Leeds in 2011, and their performance of Frank Martin’s Jedermann��Monologe at the Ruhr Klavierfestival in 2007, on the invitation of Irwin Gage.
Thursday 24 April 2014, 7.30pmBeatrice Voellmy & Alexander SeidelAlexander is a German Countertenor, conductor and chorus master. Beatrice is a Soprano and began her musician education on the violin and studied singing at the Music Academy in Basel.Beatrice Voellmy and Alexander Seidel have been working together for the last four years. Both have shared many different performances to��gether. Productions like „Amote & Gelosia“, “Handel in Rome“ or „Schütz��Festival“ have been highlighted their common work.
Thursday 29 May 2014, 7.30pmDieci VoicesProfessional vocal ensemble, Dieci Voices is a dynamic and exciting group of young professional singers. Made up of London’s finest young voices, they have performed throughout the country since 2004, and have been praised for their unique sound and vibrant performances. Dieci performs a wide��ranging repertoire and sing a varied and interesting programme from Renaissance Sacred music through to close har��mony arrangements of popular classics.
10 Swiss Church News
Fondue Night
The Fondue Night on Thursday 13 February was fully booked with 50 guests and was a great success. A very enjoyable evening with a lovely atmosphere. Guests were treated to delicious cheese fon��due and were entertained with a challenging Pub Quiz about Swit��zerland, with prizes to be won. To srtart the evening off, Peter Yardley��Jones played the Swiss National Anthem on the organ. We would like to thank our spon��sors Emmi, Swiss Bread LLC, The Embassy of Switzerland and of course the volunteer team who helped us in running the event.
Choreography: Symeon Kyriakopoulos
“Exodus “ is the story of a young girl destined to become a ballerina. Deceived by parental and societal biases, the young ballerina is expected to play the princess part in society and on stage. Until one day, when her spirit is kindled and the inner warrior qualities awaken. Her teacher, who was a secret marshal of “The 8th Spiral Balleternal Regiment”, identifies the young ballerina as a potential warrior and she initiates her to “The Code of Ballethical Existence”. The heroine discovers that her ballet technique has secret applications. But will she follow her inner calling or will she play society’s role? The universal struggle of the individuation process will be deeply challenged. Join us, in a dance evening of mythological adventure into the secret world of ballet warriors.
Friday 28 March 2014, 7.30pmSaturday 29 March 2014, 7.30pmTicket sales will open in March via www.wegottickets.comFollow us on twitter @crosswordballet
Ballet at the Swiss ChurchA project by Symeon KyriakopoulosWe congratulate Symeon on his successful application for funding with the Arts Council England. Symeon is a volunteer at our church and we support him with his dance project Exodus: a new code, a new world. The aim of it is to raise sufficient funds so that he can start his own dance company, The Crossword Ballet.
11 Swiss Church News
Obituary Notice Rosmarie Mohandas-Peter † 3 February 2014
Announcements
On 18 December 2013, Nicole Jakubowitz, our former youth and par��ish worker, was delivered of a baby boy, Benjamin Robert Clive, in the Lindenhofspital in Berne. Nicole, partner Andrew, and baby Benjamin,
have now returned to live in the UK.
Birth Congratulations
Our Consistoire member Antoni von Planta and his partner Elisa, have become proud parents, and announce with great joy and gratitude,
the birth of a baby daughter, Eleonora Isabel Anna��Maria, born in London on 1 December 2013.
We were sorry to learn of the death of Rosmarie Mohandas��Peter, who passed away peacefully on 3rd February 2014. She is sadly missed by her son, René Mohandas, and all her family and friends.
The Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday 1 June after the service.
Twitter: @SwissChurchLond & @SwissRevLondonCarla Maurer’s blog http://swissvicarlondon.blogspot.co.uk
Registered charity No. 1094992
We welcome donations by standing order. If you are a UK taxpayer, please fill in a gift aid declaration form.
John 3:16-1�
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge
the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”
May the God who shakes heaven and earth,whom death could not contain,
who lives to disturb and heal us,bless you with power to go forth
