St Andrew Schools Cantata

‘St Andrew introduced Peter, the Greek visitors,
and the little boy with loaves & fishes,
to your Son, Jesus Christ.
May we be like him in sharing friendship and hospitality,
and in faithfulness to Jesus
and his Kingdom of justice, love & peace.
May our country be a community in
which everyone matters, everyone has an honoured place,
and the dignity of each is assured
by our faith in you as Father of all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
AMEN’

There was a capacity gathering in St Mungo’s, Townhead on Tuesday 15^th November, marking a growing awareness that St Andrew has had a long historic connection with Scotland, and that his feast day, November 30^th, is an occasion for celebrating our country and, for many of us, for praying for its well being.

Congratulations to some 20 Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire schools for their part in the St Andrew event, when almost 700 children celebrated the life and influence of St Andrew and prayed for the well-being of the country.

The ‘welcome’ was given in English and in Russian (St Andrew is their patron too), and the thanks at the end was in Irish Gaelic and English.

The event opened with a parade of Scottish saints (St Monica’s, Milton), a St Andrew Tableau (Broomhill Primary), and a display of famous Scots (John Paul 2^nd Primary), as banners were carried down and the children sang the traditional hymn: ‘When Christ our Lord to Andrew cried’. The scriptures were placed on the reading desk, and the accompanying prayer pointed out that they contained the dreams and hopes of God’s people.

The banners and large posters and the presence of ‘saints’ and the ‘tableau’ on the sanctuary helped to create a warm and colourful atmosphere.

There was a reading from the Lorimer Scots translation of the Bible as well as the more customary English version. Gerry Fitzpatrick’s Cantata, St Andrew, was resoundingly sung, being led by Our Lady of the Missions Primary from Eastwood and St Rose of Lima Primary, Craigend (which recorded the Cantata for the web several years ago).

The psalm, sung by Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary, was Mary Dickie’s setting of Psalm 18, ‘Their voice has gone through all the earth; the word of the Lord is heard.’

There was a little drama scene from Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School which was introduced by Noel Donnelly, in true bardic form, playing a gentle air on the Clarsach.

There were a number of intercessions for the well-being of the country and its people, and they naturally concluded with the Lord’s Prayer being sung.

The flags were generously donated through Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s office.

There were two sets of dancers from St Ninian’s Primary and from St Martha’s with St Kevin’s whose skill and joy prompted the assembled children to accompany them by clapping in time and by waving of hundreds of Scottish flags.

A donation was given to the St Andrew’s Hospice whose representative spoke warmly in appreciation of the children’s generosity. The Education Department representative, Isobel Taggart, in her well chosen words, noted how well such an enterprise fitted into ‘the Curriculum for Excellence’.

The celebration was sponsored by Glasgow Churches Together and buses for the schools were subsidised by the Educational and Marshall Trust.

Before the Blessing (from the Book of Numbers) by Archbishop Conti and the Rev Alan Anderson, Glasgow leader of the Methodists, Dean Tyrrell, a piper from the Glasgow Gaelic School, delighted the children with his rendition of Amazing Grace, and the celebration ended with Stephen E Smyth’s hymn set to Highland Cathedral.

Fr James Andrew and the parish community at St Mungo’s, Townhead, excelled themselves with their custsomary hospitality – some things never change!

As the children left the church they were each given a recently designed bookmark (Croftfoot Primary and Lomond School) featuring St Andrew and a prayer for the country.

The singing was supported by a small ensemble of organ, Flutes, Clarinet, Horn and guitars, and the conductor was Mrs Maria Shields.

The booklet for the St Andrew celebration can be seen in the Sheet music file below, and St Rose of Lima Primary can be heard singing the Cantata in the Audio file…