All Souls Choral Service: Tuesday 3rd Nov, 8.00pm

We will be marking the feast of All Souls with a contemplative choral service on the evening of Tuesday 3rd November. The service blends together readings, poetry and silence with beautiful choral music, including works by Bainton, Harris, Wesley and Joubert. 

To keep everyone as safe as possible, the service will be streamed live from church, and only available online via YouTube. We regret it will not be possible to allow congregation to attend the service in person at the church. 

The service will be available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqNvhZWJetI, and you are encouraged to join us from your homes, and to have a candle with you which you can light alongside the choir and officiant in the church, in commemoration of the departed.

The service begins at 8.00pm, and will last about an hour. We look forward to you joining us online.

Opening St Clement's Church

We're pleased to announce that St Clement's church building has reopened, with a few changes to our layout in order to adhere to careful social distancing and safety protocols. The church building is open on weekdays, 12 noon to 3pm for private prayer.

We're also delighted that some public worship is resuming in the church, with a short, spoken service of Matins and Holy Communion in the South Aisle on Wednesdays at 11am. Please do join us if you are able to, and are comfortable coming into the church.

Our 11am Sunday Mass continues to be celebrated via Zoom, please do see our website or previous news items for details of how to join us.

Motet: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace

This Sunday at our online Zoom Eucharist, the choir presented their next multi-track recording, singing Wesley's sublime anthem, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace". It's a great joy that even though the choir isn't able to meet in the same space to rehearse and sing, they are at least able to stay in touch and create music from their own homes for our congregation to share and enjoy.

Motet for Corpus Christi

Last Sunday at our online Zoom Eucharist, we celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi. To enhance our worship, the choir prepared their first ever multi-track recording, singing Byrd's beautiful setting of Ave Verum Corpus. Like many others, the choir can't wait to be back singing together in the same space, but for now we are pleased we are able to bring the singers together virtually for this performance. We hope you enjoy!

Stations of the Resurrection at St Clement's

We're pleased to share our "Stations of the Resurrection" this Eastertide at St Clement's. This is a companion to our Stations of the Cross which we released during Holy Week, and features a meditative reading of twelve 'Stations' telling of Jesus's resurrection, ascension, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The sequence incorporates scripture, alongside poetry by Malcolm Guite, read by parishioners of St Clement's Church, Cambridge. The readings are accompanied by images of both the modern world, and depictions of Jesus's actions after the resurrection. The sequence finishes with a recording of The Choir of St Clement's singing Thomas Morley's "I am the resurrection and the life", sung at St Clement's in November 2019.

Sermon by Fr John Summers - 17th May 2020

We offer our apologies to those who were unable to join last Sunday's service online via Zoom. We suffered a number of technical issues with the online platform, and were not the only church in the UK experiencing difficulties that morning.

For those who missed Fr John Summers' excellent sermon that morning, we are pleased to be able to offer it online on our YouTube channel (alongside recordings of past sermons and services). We hope you enjoy!

Stations of the Cross at St Clement's

For this year's Good Friday, we have prepared a meditative reading of Malcom Guite's sonnet sequence, "Stations". Read by the parishioners of St Clement's Church, to celebrate the restoration of its station panels by Peter Hilken. We hope these are helpful in your own private prayers and reflections this Triduum.

Please do join us this afternoon at 2.00pm for our reflective service "An hour by the Cross". We will be hosting this on Zoom at: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6200111351

Palm Sunday Eucharist available online

Unfortunately, a late change in Zoom's policies meant that not everyone was able to access this Sunday's online Eucharist for Palm Sunday. A recording of the service is now available to watch on our YouTube channel, including Bp Rowan's wonderful sermon reflecting on the Passion Gospel.

We apologise for the occasional loss of quality or poor audio in this video - we hope to have a more reliably recorded service next time around. Please do subscribe to our YouTube channel to revisit the latest services when they are uploaded.

Planned works to the churchyard

Whilst in this time of lock down, many 'usual' activities, services and gatherings have been paused or changed, some aspects of life at St Clement's wait for no one...

Before the pandemic took hold, we had submitted a request to the Diocese for a Faculty to improve and renew our churchyard. This is now in review by the Diocesan Advisory Committee, who have granted until 1st May 2020 for people to register any objections or complaints about our plans.

The plans are available to view on our website, and objections may be lodged via email with the Diocesan Registrar at: Ely.Registry@1thesanctuary.com.

Updated Zoom room details

Due to a change in Zoom's policy, we have had to update the link to access this morning's service. This is now available at:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6200111351?pwd=dHhvWE92c0VIQ1hobVJpRS8zQVdlQT09

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Holy Week 2020 at St Clement's

We hope you can join us online for our Holy Week services at St Clement's. These are available to access via Zoom at: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6200111351.

Our services are:

• Sunday 5th April, 11.00am, Sung Mass for Palm Sunday
• Thursday 9th April, 6.30pm, Low Mass for Maundy Thursday
• Friday 10th April, 2.00pm, "An hour by the Cross"
• Sunday 12th April, 11.00am, Sung Mass for Easter Day

On Good Friday, we will also be releasing a video for the Stations of the Cross you are welcome to use in your own prayers and reflections, featuring devotional images, scripture and poetry. Please check back here for more details.

Online worship at St Clement's

Due to the ongoing needs to contain the coronavirus epidemic, we are unfortunately unable to broadcast our services from St Clement's Church itself. However, we invite you to join our 'digital' congregation online, with our Sunday Eucharist celebrated at 11am. The service will be available via the Zoom platform, at https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6200111351, with the online meeting staying open for some time after the service to allow for conversation and social contact.

We do hope you can join us for our service, and we look forward to welcoming you to our online church.

Sunday 22nd March 2020: Sung Mass at St Clement's

We invite you to join in with our Communion, at a celebration of this Sunday morning's Sung Mass at St Clement's. With celebrant and preacher Fr Robert van de Weyer, and cantors from the Choir of St Clement's Church.

Please do follow our website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page to participate in new services when they are broadcast.

Worship at St Clement's

In line with Church of England and government policy, all public services and events at St Clement's are, regrettably, suspended until further notice.

However, this does not mean a lack of activity at St Clement's, and we hope to be able to support our community and congregation in many other ways in the coming weeks, and will keep you updated with news.

We will endeavour to keep the church open where possible, during the daytime, for private prayer and reflection. Prayer will continue at the church, with the Daily Offices of Morning Prayer, Ante-Communion and Evening Prayer spoken in the church. We invite you to join us in thoughts and words from wherever you may be at present, and you are welcome to get in touch with any requests for prayers in particular causes.

We will also continue to celebrate Sunday Mass at St Clement's. Though held in private, this service will be available to watch online shortly thereafter, and we will be posting details of how to take part in the service through the digital channel wherever you may be. We will be posting details of the latest videos and how to access them on our website and Facebook Page; do stay in touch.

Taizé service: Fri 13th March, 7.30pm - A Lenten healing service

Join us this Friday evening for a Lenten Taizé service of healing. This tranquil, candlelit service begins at 7.30pm, with chants, prayers, readings and silence, finishing with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. All are welcome, we hope to see you there!

Sat 29th Feb: Recital POSTPONED

We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen personal circumstances, this week’s recital by the Alauda Quartet will be postponed to later in 2020. We apologise for the short notice of this announcement, and for any inconvenience caused.

We look forward to welcoming you to next term’s series, beginning in late May / early June 2020.

Choral Eucharist for Ash Wednesday: 26th Feb, 7.30pm

We hope you can join us this Wednesday evening for a choral Eucharist as we celebrate Ash Wednesday. The choir will be singing Byrd's 4-part Mass setting, alongside Lassus' Super flumina Babilonys and a setting of Psalm 51.  All are welcome, and we hope to see you there.

Sat 22nd Feb: String Serenades with the St Clement's Players

This Saturday we're excited to see the return of the St Clement's Players to our recital series. They will be playing a strings-only programme of music by Mozart, Elgar and Grieg. The orchestra will also be joined by saxophonist Rob Burton in Glazunov's Saxophone Concerto. Rob is a student at the Royal Academy of Music, and in 2018 was Grand Finalist and Category Prize Winner of BBC's coveted Young Musician of the Year competition.

The recital begins at 1.00pm, and as ever entry to the recitals is free, with a retiring collection taken to support our performers, as well as to contribute to the ongoing Organ Redevelopment Fund. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Taizé service: Fri 14th February, 7.30pm "Dwelling on God's Love"

Join us this Friday evening for a themed Taizé service, "Dwelling on God's Love", as we gather together on the feast of St Valentine. This beautiful, candlelit service begins at 7.30pm, with chants, prayers, readings and silence. All are welcome, we hope to see you there!

Sat 15th Feb: Flute works by Debussy, Martinu and others (recital)

We're delighted to welcome back flautist Chloë Gamlin to our recital this Saturday. Chloë last performed at St Clement's as a soloist in a Mozart Flute Concerto, alongside the St Clement's Players. This time she is appearing with a solo flute programme of works by Martinu, Debussy, Woodall and Bizet. She will be accompanied by pianist Daniel Quigley.

The recital begins at 1.00pm, and as ever entry to the recitals is free, with a retiring collection taken to support our performers, as well as to contribute to the ongoing Organ Redevelopment Fund. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Sat 8th Feb: Erasmus Chamber Ensemble - Coffee Cantata (recital)

We're excited to be welcoming back the Erasmus Chamber Ensemble at this Saturday's Lunchtime Recital at St Clement's. They will be performing two chamber works, including Bach's witty "Coffee Cantata", one of his rarer secular works. The ensemble will be directed by Dan Tidhar from the harpsichord.

The recital begins at 1.00pm, and as ever entry to the recitals is free, with a retiring collection taken to support our performers, as well as to contribute to the ongoing Organ Redevelopment Fund. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

A Candlemas choral service: Sun 2nd Feb, 5.00pm

Please do join us this Sunday evening as we celebrate a choral service on the feast of Candlemas. This candlelit, contemplative service will feature Bible readings alongside poetry by TS Eliot, Malcolm Guite and Francis Quarles. The choir will sing anthems by Eccard, Lauridsen, Tavener, Tchaikovsky and Moore.

The service begins at 5.00pm, lasting about an hour. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Sat 1st Feb: "Hungarian Variations" (recital)

This Saturday we're pleased to welcome musical duo of Veronica Henderson and Ian de Massini. Their programme, Hungarian Variations, showcases arrangements of music by composers from, or inspired by, Hungary, including Martinu, Bartok, Seiber and Brahms. Their music is arranged for the unusual and exciting pairing of accordion and 'cello.

The recital begins at 1.00pm, and as ever entry to the recitals is free, with a retiring collection taken to support our performers, as well as to contribute to the ongoing Organ Redevelopment Fund. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Sat 25th Jan: "Our Planet" with The Cantabrigians (recital)

This Saturday we're delighted to welcome The Cantabrigians to our recital series for the first time. An exciting vocal ensemble of female voices, they will be presenting a programme "Our Planet", with music on themes of nature and the world. The recital forms part of the #andrewdownes70 series too, a number of concerts throughout 2020 celebrating the work of composer Andrew Downes in his 70th birthday year. The recital will include music by Purcell, Handel, Mendelssohn and Howells, and of course Andrew Downes himself.

The recital begins at 1.00pm, and as ever entry to the recitals is free, with a retiring collection taken to support our performers, as well as to contribute to the ongoing Organ Redevelopment Fund. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Sat 18th Jan: Brahms and Schumann clarinet works (recital)

We're delighted to open our first recital series of 2020 with clarinettist Tim Bossanyi presenting a programme of Brahms and Schumann, including the latter's Fantasiestücke Op. 73. He will be accompanied by pianist Cleo Loi, who will also be performing some of Brahms' Intermezzi for solo piano in the recital.

The recital begins at 1.00pm, and as ever entry to the recitals is free, with a retiring collection taken to support our performers, as well as to contribute to the ongoing Organ Redevelopment Fund. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Taizé Eucharist for Epiphany: Fri 10th Jan, 7.30pm

Join us this Friday evening as we celebrate a Taizé Eucharist in this seasons of Epiphany. This beautiful, candlelit service begins at 7.30pm, with chants, prayers, readings and silence. All are welcome, we hope to see you there!

Lunchtime Recitals at St Clement's: Winter 2020

Happy New Year to all! We're excited to announce our recital series for Winter 2020, beginning on Saturday 18th January at 1.00pm. We have a diverse programme for the term ahead, with returning favourites such as the St Clement's Players or the Erasmus Chamber Ensemble, alongside recital series debuts by soloists such as Tim Bossanyi (clarinet) and Chloë Gamlin (flute) and acclaimed ensembles including The Cantabrigians, and the London-based Alauda String Quartet.

Full details of each recital will be published on our website and Facebook pages - do stay tuned for more information!

As ever, the recitals remain free to enter, with a retiring collection taken after the recital which supports our performers, as well as contributes to our ongoing Organ Redevelopment Fund. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!