A donkey to join in Palm Sunday procession at Southwell Minster

 ‘Peter’ the donkey from Burton Joyce will join in the Palm Sunday procession at Southwell Minster this weekend as the cathedral prepares for Easter celebrations.

The special procession at the start of this Sunday’s service (April 1st) will start at 9.30am when the congregation and clergy will join in a procession with palm crosses and singing, remembering Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The service will include a dramatic reading of  St Mark’s account of Christ’s trial and crucifixion, when members of  the congregation will take different roles and others will act as the crowd.

The Minster Chorale will be performing later on Sunday (1st April) at 6.30pm in the Quire, with a are performance of Charles Wood's "Passion according to Saint Mark" – which offers a Choral Meditation for Holy Week.

Precentor at Southwell Minster, Canon Jacqui Jones, said: “This is the most important time of year for Christians as we remember Christ’s death and resurrection. We hope that what we provide over Easter will reach out to most ages and experience of people.”

Preparations for Easter take on a very visual and symbolic shape at the cathedral next week, when on Maundy Thursday evening the symbolic ‘Washing of the feet’ service culminates in Holy Communion and the stripping of the alters to represent the complete desolation of Christ on the cross.

Jacqui Jones explained: “On Good Friday there will be a simple service at 9.30am focusing on the cross and using the sculptures by Jonathan Clarke. Holy Saturday is a waiting time for reflection and preparation, but our celebration of Christ’s resurrection begins at 6am on Easter morning when the Easter fire is lit in the porch of the Cathedral. At the dawn of the day the magnificent decorations of the Cathedral, filled with flowers and light, is revealed in all its glory.”

The music also reflects these contrasting moods. Rector Chori, Paul Hale said: “Southwell Minster Choir entered Passiontide with a hauntingly beautiful service of music and readings last Sunday.  If you missed it, there’s  plenty more to come – they sing Evensong on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Eve and Easter Day, as well as the tremendously moving liturgy of the Passion at 10.30am on Good Friday.  The 11am Sung Eucharist on Easter Day is a highlight of the year, with an explosion of jubilant music to welcome the Risen Christ.  Just space to mention two other ‘musts’ - a performance of Arvo Pärt’s Passio on Good Friday Evening at 8.30 (by the Sinfonia Chorale with Richard Roddis), and an exciting Bank Holiday organ recital by Malcolm Riley (free) at 3.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday.”

The programme of events at Southwell Minster will include:

Monday-Thursday (2nd-5th April) there will be a series of addresses by the Acting Dean, Canon Nigel Coates, on St Mark’s Gospel entitled ‘In Search of a Way’, accompanying a daily evening communion service at 8pm.

Maundy Thursday (5th April) people from across the Diocese will be welcomed to the Blessing of Oils and Sung Eucharist at 11amand at 8pm there will be the Washing of Feet with a Sung Eucharist.

On Good Friday (6th April) the Stations of the Cross sculptures by Jonathan Clarke will form the central part of the service for all ages and will be followed by refreshments and hot cross buns in Trebeck Hall.

From 12noon to 3pm Professor Anthony Thiselton will lead a devotion entitled ‘The Cross – the Way, the Witness and the Words’. Anyone is invited to attend all or part of this three hour devotion.

Easter Sunday (7th April) begins with a service at 6am, when the Easter fire and the Easter candle are lit. The first communion service of  Easter will include light, music and bread and wine. The 9.30am family communion service will be followed by an Easter egg hunt in the Bishop’s garden.

A brand new ‘Easter Garden’ with sound effects will form part of the special features in the Minster this Easter. Local artist, Heather Cartwright has produced a new Easter garden with the help of local children and this will be set-up in the Minster’s Candle Chapel on Easter Saturday. The congregation will begin their Easter day service by the garden, when the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham will also bless the new garden. It is hoped the garden will include bird song and other garden sounds.

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