• A Preface for Ash Wednesday

    The following preface was written to mark the beginning of Lent and reflects the language and character of the Lenten material in the Scottish Liturgy 1982 and Daily Prayer of the Scottish Episcopal Church

    Dear Friends in Christ, it is the custom of Christian people to prepare to mark the time of Christ’s passion and resurrection by a season of penitence and fasting.

    The church calls each of us during these forty days to repent of all that causes harm to ourselves, harm to our earthly dwelling place and harm to our relationship with God.

    By carefully keeping these days, Christians take to heart the call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and so grow in faith and devotion. In turning our hearts towards God, we discover anew the boundless grace of God.

    For God will help us to create beauty even within the turmoil of this chaotic world and will help us to gather a harvest of joy and gladness from lives of sorrow and care. Today and every day, God calls the wandering exile home.

    We are invited therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy word.

One response to “Review: Orfeo ed Euridice, Scottish Opera”

  1. Alison Clark Avatar
    Alison Clark

    I agree about the orchestra – competent enough but too large I thought. But I loved Caitlin Hulcup’s Orfeo. I saw the production at the Sunday matinee and passion there was a-plenty. ‘Che faro’ delivered from lying to kneeling to standing was just wonderful. So much so that I struggled with the swift transition from tragedy to happy ending, made more acute by Amor – if Grace Kelly, then a rather louche version!
    I did enjoy it but your review made me realise what was unsatisfying for me. The ‘Mad Men’ 50s theme (seems to be a current choice for designers) was at odds with what is quite a profound myth. It was fun but that’s not what I go to Orfeo for. Maybe i need to lighten up!
    As to the ‘steampunk party’, it was the underworld surely – but if Hades is that camp, then it might be quite fun. Loved your description of the lime green nuns!

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