Friends of Steyning Parish Church – 2023 Events
Permanent Events
Internal Church Tour
A whole new self-guided audio tour has been launched by the Friends of Steyning Parish Church to reveal the hidden secrets and history of its special interior.
The church is described as a ‘Norman gem’ and ‘the best in Sussex’ by Pevsner’s Buildings of England. Renowned for its expertly crafted 12th century nave, Romanesque sculpture, 500-hundred-year-old unique Tudor carved oak panelling and modern stained glass windows, the church has recently been fitted with state-of-the-art lighting to illuminate its full splendour.
Gossips in the Graveyard.
An audio guide to some of the intriguing graves to be found in the parish churchyard of St. Andrew & St. Cuthman, Steyning.
Find out about the lives of many former Steyning residents including the World War II pilot who undertook secret missions, the smuggler, the suffragette and a soldier from Napoleonic times.
Created by the Steyning Museum.
Please install the Echoes App on your smartphone. Details can be found via the link below.
Forthcoming Events
Annual General Meeting of the Friends with special guest speaker.
Sunday, 8th October 2023. From 5 pm to approximately 7 pm.
Venue: Steyning Parish Church.
Our 2023 AGM will be on 8 October, in the Church as usual, but this time on a Sunday afternoon starting at 5 pm. In order to achieve a quorum all Members of the Friends are encouraged to attend. After the AGM members are invited to stay for a drink and then join us for an insightful talk given by Adam Stone of Chichester Stoneworks (see below for more details).
Timetable:
AGM: 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Drinks: 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Talk: 6:00 pm to approx. 7:00 pm (including Q&A)
No charge
The Friends are delighted to welcome Adam Stone as the guest speaker at our AGM giving a talk entitled:
“Mastering the Art of Stonework: A Journey of Knowledge and Creativity.”
Join us for an fascinating early evening with Adam Stone, a distinguished figure in the world of stonework and heritage preservation. With over 40 years of experience and a remarkable career journey, Adam has much to share about his expertise in stone identification, selection, and design.
Adam Stone’s career began as an apprentice stonemason with English Heritage, which marked the start of a lifelong passion for stonework and heritage buildings. Throughout his journey, he developed his skills as a mason and specialist in heritage building restoration, including establishing his own successful business, which he managed for twenty-three years.
In 2002, Adam joined Chichester Stoneworks as Production Manager and Technical Director, overseeing many of the company’s most prestigious heritage and new-build projects. These included relocation of Temple Bar, the refurbishment of The Monument and the Inner Quadrangle at Buckingham Palace. Adam also oversaw the completion of works at Lancing College Chapel which had started 154 years before.
His knowledge, experience, and creativity set him apart as an authority in the field of stonework. Adam is now Managing Director at Chichester Stoneworks after leading a management buy-out.
Adam’s achievements meant that he became a Freemason of the City of London in 2010 and a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Masons. Four years later, in 2014, he received the prestigious Master Craftsman’s Certificate of the Worshipful Company.
Past Events
History of the Steyning Parish Church
Talk by Sarah Leigh – Historian
Monday, 10th July 2023 2:30pm – 3:30pm. Venue: Steyning Parish Church.
Sarah Leigh will be giving a talk on the history of the Steyning Parish Church. This will draw on the online history tour of the Church.
About the planned talk
No booking necessary. All are welcome.
Sarah’s talk will follow on from an earlier lecture organised that same day by The Arts Society of Steyning featuring Nicholas Henderson. In his lecture Nicholas will cover “The English Country Church – How to Read the Architectural & Liturgical Features“. See this link for more details.
Hanover Band – Brandenburg Concertos
Dates and Times to be advised in due course. Unfortunately this event has for now been postponed. We hope that it will occur at a later date.
The Friends are delighted to be able to welcome back the Hanover Band, a Sussex orchestra of international repute. The Hanover Band concentrates on music of the Hanoverian period, and contains some of the best period instrument specialists in the UK.
Hanover Band
Thursday, 15th December. 7.00pm. Handel ‘Messiah’
Please see this link for a review of this concert.
The Friends are delighted to be able to welcome the Hanover Band, a Sussex orchestra of international repute, with the Hanover Band Chorus, a group of soloist standard singers.. The Hanover Band concentrates on music of the Hanoverian period, and contains some of the best period instrument specialists in the UK.
About this Concert
For availability and booking please visit the following link:
Saturday
17th September
Time 11am – 4pm
Heritage Open Day
All events free, no need to book.
Saturday
17th September
Time: Midday
Talk
How French abbots created Steyning Parish Church and made their peace with the Kings of England.
Sarah Leigh, Friends Publications Secretary
Parish Church
Saturday
17th September
Time: 3pm
Organ concert
An organ concert given by Brian Sawyer, Church Organist.
Short pieces by J.S.Bach, Mendelssohn and local composer John Ireland, whose memorial service took place in this Church.
Parish Church
Saturday
17th September
Time: 3pm to 5pm
Refreshments
Tea, coffee and homemade cakes.
Penfold Hall
Vicarage Lane
(Next to Museum and across the road from the Steyning Parish Church.)
Sunday
18th September
Time 11am – 4pm
Heritage Open Day
All events free, no need to book.
Sunday
18th September
Time: 2pm
Talk
How French abbots created Steyning Parish Church and made their peace with the Kings of England.
Sarah Leigh, Friends Publications Secretary
Parish Church
Sunday
18th September
Time: 3pm
Organ concert
An organ concert given by Brian Sawyer, Church Organist.
Short pieces by J.S.Bach, Mendelssohn and local composer John Ireland, whose memorial service took place in this Church.
No booking necessary.
Parish Church
Sunday
18th September
Time: 3pm to 5pm
Refreshments
Tea, coffee and homemade cakes.
Penfold Hall
Vicarage Lane
(Next to Museum and across the road from the Steyning Parish Church.)
October events for the 500th birthday of the Steyning Screen, created 1522 to commemorate the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
Tuesday
4th October
Time: 6:30pm
What Lies Behind the Screen: Royalty, Religion and Scandal
Talk by Alexis Haslam, Community Archaeologist, Fulham Palace.
Drinks available from 6:30pm. Talk commences at 7:00pm.
No need to book – no charge (but with retiring collection).
NB there will be a brief Annual General Meeting of The Friends of Steyning Parish Church at 6pm, preceding this talk.
Parish Church
Tuesday
11th October
Pick up at The Steyning Centre at 9.15am.
Return: pick up 4.15pm at Fulham Palace
Trip to Fulham Palace with Guided Tour
Discover the secrets and beauty of 15th century Fulham Palace and its 13 acres of listed historic botanical gardens. This tour is being organised in partnership with the Steyning Society.
£20 to cover cost of transport only, we are guests of the Palace. Lunch available at the Palace café. Please contact Jane Oxley to book your place: 01903 812334 or mike.jane@btinternet.com
Fulham Palace, London
Sunday
23rd October
Time 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Harp quartet, Glissando, presents a ‘Concert for Catalina’
An afternoon of music with a Latin flavour from the sultry dance pieces of Albeniz and Salzedo to the delicate antiquity of De Cabezon, with a world premiere of Catalina Suite, an exciting new work inspired by the Tudor screen, by Alex Rider of Glissando.
Prosecco and soft drinks available in the interval.
Booking details: Tickets available from the Steyning Bookshop.
The charge is £14 for adults and £17 for an adult and up to 2 children under 18. Charge excludes drinks.
Parish Church
Thursday
27th October
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Fun with the Tudors
Half Term Free event for children 5 to 12.
Art, dance, stories and dressing up in Tudor costumes.
Booking is essential. Free tickets can be obtained from The Steyning Bookshop. All children need to be accompanied by an adult.
Any questions can be directed to Sarah Leigh on 01903 813422 or sleigh1180@gmail.com
Parish Church