The Patronal Festival is the occasion on which our parish church celebrates the patron saint after whom we are named and, at the same time, celebrates the life, character and calling of this Christian community. James was the son of Zebedee and the elder brother of John; like his brother, he was a fisherman in Galilee with Zebedee, in partnership with Andrew and Peter. At the call of Jesus he left everything and followed him. James, the first of the Apostles to die, was martyred in Jerusalem in ad 43. According to legend, James had preached in Spain before his martyrdom and his body was taken to Compostela, a city in north-western Spain. He became the patron saint of Spain. His shrine was the most popular place of pilgrimage in Christendom after Rome and Jerusalem.
The mosaic in the chancel floor depicts the insignia of St. James. The emblems are the scallop shell of St. James’ shrine at Compostela, the palm of martyrdom, together with the pilgrim’s insignia of the staff, bag and broad-brimmed hat.
On this Patronal Festival we celebrate our ongoing pilgrimage as God’s people in this place.
Services this Patronal Season
St James’ Day Friday 25th July 6:30pm (Sung by The Choir of St James’ and The St James’ Singers)
Setting: Peeters – Missa Festiva
Motet: Stanford – How beauteous are their feet
Patronal Festival Orchestral Eucharist
Sunday 27th July 10:00am
‘Splendour of Venice – in honour of St James’
(Sung by The Choir of St James’ with cornetts and sackbuts)
Music by Monteverdi, Gabrieli, and others
Festal Choral Evensong in the Octave of St James’
Wednesday 30th July 6:30pm
Responses: Radcliffe
Canticles: Twist – Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (St James’ Service)
Anthem: Walton – The Twelve
