A humble supplication never goes unnoticed. Yes, chase the butterfly and it will always just elude you, but if you sit down quietly and turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder. If you think God is not speaking, then try listening with your eyes. They are the windows to the soul.
NICHOLAS LUFFIN

THE POWER OF PRAYER

I offered my humble supplications to the Lord today
and He looked down at me and asked,
"What can I do for you my son?"
I said, "Lord, yesterday I asked for forgiveness
and You gave it to me.
The day before I asked for strength
and You gave it to me.
So when will I get the BMW?" I asked.
The Lord answered, "We don't make BMWs in Heaven,
only wings . . . . . so you can fly!"

MUSIC

Music is the lifeblood of the soul. 

It inspires but can invoke deep anxiety.

It uplifts but can induce depression. 

It is the very thread which weaves together
intricate tapestries of beauty.

Music will not make you rich, but it can enrich your life. 

It will not bring back a loved one, but it will comfort. 

It will not save your soul, but it can make your soul worth saving.

Listen to your heart and more importantly, listen to the breaths that you take – involuntary, seemingly insignificant, but . . .  that very sound should be music to your ears – it means you are ALIVE!

 

A NEW DAY

This is the beginning of a new day.

I have been given this day

   to use as I will.

I can waste it - or use it for good,

   but what I do today is important

   because I am exchanging

   a day of my life for it!

 

When tomorrow comes,

   this day will be gone forever,

  leaving in its place

   something that I have traded for it.

 

I want i to be gain ... and not loss;

Good ... and not evil;

Success ... and not failure;

In order that I shall not regret

   the price that I have paid for it.

 

I will try just for today,

For you never fail

   until you stop trying.

There are only two things to worry about;

Either you are well or you are sick.

If you are well, there's nothing to worry about.

 

But if you are sick,

There are only two things to worry about:

Either you get well, or you die.

If you get well, there's nothing to worry about.

 

But if you die, there are only two things to worry about:

Either you will go to Heaven or Hell.

If you go to Heaven, there's nothing to worry about.

But if you go to Hell,

 

You'll be so busy shaking hands with friends

You won't have time to worry.

THE SENSE OF A GOOSE

A Reflection of Working Together

IN SPRING, when you see geese heading north for the summer, flying in a V-formation, you may be interested to know what scientists have discovered about why they fly that way.  It has been learnt that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following.  By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying ability than if each bird flew on its own.

BASIC TRUTH 1:

People who share a common direction and a sense of communication get where they are going more quickly and more easily because they are travelling on the trust of one another.

BASIC TRUTH 2:

If we have even as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed in the same way as we are going.

When the lead goose gets tired, that goose rotates to the back and another goose takes up the lead.

BASIC TRUTH 3:

It pays to take turns doing difficult tasks.

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed, or reduce it.

BASIC TRUTH 4:

We need to be careful what we say when we honk from behind.

Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot or falls out, two geese immediately fall out from the formation and fly down to help and protct the one in trouble. They stay with the disabled goose until it is able to fly again or until it dies.

BASIC TRUTH 5:

If we have the sense of a goose we will stand by one another.

ORGAN PRELUDE

The Organ Prelude is a curtain of loveliness, woven between bitter distractions and your questing soul.  Listen quietly and let its harmony prepare your heart for the voice of God!

STAINED GLASS

 People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out.  But, when darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. 

ELIZABETH KUBLER ROSS

IN TIMES OF DESPERATE NEED - PAUL COOPER

This is the prayer that Beethoven composed for himself on realising that his deafness was incurable and unrelievable.  He was 32.  His life was his music.  He had composed his first published piece before he was 12 and in the ensuing 20 years, he was to hold a royal appointment as assistant music master and harpsichordist, and compose a choral mass, two symphonies, three piano concertos and a host of other works.

    He had achieved fame - and now, as he put it in a letter to his brothers, his body had been "thrown by a sudden change from the best condition to the worst".  Not an easily sociable man, with a string of failed relationships, he called on God for help in his desperation.

    His situation is reflected today in so many personal disasters.  There is the horror of losing someone you love; the trauma of young people incapacitated through accident or military service, who despair of their future, the fear of parents who realise that the newborn child they had longed for is severely disabled; the shock of losing one's job or livelihood; the desperation of not knowing how to carry on; the hopelessness of the addict, the prisoner, the bedridden; the desolation of loneliness.

    It is reflected, too, in our realisation of our own human failings - anger, arrogance, addiction of one sort or another, having time only for ourselves, troubled relationships - when we desperately need God's help.

    At these times, what better than to echo Beethoven's prayer: "O God, give me the strength to be victorious over myself?"  With this strength, Beethoven broke any chains that existed in his mind.  His deafness did not succeed in chaining him - he went on to write most of the works that we enjoy.

    They were not composed by steely determination alone, although there must have been some of that.  He so wisely asked that his soul, "transported though God's wisdom, might fearlessly struggle upward in fiery flight."
    I like that "fiery flight".  Beethoven from all accounts, was a man of fiery temperament.  Good music, like good works, is not produced by grinding out scores in a mechanistic, determined way.  It comes from the soul - just as the loving care of a disabled child or the ministrations to a dying loved one come from the soul.  Beethoven needed his soul and his life, to be lifted up in inspired and spirited - yes, fiery - flight.  And they were.
    There are times when we all need our souls and our lives to be lifted up from the depths of depression.  Let us be encouraged by Beethoven's prayer and God's answer to it.

Paul Cooper is Parish Librarian at St Clement and All Saints, Hastings

faith

prayer for the week

O God, give me strength to be

victorious over myself, for

nothing may chain me to this

    life.

O guide my spirit,

O raise me from these dark

depths,

that my soul, transported

through your wisdom, may

fearlessly struggle upward in

    fiery flight.

For you alone understand and

can inspire me.

            Ludwig van Beethoven

                         (1770-1827)

ST THOMAS FAMILY FEST

After a hiatus of many years, this event took place on Saturday 17 September 2011.  The atmosphere was festive, the weather balmy and the crowd wonderfully expectant.  Stallholders displayed their wares and satisfied the hunger of the masses.  Music was siphoned from the Coke monstrosity and two soccer matches entertained the sport-loving few. 

Two jumping castles provided much needed distraction for the little ones, while their parents sauntered through the crowds.  There were, however, a few overgrown infants who bounced their boredom away.

The entertainment was crowd-pleasing - from Hip-Hop dancers to Mr and Miss St Thomas and Mr Port Elizabeth.  The learners were dressed in their finery with one outfit trying to upstage the next and, of course, few missed the opportunity to be immortalised on memory cards.  Facebook will be under siege with the deluge of various images, showcasing potential catwalk stars.

A rather croaky MC kept the crowd informed and even attempted a few dance moves.  Fortunately his voice did not allow him to break into song, thankfully.

 The Dee Jays (Spectrum and Swisha) kept the beat going throughout the day.

It turned out to be a rather pleasant affair.  The food was good, the atmosphere electrifying and the crowd well-behaved.  This will most certainly become an annual event, which will grow through its popularity.



 

THE DA CAPO PIANO DUO

Cindy Barth & Nicholas Luffin

 

 

An accomplished musician, Cindy Barth has a Bachelor of Music Degree from UPE (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University), where she studied under Barbara van Wyk (piano) and Johan van der Berg (clarinet).  She teaches Life Sciences, English, Mathematics at St Thomas Secondary School.  She is married to Mark who is the Priest-in-Charge St Paul’s.  They have two children, Hannah and Joshua and a third in transit.

 

Nicholas Luffin is a graduate of Rhodes University where he read for a Bachelor of Music Degree, under the tutelage of Betty Shuttleworth (Mark’s grandmother), Daniella Heunis (flute) and Christopher Cockburn (organ).  He is currently Director of Music at St Paul’s Anglican Church.  He is also an educator at St Thomas Secondary School, where he teaches Creative Arts, Computer Applications Technology and Life Orientation.

 

 

REPERTOIRE

DVORAK

Slavonic Dance No. 8

Two Legends (1 and 2) Op. 59
 

J.C. BACH

Rondo

DEBUSSY

Ballet

FAURE

Mi-a-Ou (from Dolly Suite)

TCHAIKOVSKY

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

SAINT-SAëNS

Danse Macabre

MOSZKOWSKI

Three Spanish Dances

RACHMANINOV

Italian Polka

ARENSKY

Waltz, March

BRAHMS

Hungarian Dances Nos 5 & 6

CHAMINADE
Deux Pièces Romantiques

JOPLIN
Cleopha - March

VINCENT YOUMANS
Tea for Two (Arr. J. Louis Merkur)

ANDERSON
Sleigh Ride Fantasy
(Arr. Zach Heyde and Frank Tedesco)

TARREGA
Gran Vals
(Arr. Nicholas Luffin)

BENJAMIN GODARD
Marche Villageoise
Gavotte


 



HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ FINALS - 2011



St Theresa's captain
in the semi-finals



This prestigious event was hosted by Andrew Rabie on 03 August 2011.  The two Junior teams who won their respective matches were Gelvandale and St Thomas.  St Theresa's, the only primary school in the competition, were ousted by St Thomas after a valiant effort to stay afloat.  Woolhope, sadly, succumbed to Gelvandale.





St Thomas juniors in pensive mood



The match between the finalists - Gelvandale and St Thomas was nail-biting at first, but St Thomas proved their mettle in the second half and finally raised the trophy in victory.  It was interesting to note that both teams answered their dam(n) questions incorrectly.



An expectant Gelvandale team member



Andrew Rabie reached the semi-finals after an absence of many years.  In a close match against their rivals, St Thomas managed to proceed to the final match against Sanctor.

A confident Rabie captain

St Thomas and Sanctor battled it out in the Senior finals.  The first half was an intense affair with Sanctor proving to be a tough contender.  However, St Thomas raced through the second half to a victorious conclusion.



Sanctor, Runners-up - Senior 2011



 

St Thomas, Winners - Seniors 2011

Best performing Primary School - St Theresa's

St Thomas, Winners - Juniors 2011




Gelvandale, Runners-up - Juniors 2011





 











HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ - 2011

The following results are based on score sheets received.

MATRIC FAREWELL - 2011

This was certainly an event I was looking forward to.  The fact that the Boardwalk was being refurbished was no excuse for the long walk to the reception.  The matriculants all looked fabulous in their finery and they seemed quite excited - not at the venue - but to see what their fellow-learners had conjured up for their outfits.  This seemed to be a well-behaved bunch, but they should know when to be quiet! 

This was not an occasion reserved for the learners.  The educators had proven that they too can throw an outfit together and look stunning.  Well, we are experienced dressers.  We do not need to spend R3000 on haute couture to stand out in the crowd - just something old, something new and voilà!

We certainly had the learners in awe of our dance moves.  They were surprised, stunned, well ... mesmerised by our agility on the dance floor.  We were, by all accounts, teenagers, once before.  A good time was certainly had by all.

The food, however, left  much to be desired.  As Merle Abrahams would say, I've never tasted such hard vegetables in my life.  It was standard fare - nothing out of the ordinary. 

Perhaps the Radisson would be a consideration.   Or perhaps, something closer to home.  The School Auditorium can be transformed into an Arabian Nights affair any time.  Just a bit of planning, good decor and wonderful cuisine.  The venue is secondary.  It is, in essence, the company which makes an event succesful.

Then, of course, there is the Jarman Hall!

Judging from these images, it is quite clear that we still have it. 

HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ - 2011

The table is based on score sheets which have been received.  There are still some outstanding.

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HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ

HIGH SCHOOLS' QUIZ - 2011

The following table of points is based on score sheets received and processed.  There are still a number of score sheets outstanding and hopefully, you would have been informed about this.

WESTERN CAPE - 2010/11

Diemersfontein

This jaunt was a smorgasbord of colour, incredibly hot weather and a smattering of rain.  My trip included the sights of Wellington, Saron (a little settlement, about 40 minutes from Wellington),         Paarl, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Cape Town.

Wellington Minstrels

This was, perhaps, the most picturesque trip I have undertaken.  It included the Taal Monument in Paarl, the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek, the W. Heuer piano factory in Stellenbosch, the Nederburg Wine Estate (with a complementary glass of bubbly, nogal!), the Seapoint pool and sundowners at the Winchester Mansions.

 

The Cape Town City Ballet did not disappoint with their interpretations of the music of Cole Porter.

V & A Waterfront

The tour of the V & A Waterfront was by all accounts the highlight, courtesy of Mike de Beer, a seasoned traveller and tour guide.  Being in Cape Town makes one feel like a foreigner - Germans on the left, French on the right and Chinese in between.  Gives the word cosmopolitan a whole new meaning.

Despite the hectic schedule, it was one of the most relaxing vacations - certainly since I did not have to drive.  One misses so much in the driver's seat.

Thanks are due to Ramsay and Gavin for a memorable get-together at their humble Woodstock lodgings.  A culinary experience worth repeating!

MY 2010

The Soccer World Cup has come and gone. South Africa has certainly done the world proud.  We entertained and hosted thousands of foreign guests and a good time was certainly had by all.  Vuvuzelas and kuduzelas filled the air with monotonous cacophony, while flags and "socks" adorned car aerials, windows and side-view mirrors.

I have never been a huge soccer fan and will never become one, but the atmosphere was electrifying.  Having such a huge, world-class event happening on your doorstep made it even more special. 

Nelson Mandela Bay was bursting at the seems but everything seemed to be under control - no power cuts, the depleted water supply was enough to sustain the masses and the transport system proved to be successful.

It was, in essence, a successful event worthy of international praise. 

To Brazil we'll go in 2014.  Hope to see you there.