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October 2023 October 2023
fowl reserve. While I was there, in winter we would expect the arrival of up to 2000 LOCAL CHOIR NEWS
or more geese and some two or three hundred swans. To return to the UK was a
great step for me to take.

The natural world did not seem to exist here any more, although some forty odd Choral Services and Musical
years ago it was in Southern Ireland. .Rewilding, the withdrawal of all the
chemicals and fertilisers that I was instructed to use as a student to maximise both Events at St Peter’s Church,
output and quality, had now caught up with me in mind if not physically. I Dorchester during October
returned to the UK to manage large acreages but it was never the same for me. Join us at St Peter’s Church, Dorchester on
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However now I’ve been retired for nearly twenty years, I have time to think about Sunday 8 October for our monthly service
things positively. I know that we have to produce more foodstuffs than ever before of Choral Eucharist at 10.30am. The music
because of the population growth, not only of this country but throughout the includes Tye ‘Give almes of thy goods’
world. Now of course, we are far more particular as to what we eat and how it is Schubert’s ‘Mass in G’ and Mozart’s ‘Ave
produced. There are fewer and fewer people involved in practical farm work and verum corpus’. All are very welcome and
machinery is essential to all departments of food production. More produce per refreshments are served after the service.
acre is produced than ever before but at what cost to the natural world? On Monday 9 October we celebrate a big
I can remember in my earlier years of farming boasting about yields obtained in birthday — 200 years since the installation
growing crops, in average milk yields per cow or prices achieved for all beef of an organ at St Peter’s —with a recital by
animals, pigs and particularly vegetables but at what cost to the environment. The John Challenger (Assistant Director of Music
amount of fertiliser required for these yields is today phenomenal and even at Salisbury Cathedral and a soloist of
fertilisers have seriously alarming effect on the surrounding countryside. For international renown). The eminent,
example nitrogen has to be very soluble to be used by plants. Excess is easily Dorchester-based historian, Max Hebditch
leeched out of the land by rain and into natural drainage systems, such as streams CBE FSA, will be giving a short introduction
and rivers. This can affect human and animals’ drinking water and this of course is and Redshark Media will be streaming live
poisonous to them, while being the major growth fertiliser for plants. To understand images of John’s hands, feet and head to
the other effects of fertilisers it is necessary to be aware of what an imbalance of screens around the church, so you will be
nutrient can have on other plants, animals right down to fungi, insect and the able to enjoy all the action at the console! The event begins at 7pm. Tickets
microscopic life of our soils. (which include a glass of wine to be enjoyed after the performance) are priced
£12 and available to purchase online at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-
Recently I have obtained two books written by a German author, Peter Wohlleben on/dorchester/st-peters-church/organ-200/e-rzrmpo
and translated brilliantly by Jane Billinghurst, namely, The Secret Network of Nature
Finally, on Saturday 28 October our service of cathedral-style Choral Evensong
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and The Hidden Life of Trees. Both of these books teach us so much about the will take place at 4.30pm. The music includes: Elgar ‘They are at rest’, David Bruce
intricate lives we lead and that how dependent we and all the species of this Payne ‘Preces & Responses’, Kelly ‘Evening Canticles in C’ and Purcell’s ‘Rejoice
world are on the living world around us. If for example there were no bacteria in in the Lord, alway’. Do join us for a glass of wine after the service.
the soil,the fungi could not exist there, resulting in the fact that nutrients we need
for our own foodstuffs, in the form of fruit and vegetables for ourselves and the You can keep up with events via our website: www.dorchesteranglican.org.uk/
animals we keep for such needs as foodstuffs, health, pleasure and in some cases musicatstpeters or by following us on social media: Facebook: https://
protection. I will continue this point at a later date as it is so vital in cases of www.facebook.com/musicatstpetersdorch - Twitter: @musicatstpeter - Instagram
rewilding, which is a subject for a later date. @musicatstpetersdorch

So goodbye for now and until next month, may God bless you all’
Ted Cox

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