Rock Shop
So what is Rock Shop then? Rock Shop is a session for the youth of our parish who are musically inclined.
On certain Sundays in the month, the group gets together to learn, practise and play music together as a group. The aim is then for those who feel comfortable enough, to incorporate this music into our regular Sunday services.
If you or your little musicians are interested in joining us (or even your not-so-little musicians!) then feel free to come along on any of the dates in the calendar. You'll be made welcome, given the sheet music tailored to your level of expertise, and hopefully come out with a whole new group of friends.
For the tone deaf, we also have percussion instruments we can hand out so that you can join in.
Even if you have no rhythm, you can still come along and listen and offer support to our youth. We look forward to seeing you there.
All Saints Church Rock Shop – an update by Fr. Jeremy
We started Rock Shop about 18 months ago following 6 years of the very successful Messy Church. Messy Church had for the first 4 years been held at All Saints School on a Saturday evening and followed a pattern of activities for children with their parents, a communion service and ending with a cooked meal. This led to families building good links and friendships with many of these people sharing in the successful parish holidays.
Rock Shop started with a similar format to Messy Church with musical activities to begin with followed by a communion service and ending with an afternoon tea. We have been helped by the support of Bridget the headteacher at All Saints School and the talent that we have at the church. The young people are slowly building up their confidence to play alongside adults at morning services. Two highlights have been the Christ the King Eucharist in early November 2014 and at the Advent service a few weeks later when we welcomed Bishop Andrew. At both services we heard a mix of traditional, chorus and Taize style music and this I believe greatly enhanced the worship. Bishop Andrew commented that he had enjoyed the service in Advent and that he would be happy worshipping at All Saints.
To continue to build the work of Rock Shop, we have purchased and set up the new instruments at All Saints. At a recent Rock Shop planning meeting we discussed the plans that Brian Graves our director of music and Christine Dunford who co-ordinates the Rock Shop will meet in the future to see how the traditional choir and Rock Shop can complement each other.
Another hope is that we can encourage a few adult musicians to help us play the new instruments more frequently.
Rock Shop in the future will now have 1 hour of practicing with the instruments and singing and then finish with tea. This will enable, we hope, the musicians to grow in confidence and play a larger part in our morning Eucharist at All Saints.
Please come along in 2015 to share the Rock Shop experience on Sunday afternoons.
With my prayers,
Fr Jeremy
