St David’s Day at St Mary’s

We will mark St Davids Day with an 9am Mass and a concert  by the Unicorn Singers at 7.30pm

Unicorn Singers have been planning a concert to evoke the company of heaven that should, quite literally, lift the spirits!

Their imaginative sequence of choral music will celebrate St. David and all saints, and have at its heart a rare performance of medieval plainsong once heard on St. David’s Day itself. These chants are a unique survival that came to light in the so-called Penpont Antiphoner, a manuscript once kept in the historic Penpont house west of Brecon and now in the National Museum of Wales.

Amongst the numerous sets of plainsong office are some specifically written in Wales to be sung on March 1st, extolling the Welsh patron saint’s life and legacy.

The concert will also ensure that St. David takes his rightful place alongside other notables of the saintly band, with music dedicated to the apostles and the blessed spirits. A variety of choral styles is on offer, with everything from medieval to modern including masterpieces by Bruckner, Byrd and Britten (Hymn to St. Peter and Te Deum in C), not to mention other stunning works by Tallis and Schütz.

Tickets £8 are available from Abergavenny Music

Daffodils in the courtyard

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860 years since S Mary’s was raised to a Conventual PRIORY

TO MARK THE 860TH Anniversary of the Priory being raised to Conventual Status we publish a list of Priors

 

William: occurs as prior 1154.

Durand: occurs as prior in Henry II’s reign (1154-89).

Henry: consecrated by the bishop of Llandaff in December 1193.

Richard: occurs as prior in 1291.

Giles de Lummier (Limenei): 1291-3.
A monk of St Vincent le Mans, he was installed as prior of Abergavenny by the archbishop of Canterbury in February 1292 and resigned in June 1293 on account of infirmity.

William de Lonboul: 1293-?
A monk of St Vincent le Mans, he was admitted to office in August 1293.

Fulk Gastard: ? – 1320.
Fulk was removed from office in September 1320 after Bishop Orleton of Hereford received instruction from the pope to investigate the state of the priory.

Richard of Bromwich: 1320 – ?
A monk of Worcester, he was appointed to office by the bishop of Worcester upon the removal of Fulk Gastard. Richard returned to Worcester in 1325 when the prior of Worcester appealed for his return as their lecturer.

John le Peleter: occurs as prior in February 1344.

William Pelliparius: occurs as prior in June 1348, March 1351 and before 1354.

John Hegan: occurs as prior in March 1354 and 1355.
John had certainly left office by October 1369 when John de la Ferte, monk of Abergavenny, went to St Vincent Le Mans for the election of a new prior following the death of the previous (unnamed) prior.

William Petrowe (Peydrow, Peytrau): until pre 1417.
William occurs from October 1371 until July 1387 but it seems that at some point he lost custody of the house. Brother John Eweas was granted custody of the house in 1381 but in 1400 the priory was restored to William.

Robert Eton: 1417-?
A monk of Christ Church, Canterbury, Robert was presented to office by the king in 1417; he occurs as prior in 1428.

Richard: no date is associated with him

William Wynchester: occurs as prior in March 1483 and August 1516.

John Lychefeld: occurs as prior in May 1522 and September 1528.

William Motlowe (Mollowe): 1530 – ?
In February 1530 the abbot of Gloucester gave his permission for William, a monk of the house, to be prior of Abergavenny; he occurs as prior in January 1531.

William Marley (Merley, Merleye): pre 1536.
William acknowledged Royal Supremacy in 1534 and was prior when the monastery was dissolved in September 1536; he was granted a pension in June 1536.

 

 

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World War 1 Centenary to be marked

Details of the start of the Abergavenny town’s commemoration of the Centenary of World War 1 have been announced, following a co-ordinating meeting in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall this week.

The first event will be on June 28th – the Centenary of the Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and Armed Forces Day 2014. The town’s Royal British Legion will organise a Parade probably from the old Drill Hall (now the Baker Street Cinema) past the Mons World War 1 Memorial to the Priory Church. Uniform organisations, veterans and school children are being invited to join the event.

At the conclusion of the parade there will be a service of commemoration at St Mary’s Priory Church.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was heir to the throne of Austria. On 28 June 1914, he and his wife were shot dead by Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip. With German support, Austria attempted to use the assassinations as a chance to crush Serbia. When Russia prepared to defend Serbia, Germany too became involved in the conflict. In turn, the alliance with Russia brought France into the conflict. Germany declared war on them both on 1 August 1914. So the war we now know as World War 1 began.

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