Yesterday evening, a packed St Andrew’s, Tain saw the licensing of Revd James Currall as Priest in Charge of St Andrew’s, Tain, St Finnbarr’s, Dornoch and St Maelrubha’s Lairg by our Bishop and Primus Mark.  It was a truly ecumenical occasion with clergy, elders and lay people from several denominations from as far west as Gairloch, as far east as Keith and as far north as Tongue.

The splendid music was organised by Jamie Campbell as his ‘swan-song’ before he goes off to Aberdeen University to study Divinity next month.  Jamie gathered together a choir of 18, who gave us Stainer’s Magnificat in F, Jamie’s own Nunc Dimitis in F and Stainer’s “God so loved the world”. The preces and responses were by Alan Knight.

Afterwards we enjoyed a splendid spread in the hall and excellent fellowship.  A huge, huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this wonderful occasion.  This corner of God’s Kingdom now has a new Priest-in-Charge:-)

Blessings
James

Over 30 children took part in the Lairg Churches Together Summer Club over the last three days.  We learned about Jesus’ making breakfast on the shore for the weary fishermen, His Ascension into Heaven and the promised coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  We played games together, made some wonderful crafts, prayed together, sang songs and learned of God’s love for all of His children.

All presided over by a totally zany chip shop proprietor called Rocky and a succession of waiters that made Manuel from Faulty Towers look normal:-)

The cooperation and love shown for each other by Christians from across the denominations and fellowships was mirrored in the cooperation and love shown by the children for one another.  We were all truly blessed and the Spirit was very much alive amongst us.

Thanks everyone – can’t wait for next year!!

Over 80 people were packed into St Finnbarr’s last evening to hear Igor and Oleksiy, who are Duo Kyiv classical accordionists, play a concert as part of their annual UK tour.  These two young men whose day jobs are playing in National Orchestras in Ukraine, stage a Uk tour each year to raise money for a charity – HIPPOKRAT – which supports the mothers of children with disabilities as a result of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster 31 years ago.  Many of these children are second generation whose parents were children at the time and who have passed on genetic abnormalities to their children.

This year’s concert opened with Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor (score above), this was followed by the Scherzo from Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Faure’s Pavane and six pieces from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker – and all this before the interval!!  After the interval a couple of pieces by Rachmaninov, an Ave Maria and four dances by Piazzola, a Tango by Galliano and Navarra by Sarasate.  A variety of styles and moods, but always if you closed your eyes, you could be forgiven for thinking that there were way more than two musicians performing.

The dedication, virtuosity and sheer good fun of these musicians is as inspiring as it is infectious.  Watch this space for news of next year’s concert and if last night’s experience is anything to go by, you’ll need to arrive sharp to get a seat.

On Good Friday morning, a group of over 30 people stood on a wind-swept hillside, reflecting on the Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was a very moving experience, as people from the different Churches and Fellowships in Lairg stood in solidarity, witnessing to the faith that we all share. This was the culmination of a Walk of Witness through the town, when we walked, talked, heard passages of Scripture relating to the Passion, and short reflections and prayed and sang. Young and old alike braved the biting wind and occasional showers and shared in witnessing to the Sacrifice of Our Lord. And when “it was finished” we retired to the Lairg Community Centre for warm hot cross buns, hot tea and coffee and fellowship.