As June fades into July, St Mary’s North Woodchester, and Minchinhampton Parish Churches will be alive with the sounds of a 50 plus strong youth choir from Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
They will be arriving on Sunday 29th June and leading worship at 7.30pm, at St Mary’s Parish Church, North Woodchester. Their main concert takes place on Monday evening, 30th June, again at 7.30pm at Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton. This takes place just as the illustrious Rector of Minchinhampton with Box, Canon Michael Irving, enters his final week before retirement. Entrance will be free with a retiring collection for the ministry and work of “YMCA Ostrava Tensing Youth Choir”.
During their visit they are also scheduled to visit two local secondary schools, Archway, Stroud and Thomas Keble, Eastcombe. The youngsters will be staying with various hosts around the district. Do come and give them a great Stroud valleys welcome.
Rev. Mick Wright, antiques dealer in Minchinhampton, and also Curate in the parishes of Brimscombe and Woodchester, first made contact with Christians in and around the city of Ostrava, while teaching English on a Youth Summer camp in 1997. This was followed by a Czech summer camp taking place in and around Minchinhampton in 1999.
Ostrava, which is in the north east of the country, not far from Krakow in Poland, is a city of some 300,000 souls and the Tensing choir whose videos are available on “YouTube”, was voted the city’s most successful youth organisation in 2007. Don’t miss this treat.
Mike Wright can be contacted for further details on 01453 883027.
WOODCHESTER. A thriving Cotswold community
The parish of Woodchester including Rooksmoor.