A busy weekend with craft fairs in Icklesham, Peasmarsh and Northiam, and special services at St Mary’s on Sunday, will be followed by a touch of butchery in the Town Hall on Monday December 7.
The special services in St Mary’s are the Family Toy Service at 10:30am and the Lights of Love Service, with St Michael’s Hospice, at 3pm, while Monday’s butchery is a daytime workshop – possibly followed by more butchery at the 6:30pm council meeting.
The Town Hall workshop however is a matter of spelling as back in 1742 John Breads notoriously and mistakenly murdered someone in the belief he was the then Mayor of Rye, James Lamb.
And on Monday evening, all being well, Jonathan Breeds (who may or may not be a descendant or related) should, as Deputy Mayor, be appointed Mayor in the Town Hall at the council meeting.
Earlier in the day though three singers, a composer, a librettist, a conductor, a director and a cast of others will be rehearsing a new opera based on that past event in 1742 and called “The Butcher of Rye”.
TOYS: But, back in the day before, unwrapped toys and games will be welcome at the Sunday Toy Service as they go to “Family Support Work”, a charity supporting families in this part of East Sussex.
LIGHTS OF LOVE service at 3pm is one of nine services locally organised by St Michael’s Hospice to raise funds and remember those we have lost by placing a star or a heart on a Christmas tree – already in place in St Mary’s. The stars and hearts (on which you can write dedications) should be available from the St Michael’s Hospice shop.
ALSO on Sunday there is an artists talk at Rye Creative Centre in New Road at 2pm about the current exhibition, Foule Parlement, which is on until December 18, Monday -Friday 10m-3pm daily.
On Tuesday there will be a short performance of excerpts from “The Butcher of Rye” in the Town Hall at 3pm.
The Fletcher in Rye CIC (Community Interest Company) has generously stepped in to provide a substantial contribution to the staging of the workshop, which has been organised by the Rye Arts Festival (RAF).
RAF are the lead sponsor for the workshop and a private individual (currently anonymous) is the other.
The musicians and director are from the London based Euphonia Opera who, apart from taking part in the two day event, have put in considerable time rehearsing ahead of the workshop next week.
Baritone Nicholas Morton will be singing “Breads” and the other singers in the workshop are mezzo-soprano Katie Coventry and baritone Jerome Knox.
Alisdair Kitchen, who has directed previous RAF operas, directs again, Simon Morecroft is the composer and Martha Littlehailes, the librettist (looking after the words and lyrics). Also present will be a repetiteur (a coach, tutor or accompanist) and a dramaturg (a literary adviser and dramatist).
Sources: Rye Arts Festival, St Mary’s Church, St Michael’s Hospice, Rye Creative Centre.
Photo: Rye News library