Two churches in the diocese have recently celebrated remarkable milestones of faithful service, loving relationships and Christian community.
A 100th Birthday and Six Decades in the Choir
There was a double cause for celebration at St John the Baptist Church in Burley, as choir member Grania Casswell marked her 100th birthday and an amazing 63 years of singing in the church choir!
The church held its patronal festival with a ‘Songs of Praise’ followed by a cream tea and chose this occasion to present Grania with a loyal service award from the Royal School of Church Music, in recognition of her decades of dedication.
Grania joined Burley Church choir in 1963 with her husband Tony, shortly after they moved to the village. More than six decades later, she continues to sing at services and attend weekly rehearsals, having also contributed to hundreds of weddings over the years.
“We moved here in 1963,” she said, “and our first experience of the choir was when they invited extra singers to join for the Christmas festivities and so we went. I’d sung in large choirs in Birmingham and Tony joined the Bournemouth Choir, so we both enjoyed singing.”
She remembers many happy times with the choir, including memorable occasions featuring ‘honky tonk’ style hymns accompanied by bassoon, clarinet, piano, guitar and cello.
“I think being in a church choir is very special because there’s a great camaraderie,” Grania continued. “The choir practise together, help each other out with the difficult music and get to know one another well. The choir, like other groups in the church, give people a sense of belonging. It gives people something to do, something to think about and talk about. The music too is a huge help to a lot of people.”
Grania comes from a family of musicians. Her father sang in choirs, her mother enjoyed singing and her grandmother was the first woman to play in a professional orchestra in London. Her faith has also been central throughout her life.
She said, “I was brought up going to church. It was part of my life and routine every Sunday. Church is very important to me because it helps me learn about Christ and it’s a source of community. When I’m in church, I feel very calm and very comfortable.”
Her daughter Fenella Grey added, “The fellowship among the singers is wonderful and it gives Mum so much enjoyment. At Christmas time, the choir attracts lots of additional singers and everyone has fun.”
Grania is among 12 regular members of the choir and her favourite hymn is ‘All My Days’.
She concluded, “I felt honoured to get a medal. I hadn’t realised I’d sung for 63 years – I was simply enjoying myself.”
Celebrating 160 Years of Marriage
In the Parish of Hordle and Tiptoe, three couples came together to celebrate a combined 160 years of marriage with a joyful service with family, friends and the church congregation.
Retired Anglican Priest, Revd Angie Gammon and her husband Clive, marked their 50th wedding anniversary, alongside retired United Reformed Church Minister, Revd Kate Pryde and her husband Douglas. Alongside them, Janice and Chris Benson celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary, having been married for 60 years.
The couples, who all worship at Tiptoe Church, came together for a joint renewal of vows during the Sunday Service, before receiving a blessing. Afterwards, the congregation gathered in the church hall to celebrate, with a special cake for each couple.
Revd Angie Gammon said, “All three couples wanted to give God the glory for the fun and the joy, as well as the challenges, of all these years of marriage. Afterwards, people were just so joyful.
“It was an outward and public declaration of the love that we’ve got and the delight that we still find in each other. It would be true to say we’re still in love as well as loving. We’ve got four adult children, eleven grandchildren, and one great grandson, which is amazing. It was simply a day of celebration and gratitude.”
As she prepared the service, she was keen to ensure it reflected the whole church family. She said, “I was very mindful as I prepared the liturgy not to make it all about marriage. I was conscious of those who had never married, those whose marriages had broken down and those who had lost a loved one, so I chose a service that celebrated loving relationships more widely.”
Douglas Pryde, who celebrates 50 years of marriage to Kate in September, said, “Renewing our vows was a moving moment and it was wonderful to share it with others and see the joy that filled the congregation.”
Janice Benson, who has been married to Chris for 60 years (both pictured left), said the occasion felt like a family celebration.
She said, “It was very special. A lot of the congregation came along, together with our friends and family. People even dressed up as if they were coming to a wedding. There was a real buzz of excitement and expectation. We almost danced down the aisle after renewing our vows. It was a real church family celebration, and everyone came in smiling.”
