Our Rector has written articles over the years for The Church Times Diaries.  We reflect this month, at looking back at the article written in July 2022.  

I recently missed out on the chance to be dressed in multicoloured chiffon by Zandra Rhodes herself. I was sitting in the front row at the Charleston Festival and, having talked about her amazing career, she asked for volunteers to model clothes she’d brought with her. The question was posed: “Any Gentlemen want to have a go?” While I was considering the offer, there was a stampede to the stage of women who really wanted to. I sat back feeling slightly disappointed. But not very. Zandra Rhodes is an absolute force of nature: in her mid 80’s, she has so much excitement and energy about her (like the wonderful Joan Bakewell and Sheila Hancock we saw the next day – in their 80’s but firing on all cylinders). But seeing the clothes themselves really brought the event to life. There had been illustrations during the talk, but seeing the dresses swirl and move on delighted real people made far more impact than any photo. I wonder if she’s ever thought of branching out into chasubles? I’d certainly have a go then.

Another event that made me reflect was a discussion called “Culture at War”, a talk between the television presenter and Director of V & A East Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford and Lord Vasey, former Minister for Culture. After much jocular sparring, it became a debate about objects: real vs. digital. In his time, Lord Vasey sold a central London Museum storage unit giving the money to the V & A to fund the new “East” site in Stratford, in the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park. Opening (hopefully) in 2024, it will be an “immersive warehouse” where people can interact directly with objects hitherto in storage in the museum’s collection. Lord Vasey was keen on digitalisation, so that objects could be “seen” anywhere: Dr. Casely-Hayford robustly defended handling artefacts in actuality, insisting that digitalization could never replace interaction with a real object. To me, Zandra Rhodes’ dresses proved his point.

Linked to this focus on objects and their power (and going even further out of my general orbit/comfort zone), was a talk by the young fashion designer Kim Jones, Artistic Director of Fendi Womenswear and Dior Men. A Sussex boy, as a teenager he had been fascinated by Charleston & the Bloomsbury Group whose Art and Design it showcases. Clearly he had been welcomed, kindly and generously: now was payback time and, having produced a collection based on Charleston, he was back to support it. I was impressed (from a Vicarly point of view) when someone asked how to get on in fashion, he simply answered “Be kind to people”. I heard later that he’d put his words into action when a group of fashion students came to the book signing: they couldn’t afford the beautiful, glossy but expensive catalogue and brought flyers for him to sign, I suppose as a sort of totem. Seeing this, Kim himself bought each of them a catalogue and signed it. An act of gratuitous kindness. They could have seen it digitally online, but as an object to cherish it will mean so much more.

All this made me reflect on virtual vs real in our worship. In Lockdown, we had no choice but to go for recorded or distanced worship. Like many other churches, we discovered a “hinterland” of people who, on some level, wanted to interact with us (or at least, with my dog Sophie, who starred in most of our output). But now, we are back in reality and there is a huge sense of relief at getting back to interacting with each other and with the sacraments. We have re-introduced the chalice for those who want it, and there is real thankfulness at “getting back to normal” -  whatever that will settle down to be. Virtual worship is no substitute for God’s people physically gathered around His table.

Interaction with real people at the Festival was most meaningful for me in the first performance we had:  Benedict Cumberbatch reading T.S. Eliot’s “the Wasteland”. I am hugely fond of Eliot (I have texts stencilled up from “The Four Quartets” running around the Rectory sitting room, which disconcerts some visitors). In this version, it had been set to music by Anthony Burgess (surreally, of “Clockwork Orange” fame: I had no idea he was also a composer)) and performed by the Britten Sinfonia and a soprano. It was movingly atmospheric and – to my surprise - made me cry.  Eliot left instructions in his will to forbid the poem ever being set to music, and this occasion was only the second (and probably last) performance the Eliot Estate would allow.  One of the best things in almost thirty years of Festival going, it felt a significant event, touching base in reality with something of lasting value. Words from Eliot’s “Four Quartets” came to mind:

“You are not here to verify,/ Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity/ Or carry report. You are here to kneel/ Where prayer has been valid.” 

With thanks to The Church Times to allow us to publish this.