Dear Friends,
A Happy New Year to all our readers!
This year of our Lord 2005 promises to be busy and fruitful for our little community. A number of
projects are expected to be completed.
The Catholic Library will be installed after the necessary refurbishment of various parts of the basement
rooms of the monastery is completed. We celebrate this year also the centenary of the arrival of the organ
in the Abbey Church, an anniversary which will be marked by a programme of fine recitals. Although most of
you will think that our restoration of the Abbey Church by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund
has long since been completed, the whole scheme will, in fact, be finished only in the course of this year
as the final portions of security fencing and fire and intruder alarms are installed.
The Abbey Press will be busy. This year marks the bi-centenary of the birth of Dom Guéranger, the
re-founder of the Abbey of Solesmes. In celebration of this, and of December’s 150th anniversary of the
proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, we will be publishing the first English edition of
his work ‘on the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady’. It has been translated from the French by our friends
the Benedictine nuns of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
Some of you will be aware that I have long been confessor to the Enclosed nuns of Tyburn near Marble Arch
in London. We will be publishing a new edition of their history this Summer. Other titles are also being
worked on at present.
In December I spent a happy couple of days on the Isle of Wight. I gave two conferences to the nuns of St
Cecilia’s on the Syrian Fathers, or more specifically Saint Ephrem, and then deserted their fine cuisine
for a fast day luncheon with the brethren at Quarr! I shall ask more questions before accepting the Abbot
of Quarr’s next invitation!
I was delighted at the end of last year to be made an honorary fellow of the Academy of Saint Cecilia. The
Academy is dedicated to excellence in the study and performance of music. Other honorary fellows include
Naji Hakim, and Dom Saulnier of Solesmes. The panel alleges that my contribution to the promotion of
Gregorian Chant has been significant, citing my directing of the Chichester Cathedral chant day and my
classes of chant interpretation at Oxford, and one or two other events. I only hope that Almighty God will
look mercifully on my daily efforts in the chant at Mass and Office and grant me the fellowship of the
saints in heaven!
Sincerely in the Lord,
rchived 
ews
