This Thursday 17 May is Ascension Day with most of the dramatic action in City and Southwark churches.
There will be singing from the top of Southwark Cathedral’s tower at 7.30am and from St Michael’s Cornhill after the 1pm Choral Eucharist.
The Great Bell of Bow will toll prior to the 1.05pm High Mass at St Mary-le-Bow.
At 3.15pm beating the bounds starts at All Hallows-by-the-Tower. The main party of St Dunstan’s College students, together with the clergy and the masters of livery Companies, first board a boat which takes them to the river boundary. Then the procession moves round the parish which now, of course, includes St Dunstan-in-the-East. Choral Evensong follows at 5.30pm back at All Hallows
At 8pm BBC Radio 4 is broadcasting a Eucharist live from St Sepulchre’s, Holborn Viaduct. In past years this has come from St Martin-in-the-Fields but this Thursday its choir will be singing at the City church along with the BBC Daily Service Singers directed by John Rutter. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Brass is also providing music at what is the Musicians’ Church. The preacher is Prof Richard Burridge, Dean of King’s College London. The celebrant is the Revd Rosemary Lain-Priestley. The music setting is by Imogen Holst with anthems by John Rutter.