Mosaic Choir – a wonderful return to singing

Mosaic Choir

On Monday 6 December, Mosaic Choir carolled in many different languages and traditions at the Orthodox Cathedral of St Andrew in Kentish Town, London, to celebrate St Nicholas and the Nativity of Christ.

Anna Conomos, accomplished storyteller, shared some of the stories of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the choir sang carols in English, Greek, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Bulgarian, French and Latin!

The Cathedral switched on the Livestream and we were joined by people all over the UK, and even from Canada and Australia! You can still watch the livestream version at https://youtu.be/GkBV9lTNU_g and we hope to have some close up videos on our YouTube channel soon.

The audience was very appreciative and incredibly generous and we have a total of £750 as the collection. The Monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex has thanked everyone for their generosity and love, but has requested that the sum be donated to another cause. By agreement of all, the collection will be divided between three other wonderful monastic communities:

  • Monastery of St Antony & St Cuthbert, Shropshire, England
  • Monastery of All Celtic Saints, Mull, Scotland
  • Monastery of the Lifegiving Spring, Shannonbridge, Ireland

If you would still like to support the Monastery of St John, please consider making a purchase from the online bookshop: https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/

Thank you to everyone who supported the choir and we hope to have more concerts and engagements in 2022!

Mosaic Choir Christmas Concert

Mosaic Choir will be singing at the Orthodox Cathedral of St Andrew, Kentish Town, London on Monday 6 December at 19:30 for a 19:45 start. Please join the choir for their favourite carols from around the world! Free entry with a charity collection.

Meet the Optina Elders

We are halfway through our virtual visits to monasteries and this week will be guided through the spirituality and history of Optina monastery in Russia by Dr Anna Rogozhina. Our visit will be on Thursday 20 August at 19:00 BST (7pm, London time). Join us!

If you have not already registered for the series, send your name and email address via the page below and you will be sent the Zoom details for the session. Recordings of previous sessions are also linked from this page: https://forerunner.org.uk/summer-series-2020/.

Skete of the Forerunner, Optina

O Lord, grant me to meet everything that this coming day may bring me with spiritual peace. Grant me to surrender myself gladly to Thy holy will. In every hour of this day, support me in all my undertakings. Teach me to accept whatever news I may receive in the course of the day with peace of soul and with the firm conviction that Thy holy will is in all things. In all my words and actions, direct my thoughts, feelings and senses. In all unforeseen events, grant me not to forget that everything is sent by Thee. Teach me to act frankly and reasonably with everyone I meet, that none may be disturbed or embittered. O Lord, give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day and all that may happen in the course of the day. Guide my will, and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to suffer, to forgive and to love. Amen

Morning prayer of the Optina Elders

Countdown to monastic visits!

Just under one week to go until the Fellowship’s series of virtual visits to monasteries in six different countries!

Our full schedule is now confirmed, happening each Thursday at 19:00 BST (London time):

  • 30 July: Holy Dormition St Nicholas St Basil, Ukraine
  • 6 August: Annunciation, Ormylia, Greece
  • 13 August: Putna, Romania
  • 20 August: Optina, Russia
  • 27 August: Transfiguration, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, USA
  • 3 September: Kaftoun and Hamatoura, Lebanon

Sign up for the Zoom details on our dedicated page: https://forerunner.org.uk/summer-series-2020/

Come and see!