The Chapel
When Ellesmerians return to visit the College, the Chapel is often uppermost on their list of places to see!
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The celebration of the Eucharist is at the heart of College life at Ellesmere. Nathaniel Woodard, our founder, had a vision for education enlightened and underpinned by the gospel proclaimed in and through these ancient, and sacred, rites of the church.
The Eucharist is celebrated daily (Mon-Fri) in term time on a voluntary basis in the intimacy of the Lady Chapel. Here too the Blessed Sacrament is reserved as a focus for prayer and as a sanctifying presence at the heart of the school. This is our ‘thin place’ where staff and students come to offer private prayers and where the daily Eucharist’s intention reflect the current concerns of the school, or of members of our college community – prayers for the dead and for healing are regularly offered.
In both school sections (Lower and Senior) there are larger ‘Solemn’ celebrations of the Eucharist (with rich traditional ceremonial) for the general student body approximately twice per half term. These take place in a regular pattern and reflect The Church’s seasons and themes: Creation, Harvest, Advent, Our Lady, Epiphany, Candlemas, Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost are all celebrated.
Most seasons are also marked with Sung Evening Prayer. The form for Evening Prayer at Ellesmere College combines the riches of the Anglican Choral Tradition, Plainsong and Gregorian chant which stretches back past the Reformation, and the modern expression of Vespers found in the western tradition.
Worship is lead at both Evening Prayer, and the Eucharist, by our very fine Chapel and Chamber choirs. These ensembles provide a great range of music to support our prayer and reflection. Gregorian chant, Gospel Standards, Coldplay, the Beatles, Mozart, Bach, and Walton have all featured at services. The choir regularly competes and progresses through national competitions.
In between these grander occasions the regular pattern of Chapel sustains us. Mondays and Fridays for the Senior school and Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the Lower school. A great emphasis is placed on hearty singing, biblical preaching, and contemporary application. Students regularly read, lead prayers, serve at the altar and once per half term a group of students engages in ‘Theological Reflection’ to produce a student lead service.
The chapel regularly welcomes members of the wider College Community and the Local Community to festive occasions and services. In Michaelmas Term we hold out First Communion Service, our Requiem for the fallen on Remembrance Sunday, Community Carol Service, and a Candlelit Eucharist on Christmas Eve. Early in Lent Term we have welcomed members of the Community for Epiphany and Plough Sunday Services with music from our own choirs, choirs of alumni, and visiting choirs. Lent is brightened with our annual Mothering Sunday Service, and an Easter Day Eucharist is celebrated in the College Chapel - accompanied by extracts from Handel’s Messiah. In the Summer we regularly welcome a bishop to confer the sacrament of Confirmation and Old Ellesmerians gather for a service before the Whitsun Luncheon.
Catechesis and preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation take the form of engagement with two flourishing voluntary worship opportunities. In the Lower School a reverent but often rowdy group meet for Communion Club: contemporary worship music, bible videos, candles, prayers and Jesus in the blessed sacrament sustain and form these young disciples on their first steps of faith. Pizza and Prayer is a lunchtime senior school community focused on eating together, studying the bible together, and praying the Eucharist together.
Saturday Service Information
SATURDAY SERVICE (Dates to Follow)
Saturday Service is Ellesmere College's public offering of traditional worship (Book of Common Prayer, Holy Communion.)
It is open to all members of the college and local community.
We hope to provide high quality liturgy, music, and preaching.
The service will often be followed by refreshments and a retiring collection for a local charity.