Wednesday August 15th 10am to 4pm
Participating Flower Guilds
Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Jeffrey Street
St John's Episcopal Church, Princes Street
St Mary's Cathedral
St Ninian's Episcopal Church, Comely Bank
St Vincent's Chapel, Stockbridge
Flower arranging can be called a neglected art. Though flowers have long been used to enhance the beauty of buildings and events, and provide material for great artistic skill, compared to music, painting or sculpture, floral art has a very low profile -- often simply taken for granted as an agreeable background. The aim of this exhibition is to bring it into the foreground.
August 15th is the date traditionally known as The Feast of the Assumption, the day marking and celebrating the belief that Mary the Mother of Jesus did not die, but was 'assumed' directly into heaven. This is still Catholic doctrine, but was emphatically rejected by the Protestant Reformers of the 16th century. Yet the figure of Mary has continued to inspire and sustain deep devotion across the whole spectrum of theological opinion. Accordingly, in many modern calendars August 15th remains a special day, now known more simply as the Feast of St Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
There are a number of biblical events in which Mary figures prominently -- the 'Annunciation', when Mary encounters the angel who tells her about the child she is expecting, the 'Visitation', when she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the 'Nativity' when she gives birth to the baby Jesus, the 'Presentation' when she dedicates the baby to God in the temple at Jerusalem, the 'Wedding at Cana' when she is present at Jesus' first 'sign', and 'Good Friday' where, at the foot of the Cross, she witnesses and sorrows over his agonizing death. For this exhibition, flower guilds from six Episcopal churches in Edinburgh have collaborated on floral arrangements that aim to reflect something of these six events. Each arrangement will stand alongside an appropriate poem, and the whole group will be viewed against a background of music specially associated with Mary -- the Ave Maria, Magnificat and Stabat Mater.
The Very Revd Frances Burberry, Dean of the Diocese of Edinburgh, will open the exhibition at 10am with some short prayers. The day will conclude at 4pm with Evening Prayer and the Angelus -- a short liturgy drawn from the Visitation.
Free Admission -- Donations are invited towards the cost of flowers.
Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Jeffrey Street
St John's Episcopal Church, Princes Street
St Mary's Cathedral
St Ninian's Episcopal Church, Comely Bank
St Vincent's Chapel, Stockbridge
Flower arranging can be called a neglected art. Though flowers have long been used to enhance the beauty of buildings and events, and provide material for great artistic skill, compared to music, painting or sculpture, floral art has a very low profile -- often simply taken for granted as an agreeable background. The aim of this exhibition is to bring it into the foreground.
August 15th is the date traditionally known as The Feast of the Assumption, the day marking and celebrating the belief that Mary the Mother of Jesus did not die, but was 'assumed' directly into heaven. This is still Catholic doctrine, but was emphatically rejected by the Protestant Reformers of the 16th century. Yet the figure of Mary has continued to inspire and sustain deep devotion across the whole spectrum of theological opinion. Accordingly, in many modern calendars August 15th remains a special day, now known more simply as the Feast of St Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
There are a number of biblical events in which Mary figures prominently -- the 'Annunciation', when Mary encounters the angel who tells her about the child she is expecting, the 'Visitation', when she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the 'Nativity' when she gives birth to the baby Jesus, the 'Presentation' when she dedicates the baby to God in the temple at Jerusalem, the 'Wedding at Cana' when she is present at Jesus' first 'sign', and 'Good Friday' where, at the foot of the Cross, she witnesses and sorrows over his agonizing death. For this exhibition, flower guilds from six Episcopal churches in Edinburgh have collaborated on floral arrangements that aim to reflect something of these six events. Each arrangement will stand alongside an appropriate poem, and the whole group will be viewed against a background of music specially associated with Mary -- the Ave Maria, Magnificat and Stabat Mater.
The Very Revd Frances Burberry, Dean of the Diocese of Edinburgh, will open the exhibition at 10am with some short prayers. The day will conclude at 4pm with Evening Prayer and the Angelus -- a short liturgy drawn from the Visitation.
Free Admission -- Donations are invited towards the cost of flowers.