Mirinesse Singers

Tessa Hancox, Jane Hill,

Maxine Richardson, Mirinesse Singers
Jasmin Rolfe, Jo Wheatley,
Lesley Amey, Sarah Chadd,
present
Ruth Charlesworth, Justyna Galkowska, Music for Midsummer
Charlotte Gernert, Sarah Le Sage,
Sue Abrams, Sally Harrison,
Alice Haley, Julia Knight,
Lauren Stanhope, Ann Wright
Wednesday 21st June 2017
Director – Samantha Graper
7pm
Piano – Peter Graper
Flute – Ann Wright Holbeach Cemetery Chapels
On behalf of the Trustees and members of the Holbeach Cemetery PAST AND FUTURE EVENTS
Chapels group, I am pleased to welcome you to our Mid-summer
Concert by the Mirinesse Singers and thank you for attending. I
know we are in for a musical treat as Sam Graper leads her choir
through a varied and entertaining programme. We thank her and the
choir for the work they have put in preparing and presenting
tonight’s concert. 2nd JULY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
For those of you who are wondering why you are sitting in a partially
8th JULY PAINTING WORKSHOP
derelict chapel in Holbeach on Mid-summer’s Evening, let me explain
to you who the Holbeach Cemetery Chapels group are and what we 9th JULY STONE MASONRY WORKSHOP
are trying to achieve.
25th - 26th JULY CHILDREN'S DRAMA WORKSHOP
You are currently in one of the pair of chapels that were built when
the cemetery was commissioned in 1854 by the Holbeach Burial 10th AUGUST PAINT OUT DAY
Board, following the closure of the churchyard for burials on 12th AUGUST OPEN DAY with CEMETERY TRAILS,
account of it being full. The cemetery and chapels are owned by
PAINTING EXHIBITION & SURVEY
Holbeach Parish Council who in 2005 recognised that the buildings
had been allowed to fall into disrepair - the other chapel is in a TRAINING
much worse state of repair - and as they are Grade 2 listed, they 9th SEPTEMBER HERITAGE OPEN DAY - exhibitions, textile
needed to be refurbished and put to a community use. Due to the panels on show, more Cemetery trails and film
parish council having insufficient funds to undertake the restoration of Historic Holbeach
our group, which is a registered charity, was formed to seek the OCTOBER SOUTH LINCS WALKING FESTIVAL EVENT
necessary monies and to manage the works and the running of the
facility thereafter. NOVEMBER REMEMBRANCE TRAIL

After an initial bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund was rejected, we

became partners with Heritage Lincolnshire and, on the advice of
the HLF, an application was made for grant funding to run an 18
month project to establish, through the holding of various events
and activities, if there would be a worthwhile use for the buildings if
they were to be restored. Tonight is one such event, as we need to
see if the buildings are suitable as a venue for concerts and similar
arts activities. We have chosen the summer to hold the event as in
winter, with limited facilities and no heating, you would certainly not
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHAPELS
The Chapels are of considerable historic and architectural
significance. The architect is believed to be James Piggott
Pritchett Junior, who was a key player in the layout and design of
Victorian cemeteries, including the magnificent Chapel in York. The
scale of the site and relative grandeur of the buildings reveal a
great deal about Holbeach in Victorian times - a town of some
significance and rapidly expanding.
Built in 1854, they are of an unusual design in that they link together
to form an archway over the access road. The north Chapel was built
for nonconformist use and never consecrated, whilst the South
Chapel was consecrated by the Bishop of Lincoln at the time, but was
deconsecrated in 2008.
FASCINATING TALES
One of the most exciting and productive activities over the past
year has been the work done by the Research Group in recording the
biographies of those buried in the cemetery. Gruesome, macabre and
very sad stories have emerged.
At the Black Horse Beer House in Holbeach Clough, Kessia Peasgood
was fatally shot by her husband who pointed a gun at her as a joke,
not knowing it was loaded, but the charge killed her instantly as it
entered her cheek.
A shoemaker, Thomas Bloom, was stabbed repeatedly and killed in
the yard of the Brewers Arms in Back Lane, by John Franks - all
because of a dispute over a game of dominoes.
A local builder, James Fawn, struck a match when down a large well
used as a reservoir for sewage. After an explosion and flames rising
from the well, he was brought out very badly burned and died a few
days later.
want to be here!! Hopefully when we have successfully restored and
enhanced the facilities, taking account of the sensitivities of their
location, we will indeed be able to hold events throughout the year.
You will see elsewhere in the programme details of the events and
activities that we have already been able to organise with the
£40,000+ grant we were awarded, as well as details of the events
that remain to be held before this project finishes in December
2017. I would particularly bring your attention to the work the
Research Group has been doing and the fascinating information they
have unearthed about some of the people buried in the cemetery.
The Textile Group has also been very busy under the direction of
our textile designer, Fiona Gurney, creating 8 wall hangings that
illustrate aspects of the cemetery and which will ultimately hang in
the refurbished buildings. Some examples are on view for the first
time this evening.
Once this project is completed and evaluated, and with help from a
grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund, we will be submitting a
further application to the HLF in the hope of securing the bulk of
the funding we will need to complete the necessary works.
So how can you help? We would ask that you complete the evaluation
forms that are available, so that we and HLF can judge the success
of the event. Perhaps you would also consider joining the
friends/contact group, details of which are on the enclosed reply
slip. If you want to discuss the project or to sign up for one of the
remaining events please see one of the group at the end of the
concert.
We hope you enjoy the evening and hope that you will stay at the
end and partake of the refreshments that are available and to look
around the chapels.
WEBSITE: www.holbeachcemeterychapels.org.uk
 Mirinesse Singers Music for Midsummer
One of the choir’s aims is to bring live music to smaller
The Blue Bird Charles Villiers Stanford and more unusual venues and the invitation from
The Seal Lullaby Eric Whitacre Holbeach Cemetery Chapels fits right into this remit. It
is quite awe-inspiring, to think that we are returning
The Silver Swan Orlando Gibbons
music to these glorious buildings, after so much time.
Tonight’s programme features a range of music,
Fair Phyllis John Farmer inspired by the season and our venue. I hope that you
Begli Ochi Barbara Strozzi enjoy the pieces I have chosen; as usual, there will
hopefully be some new songs to you, along with more
As Torrents In Summer Edward Elgar familiar ones and you are invited to join with us in a
couple of our items!
The March of the Women Dame Ethel Smyth
It’s A Long, Long Way To Tipperary
It’s A Long, Long Way To Tipperary It’s a long way to Tipperary, it’s a long way to go;
Jack Judge & Harry Williams It’s a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!
I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside
Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester Square,
John A. Glover-Kind It’s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart’s right there.
Danny Boy Traditional Irish Melody
Loch Lomond Traditional Scottish Song I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside
Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside
I do like to be beside the sea.
The Roses Rachel Portman
I do like to stroll upon the Prom, Prom, Prom,
The Birds Rachel Portman Where the brass bands play Tiddley-om-pom-pom!
So just let me be beside the seaside
Tuli Tuli Namibia Play Song I’ll be beside myself with glee
Souallé Chad Lullaby And there’s lots of girls beside, I should like to be beside,
Sizohambe Naye South African Hymn Beside the seaside, beside the sea!

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