The Dean of Gloucester and the teapot
1st March 2010
Gloucester Cathedral is hoping to enhance the Cathedral Choir's performance of "The Messiah by Mr Handel and Mr Newton" on 13th March with a display of artefacts including a silver teapot used by John Newton.
The Dean of Gloucester's great-great-great-great grandfather, the sculptor John Bacon, bequeathed the teapot to the Eclectic Society, which was founded in 1783 by John Newton. John Bacon was an early member of this society, which was responsible for the foundation of the Church Missionary Society in 1799.
Nick Bury, Dean of Gloucester said: "I'm very proud to have a book inscribed to my ancestor by John Newton himself and I very much hope to be able to see the teapot if we are able to borrow it." As well as the book and the teapot, the display will also include Newton's original notebook in which he wrote the sermons based on the Messiah texts.
The concert is a performance of Handel's Messiah Part 2 with meditations by his contemporary John Newton, read by Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith. Adrian Partington will conduct the Gloucester Cathedral Choir.
The concert takes place on Saturday 13 March at 7.00pm and tickets from £10 to £20 are available from Gloucester Cathedral.
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