Torrington's big hymn to herald May Fair

TORRINGTON will be holding its first Big Hymn to celebrate the start of May Fair week in the town. The community event is being held in the parish church at 3pm on May 2. The Archdeacon of Barnstaple, Father David Gun-Johnson, will co-ordinate the even

TORRINGTON will be holding its first Big Hymn to celebrate the start of May Fair week in the town.

The community event is being held in the parish church at 3pm on May 2.

The Archdeacon of Barnstaple, Father David Gun-Johnson, will co-ordinate the event with local ministers Graham Slingo from the Methodist Church and Graham Pestridge from the Baptist Church.

For all those who delight in hymn singing, The Big Hymn will be run along the lines of Torrington's popular Big Sing at Christmas and will provide an opportunity for joining in many popular and traditional hymns accompanied by John Downing will on the church's majestic Father Willis organ.

Two special contributions will be made to the event.

The son of a former May Queen, Dr Barry Darch was brought up in the town and has written a special Hymn for Torrington. A former head teacher, has always taken a great interest in the history of the town and is delighted that his hymn will be sung at the conclusion of the event.

Another head teacher, Stephen Pocklington, has formed and led two choirs and an orchestra as well as making his own baroque period instruments. He often joins the parish church choir when he visits his family in the town. As a result of this he wrote and dedicated Divine Praise to the voices of Torrington's parish church choir. They will sing part of that work, Blessed be God at the service, under the direction of Dr. Ben Armstrong.

But the Big Hymn is mainly for the community to join together to sing and take pleasure from the occasion.

A retiring collection will be for the Mayor's Appeal and there will be refreshments available after the event.