The Parish Churches of Kirby Muxloe

The Parish has been celebrating the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible  (known as the King James Version - KJV) for some months now. Throughout 2011, individuals and our Bible Study groups have been reading and studying selected verses from the KJV with great enthusiasm and new insights into the text by following the Essential 100 recommended readings published by Scripture Union.

This activity has culminated in a whole series of special events during September. The opening event on 3rd September in St Bartholomew's Church has been a performance of the "The Bible In Voice and Verse" by Belinda Yates (soprano), Lance Pierson (actor) and Heather Chamberlain (pianist and organist), played to a full church. This special concert of words and music mapped out the mountain peaks of the Bible: creation and fall, Noah, Moses, and so on; then Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and all that flowed from them.

In the first half of the concert, readings from Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, 1 Samuel, Psalms and Isaiah were interspersed with songs from Vaughan Williams, Haydn, Gwyn Arch, Mendelssohn and Handel. The second half tour through the New Testament had readings from all four gospels, 1 Corinthians and Acts with music from and arrangements by Andrew Carter, Campbell Hughes, Taize, J Stainer, Handel and Rutter. Check out the trio's own review of the evening by clicking on this link.

Celebrations continued with our Bible Festival where bibles large and small, old and new and in all sorts of languages from Amharic (used inEthiopia) to Welsh. There were bibles from children, bibles for soldiers in the World Wars, bibles form schools, Sunday schools, Boys' Brigade and the Gideons. There was even a Tabloid Bible! Some were given at baptism or confirmation or as a leaving present. One was given to our verger under the will of a friend of Oliver Cromwell (he didn;t actually mention her by name!)on the condition that she could recite certain psalms.

As well as the many editions, many of these bibles were part of family history, passed down from generation to generation, and sometimes even had details of family births and deaths written in them. Whilst looking at the exhibition, visitors could listen to 400 minutes of Bible readings, read by a continuous stream of readers from groups including the WI, the Scouts and a few people who were slotted into the schedule on the day.

During the afternoon children enjoyed decorating illustrating letters and biscuits with a bible theme in the church hall.  A few 'Ride & Stride' visitors were welcomed with coffee and biscuits.