Page 19 - SPRING 2024 News and Views

Awakening Stephen Feltham

A personal update because some folk may be interested and anyway, I
should like to share the following with all my Quaker F/friends.

During the last couple of years I have been busy with a personal project, it is
called Awakening.

Awakening is a set of poems in an unusual format insofar that they are a
written in a classical style and structure but set within a plain prose format.

Awakening tells of a spiritual journey of a soul arising from sleep within
Stonehenge in a fearful state of trepidation. His journey, watched over and
guided by celestial beings, is one of learning and enlightenment culminating
in a belief in everlasting hope and gloria.

A recent professional review of the book said “Those who are familiar with Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet,
will find themselves very much at home with both the content and the style and, like many of us, grow to
embrace and cherish the mystical loveliness of the concepts expressed therein.”

The book also contains a personal ‘Message of Hope’ from Sir Terry Waite KCMG CBE
that I feel honoured to have received.

The book is available to F/friends at £7-99 (discounted from £10-99.)

Further details are available from www.choralifiscus.com or by clicking on the following
QR code. Alternatively, drop me an email at quakerstephen@gmail.com or call me on 0797 3727 965

But, the Awakening project is more than a set of poems and a book. The poems have been chosen by the
Bournemouth Symphony Chorus for performance and the very talented composer Paul Carr has set an
absolutely fabulous score for these poems. I hope F/friends will be interested to learn that the premier of
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Awakening will be at the Poole Lighthouse on the evening of 9 June 2024 with the Bournemouth
Symphony Orchestra supporting and directed by Mr Gavin Carr who is the brother of the composer,
nd
(What wonderful musical talent this family has?). Moreover, on Saturday 22 June 2024 Awakening will
be performed in Salisbury Cathedral and this is a venue and performance that I am especially looking
forward to.

It is not often an individual has the good fortune to be inspired, (in this case by local Friend Peter Wilson),
to write a particular poem and then to see the muse draw one on to the telling of a spiritual journey from
despair into hope. To see it grow into a book and then a choral work by a world renown choir is truly an
event of great serendipity. I feel blessed to have been able to put something together which I feel
contains some spiritual leadings. These have been absorbed during the last seven decades, and through
meeting some wonderful people in my travels around the world which includes my many Quaker
F/friends local and throughout BYM.

I know poetry and choral is not everyone’s’ cup of tea but I would be sad to learn if someone was
disappointed to have missed one of the concerts because they were unaware of it. Moreover, there are a
couple of our local F/friends who are or have been members of the choir so perhaps they may appreciate
your support at the concerts also. Love and blessings.

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