come in from the darkness with candles
take a seat – is it salvation you need?
four window-ways positioned like portals
each window divinely lights up presenting
my soul state, according to the chiming clocks
Brum’s saints and sinners are one here
at the blessed gates of Pigeon Park
(from The Nativity by Nafeesa Hamid)
Birmingham Cathedral hosted a Festival of Voices, an evening of spoken word and poetry, celebrating diverse voices of love and compassion from across our city, our region’s heritage, and our cathedral’s four remarkable stained-glass windows. In a time of disorder and division, the Festival articulated a positive narrative for us, and pointed to the work ahead to safeguard this.
The voices included Nafeesa Hamid, the cathedral’s poet in residence, reading commissioned poems inspired by the cathedral and its restored Edward Burne-Jones / William Morris windows. Key themes included the responsibility of offering hope and making the windows and the cathedral relevant to all.
The Reverend Canon Andy Delmege, Canon Missioner of Birmingham Cathedral welcomed all the audiences.
Nafeesa Hamid, the cathedral’s poet in residence, read commissioned poems inspired by the cathedral and the four stained-glass windows.
The Festival saw the launch of the Tracing Glass Podcast, a collaboration between the cathedral and We Don’t Settle, exploring what the world class windows might mean for Birmingham in the Twenty First Century. Rumbidzai Savanhu and Olivia Agbe spoke movingly about making the podcasts.
Tracing Glass Podcast reflected on Birmingham Cathedral’s four stained-glass windows from a new and unique perspective.
Olivia (left) and Rumbidzai spoke movingly about making the podcasts and listened to the trailer with the audiences.
We heard a range of voices from the Midlands. Lucy Anderson reading poems about displacement, trauma, and the role of poetry in healing self and others. Chris Fewings riffed on St John of the Cross and the overlooked greenness of the city. Armin and Farid read from Hafiz in Farsi and English, speaking about the importance of his poetry for Iranian refugees.
The wound is carefully soaked in warm water,
with utmost attention and steady hand,
tweezers remove the splinters.
Together we contemplate a word
Remember
that it might mean
to put something back together
that in the sanctuary of this candlelight
the heart may be an open wound of love.
(from How Does the Soul Heal? by Andy Delmege)
Lucy Anderson
Chris Fewings
Farid
Armin
Festival of Voices is part of the Divine Beauty project and is generously supported by National Lottery players, via The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
