Acoustic Triangle Concert - 18 October

The acclaimed Acoustic Triangle's concert in the Abbey on 18 October will be their third visit. The group offers an innovative blend of melodic modern jazz and contemporary 'classical' music. Their first tour of cathedrals and churches was part of our first festival, and their second CD, Resonance, was recorded at that performance in Dorchester Abbey. Details will appear in the September issue of Dorchester News. Tickets are available now from 01235 528066

August Bank Holiday Special Event in the Abbey

Traditional Skills in Action - The Crafts that Built the Abbey

Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 August, 12.00-6.00 pm, Monday 25 August 10.00 am - 4.00 pm

Come and meet the craftspeople of today who continue the skills that built Dorchester Abbey.

Watch stonemasons shape, carve and letter in stone; stained glass artists demonstrating their techniques and creating a glass panel inspired by the Abbey; woodworkers showing the skills required to make furniture; a blacksmith and a lead worker illustrating the possibilities of working with iron and lead.

Speak to the craftspeople and learn more of the history of their crafts and how their skills and tools compare with those of the craftsmen of the 11th and 12th centuries. Try some of the skills.

There is no entrance charge, since the event has been funded by Awards for All, the Oxford Preservation Trust, the Golsoncott Foundation, the Doris Field Charitable Trust and private donations.

Refreshments available all day.

We shall be requiring accommodation for some of the craftspeople taking part-double and single rooms for 23 and 24 August. Please let me know if you are interested in being a host.

OSJ Festival in the Abbey - 12-14 September

The Orchestra of St John's and OSJ Voices under their conductor John Lubbock, whose Messiah and St John Passion were such memorable events in Dorchester at Christmas and Easter, perform in the orchestra's 11th Music in the Abbey festival. To close its 40th Anniversary celebrations the OSJ has planned probably the most ambitious programme of concerts in the history of the series.

The festival opens with a familiar favourite: Vivaldi's Four Seasons with Jan Schmolck, OSJ's superb leader, followed by the haunting and emotive Strauss Metamorphosen, written in response to the destruction of the Dresden Opera House, where most of Strauss's operas were first performed. A new feature of this year's festival is the late-night OSJ Ensemble concert on Saturday 13 September at 10 pm. The recently formed OSJ Ensemble plays Messiaen's evocative and atmospheric Quatuor pour la fin de temps. Sally Matthews, a festival favourite, returns to perform Strauss's moving swansong Four Last Songs, providing a spectacular end to the programme. 'Come and Sing', another popular part of the festival, makes a return this September. Amateur choral singers are invited to join John Lubbock for a three-hour workshop on Saturday 13 from 10 am.

Music in the Abbey: Dorchester Abbey, Friday 12, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, all at 7.30 pm. Tickets at £25, £20 (£18) and £14 (£12); Saturday 13, 10.00 pm, all tickets at £15. Tickets for all performances from Tickets Oxford, 01865 305305, www.ticketsoxford.com. All three 7.30 pm concerts for Area A £70, Area B £55 (£50), Area C £38 (£32) plus £5 off 10 pm concert-call 01865 305305 for this offer. 'Come and Sing' tickets, £10, at the Abbey on the day.

Further details will appear in the September issue of Dorchester News.

Christian Aid Week

Just a note to everyone who helped in collecting a substantial amount for Christian Aid Week-we raised £692.86. Thank you so much to all those who contributed, including the Sunday Club at the Abbey, and particularly to our generous collectors.

Christian Aid works with the world's poorest communities in 50 countries. They invest in things that provide many benefits for years to come and help people to improve their own lives-whatever their background or religion.