Held on the last week in April, Men’s Sunday was always an inspirational day in the life of the former Five Crosses Methodist Church. A male voice choir drawn from the churches of the town and augmented by members of the Highfield Male Voice Choir would lead worship, often under the direction of Islwyn Jones, a great Welsh musician and man of faith, who encouraged many to take up singing. Often at the end of the day the choir would perform “Eli Jenkin’s Prayer”, from Dylan Thomas’s 1954 radio play “Under Milk Wood”, sung to the tune Troyte’s Chant. Thomas describes how The Rev'd. Eli Jenkins, one of the inhabitants of the fictional Welsh fishing village of Llareggub, prays for its inhabitants, “at the doorway of Bethesda House, the Reverend Eli Jenkins recites to Llaregyb Hill his sunset poem…” Every morning, when I wake, Dear Lord, a little prayer I make, O please to keep Thy loving eye On all poor creatures born to die. And every evening at sun-down I ask a blessing on the town, For whether we last the night or no I'm sure is always touch-and-go. We are not wholly bad or good Who live our lives under Milk Wood, And Thou, I know, wilt be the first To see our best side, not our worst. O let us see another day! Bless us this holy night, I pray, And to the sun we all will bow And say goodbye - but just for now! A link to Eli Jenkin’s Prayer Performed by Treorchy Male Voice Choir:
Andrew Ellams
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ReflectionsThe reflections here are written by members of our congregation.
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