Tag Archives: Launde Abbey

Soul Filled Meanderings

Why not join us for a guided walk at Launde Abbey, with Jo de Graaf?

Take a couple of hours, put on your coat and boots, to explore and experience God’s creation. This is an opportunity to stop, look and listen. Using all your senses to know and understand more about our Everlasting Father and Creator God.

Suitable for all abilities. Alternative activities available if weather is wet.

This walk is planned at the earlier time of 10am, meet at the front of the main house. Why not enjoy a hot drink, a sweet treat or a spot of lunch in the Launde Abbey café after?

Places are limited to groups of 10, please book in advance.

Free of charge, donations welcome.

For more information or to book your place call 01572 717254 or email [email protected]

Icon Painting Retreat ***FULLY BOOKED***

This retreat is now fully booked.  If you wish to be placed on the Waiting List, please complete the form below and the booking team will contact you.

Join us for this five-day icon painting course with experienced iconographer, Peter Murphy.

The course takes place in the prayerful and meditative atmosphere of one of the oldest and most beautiful retreat houses in England, which has its own medieval chapel. Over the course of the week, students will learn to gild and paint on a specially prepared wooden panel using traditional medieval techniques and materials.

All materials, including gold leaf and pigments, are included in the fee. Each course starts with an Anglican Eucharist, which all course participants are welcome to attend, and there is an opportunity to join in other services if required.

Peter Murphy

Peter Murphy was born in Leeds and was educated at the University of East London. He trained with iconographer Guillem Ramos Poqui in London. He was Vice Chairman of the Society of Tempera Painters and is a member of the British Association of Iconographers. He has been commissioned by a number of churches in the UK and has also been employed by a number of museums and has recently undertaken three major commissions for Hereford Cathedral. For more information about Peter and his work please visit: petermurphyicons.co.uk

Retreat price: Standard Room (4 nights): £910.00  |  Character Room (4 nights) £980.00  | Additional (Sunday) night: £91.00 |  Includes en-suite accommodation, all meals, and all retreat resources. It may be possible for you to extend your stay with us by adding an extra night before or after this retreat. Please contact the Abbey directly if you would like to extend your stay.

Click here to book your place on this retreat now:

 

 

 

For any questions, or queries or if you’d like to know more, please call  01572 717254 or alternatively email us: [email protected]

Fill in the form below if you’d like to join a waiting list, should a place become available:

    Look at the Birds: A Birdwatching Retreat ***FULLY BOOKED***

    This retreat is now fully booked! 2025 retreat dates will be made available soon, so keep your eyes peeled on our website!

    Jesus told his followers to “look at the birds of the air” and Mark Winter as a keen birdwatcher has spent a lifetime following that teaching. Since 2004 Mark has helped others to look at birds on his Even Sparrows retreats on Holy Island, and he continues to marvel at how birds teach us about God’s love.

    This May we welcome Mark back to Launde for the 4th year running to lead another birdwatching retreat. On each retreat people have discovered that we have so many birds locally to see, hear and learn from; last year’s impressive total of 76 different species included Osprey, Hobby, Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. Come and see these birds for yourself and enjoy a time of quiet Celtic Christian worship, biblical reflections and guided birdwatching walks.

    Mark’s book, Look at the Birds of the Air, brings to life the role of birds in the Bible. He explores their importance to individuals like Noah, Moses and Elijah and their frequent mention in prophecy, wisdom literature and the Psalms. Above all, Mark considers the significance of birds like the raven, eagle and dove to Jesus himself, as well as the lessons we can learn from birds as his followers today.

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    Retreat price: £480 (standard room) or £525 (character room)
    EARLY BIRD RATE: £450 (standard room) or £495 (character room) if booked by 26th February 2024!
    Price includes en-suite accommodation, all meals, and all retreat resources.
    It may be possible for you to extend your stay with us by adding an extra night before or after this retreat. Please contact the Abbey directly if you would like to extend your stay.

    Click below to book your place now on this retreat:

     

     

     

    For any questions, or queries or if you’d like to know more, please call  01572 717254 or alternatively email us: [email protected]

    Classical Concert and Cream Tea: Lisa Nelsen (Flute) & Alan Thomas (Guitar) ***FULLY BOOKED***

    This event is now fully booked. Please see our programme for alternative upcoming dates!

    Join us for the perfect Sunday afternoon out… 

    We look forward to continuing our Launde Abbey Concert Series throughout 2024, bringing you intimate classical performances from the finest musicians. Join us for an hour of enchanting classical music in our medieval chapel followed by the famous Launde Abbey Cream Tea.

    Alan Thomas (Guitar)

    Whether performing the complete lute works of J.S. Bach, sharing the stage with artists as diverse as Alfie Boe and Aphex Twin, or composing genre-bending music with live computer interaction, Alan Thomas has been devoted to exploring the guitar’s many personalities and sonic possibilities. Alan’s compositions focus on the guitar in solo, chamber and concerto settings, drawing freely on a broad range of styles and techniques to create music that is both rigorously constructed and accessible and leading Classical Guitar magazine to praise his work as “the best of what’s being written for the contemporary guitar”.

    Lisa Nelsen (Flute)

    Lisa Nelsen is internationally recognised for her versatility as a flute soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, educator and mentor in performance practices. She is a member of The Harborough Collective, a chamber ensemble led by internationally acclaimed violinist David Le Page, and is a founding member of Enigma14 with cellist Julian Metzger and pianist Paul Turner. Lisa gives concerts and masterclasses in venues across the UK, Canada, the United States, and Hong Kong.  In 2019, Lisa was asked to become Chair for the Council of the British Flute Society.  She is a Professor at the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music in London, teaching flute and coaching wind chamber groups and the orchestral winds and has been the Specialist Flute Tutor at Wells Cathedral School for more than 15 years. 

    Launde Classical Concerts offer the chance to hear an hour-long live concert in the company of some of the country’s leading performers, followed by a gorgeous Launde cream tea.

    A Launde Abbey Fundraising Event.

    Tickets £21 (or £16 for concert only). Call 01572 717254 or email [email protected].

    Classical Concert and Cream Tea: Sarah Small (Viola da Gamba) & Johan Löfving (Theorbo) ***FULLY BOOKED***

    This concert is now fully booked. Please see our programme for alternative dates.

    We look forward to continuing our Launde Abbey Concert Series throughout 2024, bringing you intimate classical performances from the finest musicians. Join us for an hour of enchanting classical music in our medieval chapel followed by the famous Launde Abbey Cream Tea.

    Sarah Small (Viola da Gamba)

    Sarah Small is a viola da gamba player and founder of the ensemble, Hex. She holds a Masters with Distinction from the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Reiko Ichise. Sarah has been fortunate to perform and record with various ensembles across the UK and Europe including multi-award-winning ensemble Fretwork, Charivari Agréable, and the Gesualdo Six. As well as making appearances on radio stations such as BBC Radio 3 and Radio France, Sarah has performed in world-class venues such as The Globe Theatre, St Mark’s Basilica, and Buckingham Palace.

    Johan Löfving (Theorbo)

    Since being a prize winner in the prestigious London International Guitar Competition, Swedish Johan Löfving has established himself as one of the most exciting musicians of a new generation. As a guitarist and theorbo player, his performances have taken him to some of the world’s finest concert halls such as Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, The Sage Gateshead, Wiener Saal Salzburg and Konzertsaal der Wiener Sängerknaben in Vienna. Additionally, he has appeared in major festivals including Lammermuir, King’s Lynn, Stratford-on-Avon, Brighton Early Music Festival, Bath Guitar Festival, Saxå Chamber Music Festival, Styriarte Festival Graz and Carinthischer Sommer in Villach, Austria. 

    Launde Classical Concerts offer the chance to hear an hour-long live concert in the company of some of the country’s leading performers, followed by a gorgeous Launde cream tea.

    A Launde Abbey Fundraising Event.

    Tickets £21 (or £16 for concert only). Call 01572 717254 or email [email protected].

    Classical Concert and Cream Tea: The Abeto Guitar Duo

    Join us for the perfect Sunday afternoon out…

    Launde Classical Concerts offer the chance to hear an hour-long live concert in the company of some of the country’s leading performers, followed by a gorgeous Launde cream tea.

    The Abeto Guitar Duo

    The Abeto Guitar Duo met in Cardiff, Wales where they studied as a duo for their masters at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Since the duo’s conception, they have enjoyed performing across England and Wales, including Cardiff Guitar Festival and as artists in residence at the Dillington Guitar Festival. They were finalists in the Dora Stouzker Hall concerto competition in 2022. The duo have commissioned works by Chris Stell which they recorded in the summer of 2023 and they will be recording their debut album with Deux-Elles records in the summer of 2024.

    Georgina is passionate about teaching and making musical opportunities possible for all. She works for Live Music Now, an organisation which provides music performances and workshops in communities where live music is less readily available. Other accomplishments include winning the Dorris Newton Prize in 2018. 

    Matthew is also a keen teacher and has performed in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, King’s Place and Royal Festival Hall, as well as multiple locations in Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Alongside his teaching and performing, Matthew is a keen arranger and owns Rosette Editions, a publishing company specialising in guitar music.

    A Launde Abbey Fundraising Event.

    Tickets £21 (or £16 for concert only). Call 01572 717254 or email [email protected].

    Classical Concert and Cream Tea: Tesserae (4-part Vocal Group)

    Join us for the perfect Sunday afternoon out… 

    ‘Jubilate’

    Songs of joy and love

    Tesserae is a SSAA quartet based in the East Midlands. Having sung together for several years as part of the octet Mosaic, we decided to try out some repertoire for upper voices, and we liked what we found. We enjoy performing a wide range of music, from the sacred to the secular, the age-old to the contemporary, exploring the contrasts and connections between pieces. The name of the group is a nod to our origins in Mosaic: Tesserae are the individual tiles that make up a mosaic image. 

    We are all active in choirs across the East Midlands. As Tesserae, we have sung in venues including Derby Cathedral, Apethorpe Palace, and St Mary Magdalene, Newark. We are excited to be returning to Launde Abbey this September with our ‘Jubilate’ programme.

    Tesserae are:

    Clare Robertson-Hughes

    Liz Blades

    Caroline Summers

    Kate Hill

     

    Launde Classical Concerts offer the chance to hear an hour-long live concert in the company of some of the country’s leading performers, followed by a gorgeous Launde cream tea.

    A Launde Abbey Fundraising Event.

    Tickets £21 (or £16 for concert only). Call 01572 717254 or email [email protected].

    Classical Concert and Cream Tea: Lisa Nelsen (Flute) & Julian Metzger (Cello) **FULLY BOOKED**

    Join us for the perfect Sunday afternoon out… 

    We look forward to continuing our Launde Abbey Concert Series throughout 2024, bringing you intimate classical performances from the finest musicians. Join us for an hour of enchanting classical music in our medieval chapel followed by the famous Launde Abbey Cream Tea.

    Lisa Nelsen (Flute)

    Lisa Nelsen is internationally recognised for her versatility as a flute soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, educator and mentor in performance practices. She is a member of The Harborough Collective, a chamber ensemble led by internationally acclaimed violinist David Le Page, and is a founding member of Enigma14 with cellist Julian Metzger and pianist Paul Turner. Lisa gives concerts and masterclasses in venues across the UK, Canada, the United States, and Hong Kong.  In 2019, Lisa was asked to become Chair for the Council of the British Flute Society.  She is a Professor at the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music in London, teaching flute and coaching wind chamber groups and the orchestral winds and has been the Specialist Flute Tutor at Wells Cathedral School for more than 15 years. 

    Julian Metzger

    German-born cellist Julian Metzger has lived in England since 1990; he studies at Wells Cathedral School, continuing his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, under Stefan Popov, Paul Roberts and David Dolan. Apart from his regular performances in the UK, Julian has given concerts and recitals in Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Hong Kong, where he also recorded for Radio and TV Hong Kong. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at various Festivals such as the Buckingham, The Oundle, the Beaminster and the International Casals Festival in El Vendrell, Spain.

    Launde Classical Concerts offer the chance to hear an hour-long live concert in the company of some of the country’s leading performers, followed by a gorgeous Launde cream tea.

    A Launde Abbey Fundraising Event.

    Tickets £21 (or £16 for concert only). Call 01572 717254 or email [email protected].

    Classical Concert and Cream Tea: Charlotte Rowan (Violin) & Charlotte Stevenson (Piano)

    Join us for the perfect Sunday afternoon out… 

    We look forward to continuing our Launde Abbey Concert Series throughout 2024, bringing you intimate classical performances from the finest musicians. Join us for an hour of enchanting classical music in our medieval chapel followed by the famous Launde Abbey Cream Tea.

    Charlotte Rowan (Violin)

    Born in Scotland, Charlotte Rowan was invited at age 16 to study at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, USA. Selected as concertmistress of the Conservatory Orchestra in her first year, she subsequently performed under the conductor and pianist Leon Fleischer and featured on the Washington Performing Arts Series with Rob Kapilow. Charlotte performs extensively as a recitalist in the UK and regularly performs at prestigious venues, chamber music societies and festivals. With her duo partner, pianist Charlotte Stevenson, she has given concert tours around Northern and Central Scotland, Yorkshire, Wales, Southern England, the Midlands, Essex, Kent and East Anglia. They have performed in many of the country’s finest cathedrals including Ely, Chichester, Winchester, Ripon, Chelmsford, Lincoln and Manchester and have given acclaimed appearances at festivals including Edinburgh, Wetherby, Buckingham, East Devon, Harwich, Horsham and Crail.

    Charlotte plays a Fridolin Rusch violin (2005) of Memmingen, Bavaria.

    Charlotte Stevenson (Piano)

    Charlotte Stevenson enjoys a varied career as a pianist, singer and harpist. She gained her LRAM Diploma studying piano with Mary Moore and Janette Lamb. In recent years, Charlotte has been the regular accompanist for Charlotte Rowan, performing at chamber music societies, concert series and festivals throughout the UK. Charlotte has the rare distinction of her teacher – Janette Lamb – having been taught by a pupil of Clara Schumann.

     

    Launde Classical Concerts offer the chance to hear an hour-long live concert in the company of some of the country’s leading performers, followed by a gorgeous Launde cream tea.

    A Launde Abbey Fundraising Event.

    Tickets £21 (or £16 for concert only). Call 01572 717254 or email [email protected].

    Beginners Individually Guided Weekend Retreat ***FULLY BOOKED***

    This is a weekend individually guided retreat offering time and space to notice and pay attention to God and the work of God in your life. It will be led by Rhona Knight and a team of experienced spiritual accompaniers. 

    Rhona is a theological educator, pastoral supervisor and spiritual director and is a regular retreat leader at Launde Abbey. She is the author of a number of books on discipleship and spirituality.

    Retreat price: £480 (standard room) or £525 (character room)
    EARLY BIRD RATE: £450 (standard room) or £495 (character room) if booked by 16th May 2024!
    Price includes en-suite accommodation, all meals, and all retreat resources.
    It may be possible for you to extend your stay with us by adding an extra night before or after this retreat. Please contact the Abbey directly if you would like to extend your stay.

     

     

    Send your completed form to Rhona: [email protected]. Thank you.

    Click here to book your place on this retreat now:

     

     

     

    For any questions, or queries or if you’d like to know more, please call  01572 717254 or alternatively email us: [email protected]