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2013-2017 On the Market and ‘Kenosis’
In September 2013, after Harvey retired from his ecumenical job, I was handed over to a violin dealer in Farnborough, near Bromley, who began to look out for potential buyers for me! As you know, I have changed hands numerous times in my long life, and it has never really bothered me – until now.…
2010 – Longing to be played, but feeling betrayed
Harvey now became a ‘supernumerary’ minister, moving with Carol from Croydon into their retirement home in Shepherdswell, near Dover. Although he had been granted permission by the Methodist Conference to ‘sit down’ from his Methodist ministry obligations, Harvey was still able to take a part-time job as the County Ecumenical Officer for Churches Together in…
2005-2010 Sixth Station – still searching for Redemption
In August 2005, Harvey was appointed superintendent minister for the Croydon Circuit, and Carol and he moved into the Manse in Shirley with me and my bow. Although I was taken to Parson’s Noyse practices, usually by bus and train, I began to notice that Harvey’s ‘heart’ was not in his playing. His body was…
1999-2005 Fifth Station – ‘Parson’s Noyse’ and Family History
Harvey was appointed ‘Chairman of the London SE District’ and moved from Haywards Heath to Bromley, Kent. For me there were two significant events during these Bromley days: Harvey joined with two other ordained ministers in forming a Piano Trio, and one of their friends came up with the name – ‘Parson’s Noyse’. We met…
1995-97 Music & Aesthetics (3)
My third posting from Harvey’s aesthetic studies at Sussex University relates to the final dissertation he had to submit at the end of the course. It was an analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven’s great setting of the Catholic mass, ‘Missa Solemnis’, including a comparison with philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer’s monumental study of hermeneutics in his ‘Truth…
1995-97 Music & Aesthetics (2)
The second part of the Sussex University course introduced Harvey to the music of a number of contemporary composers. They were all new to both of us! (Rothko Capel, Houston Texas) I could tell that ‘Rothko Chapel’, inspired by the art and architecture of the building dedicated to the artist Mark Rothko, struck a chord…
1995-97 Music & Aesthetics (1)
Now, to more thinking! In September 1995 Harvey began a two-year part-time degree course on Music & Aesthetics at The University of Sussex. He was required to study works by 19th and 20th century philosophers, including – ‘The Critique of Judgement’ by Immanuel Kant ‘Lectures on Aesthetics’ by G W F Hegel ‘The World as…
1993 – Sabbatical Year: Is Arnold Schoenberg all that bad?
I have sensed that Harvey has long been interested in Arnold Schoenberg’s music. Also, during his training, Harvey became fascinated by the work of the New Testament scholar, Rudolf Bultmann, especially in the area of Form Criticism and how the Gospels came to be written. In 1993, as part of his sabbatical, Harvey began to…
1988-99 Fourth Station – the Watershed Years with a Question
After 5 years in South London, Harvey was stationed in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, to take responsibility for the churches in the Mid-Sussex Circuit. (Haywards Heath, Sussex) These 11 years can be perceived, and heard, as a watershed. Harvey, while exercising a full ministry throughout a large area with 11 churches, was still chasing the…
1983-88 Third Station – Gospel ‘Musicking’ and frustrated Fiddling
In 1983 Harvey was stationed as Superintendent minister in the Shooters Hill Circuit. I was packed up with the whole family – Harvey, Carol, Daniel (7), Emily (3) and Thomas(9mo) – and we settled into the Manse in Welling, Kent. (Welling Methodist Church) It was unusual at that time for a minister with only 8…