Easter drama at minster

Young people will perform a dramatised version of the stations of the cross at Southwell Minster today.

They will act or mime the various parts of Jesus’s journey as they move around the building.

The performance will take place in the minster at 9.30am.

It will involve members of the minster congregation aged 11 to 22.

An organiser, the Rev Alison Milbank, assistant curate of Holy Trinity Church, Lambley, said: “The young people are writing short meditations for each station, some of them spoken in character by Simon of Cyrene, Mary and other characters who were involved.

“We shall lay Jesus to rest in the life-sized olive grove constructed last year by a group of the Southwell artists including David and Christine Measures, which is set up over Holy Week in the North transept for meditation.”

Sculptures depicting Jesus’ journey to the cross were temporarily installed in the Minster School, Southwell, last week.

Southwell Minster’s Canon for education and learning, the Rev Ed Pruen, who is also a chaplain at the school, organised for the sculptures by Mr Jonathan Clarke to be put into the school for the last few days of term.

The sculptures, made from sandcast aluminium and set on oak pillars, tell the story of Jesus’ Good Friday journey to the cross.

Mr Pruen said: “It was intriguing to see the response of the Minster School students as they saw the Stations of the Cross for the first time.

“One very audibly said: ‘They are amazing’ while others quietly touched them, lost in their own thoughts.

“The sculptures seemed to speak to them. I hope that we can reach more young people in this way in the future.”

The sculptures have been returned to the minster where they will be on display.