GRAAFF-REINET NEWS— The St James Church building was a magnificent sight last Friday, filled with artfully arranged flowers in cleverly graded colours.
Right at the back of the church was a very bold display, based on a verse from Psalm 127: “Children are a gift from the Lord”. It featured a model in a red dress, with the colour beautifully picked up in dark red roses. It was as if there was a halo over her head, arching towards the baby in a cradle.
Working towards the front of the church, the colours softened, culminating with a simple but striking arrangement of gold roses with greenery, mirroring the colours of the altar cloth. There were displays under two of the stained glass windows where on one side soft blues and pinks in the flowers matched the colours in the window, and the other featured apricot roses to emphasise the shades of the window. A burst of colour was seen on the chancel steps by the pulpit, with rich blue larkspur adding depth to the arrangement.
About 16 ladies were involved with the flowers, under the very capable leadership once again of Val Loock, ably assisted by Jill Rose-Innes. For the first time, a selection of lisianthus was used, and the ladies very much enjoyed the added variety of these colourful blooms.
During the morning, visitors were able to enjoy the beautiful music played by Adeleen Nel on the organ, accompanied by Charl du Toit from Nieu-Bethesda on violin. Many sat entranced for the duration of the performance. This was followed by St James’ organist Garth Hitge, whose performance was also greatly enjoyed. In the afternoon, some of Carmen van der Walt’s piano students performed, to a very appreciative audience. One lady enthused that, after enjoying the performances of Carmen’s students for five years, she is impressed every year by how the standard continues to get even higher.
A departure from previous years was serving the refreshments in the main garden in front of the church, and the glorious weather on the day made this a perfect venue. The tables were full for most of the morning with visitors enjoying tea and scones - over 100 teas were served. The lunch tickets sold out quickly, and patrons enjoyed individual quiches with salad and a roll, koeksisters and drinks- a real bargain at R40. The catering team worked tirelessly, and not only was the food delicious, but the service came with a smile (despite aching legs near the end!) The patient and cheerful ticket seller, who sat in place all day, also deserves a mention. This was really a team effort.
A large number of visitors were able to enjoy the day, with an increasing number of local people from all sections of the community. It was a truly uplifting day, with both the magnificent floral displays and delicious food reflecting that these efforts were certainly a labour of love by all concerned.
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