Cumberland Lodge shares 50th online chapel service for Great Park neighbours
Throughout the pandemic, Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park has been producing a weekly live-streamed service from its green-screen studio, to support the congregation of the Royal Chapel of All Saints in the Park, and its surrounding community. Earlier this month, the charity shared its 50th online service.
While the Royal Chapel has been closed, services from Cumberland Lodge have been led by Canon Martin Poll (Chaplain to Windsor Great Park, Canon of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and Domestic Chaplain to the Queen), or Canon Dr Ed Newell (Chief Executive of Cumberland Lodge).
Bible readings are filmed each week by members of the Royal Chapel congregation, from their homes, and the hymns and anthems are painstakingly recorded, track by track, by members of the Chapel choir, and produced by another member of the congregation, Peter Harris. The piano and organ music is recorded by Richard Furstenheim MVO, Director of Music for the Royal Chapel, or Sean Bui, the Assistant Director.
Cumberland Lodge Chief Executive, Ed Newell said: ‘Having invested in a webcasting studio in 2019, little did we know how important it would soon become. We are so pleased to be able to use it to support the ministry of the Royal Chapel and reach out to those who’ve been isolated over the past year. It also means we have been honing our webcasting skills, which are clearly going to be much needed in the future, and hiring our studio facilities also provides us with a new source of revenue to support our wider charitable work.’
Several of the Clergy St George’s Chapel, Windsor have contributed sermons for the weekly services, including: The Rt Revd David Conner (Dean of Windsor), Canon Mark Powell (Canon Steward) and The Revd Jonathan Coore (Succentor).
In April 2020, one of the services featured a guest address by the former hostage and humanitarian Terry Waite, and the following week the preacher was The Rt Revd & Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury.
The online services are shared on the ‘Read, Watch, Listen’ section of the Cumberland Lodge website from 11am every Sunday, at cumberlandlodge.ac.uk/project/services-royal-chapel-community
The recordings remain on the website to watch afterwards, and a short service of Compline is also available for evening prayer.
Launched last year, the green-screen studio at Cumberland Lodge is located in the historic Mews next to the main Lodge. It is newly equipped with simple, professional live-streaming and video mixing equipment and can be hired for video projects and virtual or hybrid events throughout the week, with studio technician support included.
Free on-site parking is available, and the facilities are Covid-secure. Virtual backgrounds and studio backdrops can be provided, if required, along with basic editing and post-production assistance.
Every studio booking helps to support the charitable work of Cumberland Lodge. Further information and contact details for bookings and enquiries can be found here.