MEMORIAL SERVICE

Brian Chappell Memorial

Brian Chappell

11th February 1929 - 13th June 2011

On Wednesday 14th September 2011 at 11:30am a service of thanksgiving for the life of Brian Chappell was held at St Bride’s Church.
Download Order of Service (pdf)

Introduction

The Venerable David Meara delivered the Bidding:

We have come to St Bride’s today to remember before God our dear brother in Christ Brian Chappell, to give thanks for his life, and to commend him to God our merciful redeemer; to commit his body to be cremated and to comfort one another in our sadness.

In Thy mercy, O Lord, turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life, and the sorrow of parting into the joy of heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Addresses

Richard Grove

Edwin Chappell

Readings

Canon Nigel Nicholson read Romans, 8, v 31-end

31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eric Davies, read an extract from London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd

MUSIC

The choir & organist of St Bride’s Choir performed the following anthems and songs:

The Lord bless you and keep you – Rutter
Jubilate – Britten
I was glad – Parry
Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana – Mascagni
Nunc Dimittis – Stanford in G

Hymns:

For all the Saints
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven
All people that on earth do dwell

Thanksgiving service reflects the life of a true churchman

Many of his Masonic friends, representatives of Livery Companies and his family thronged into St Bride’s Church on September 14 for a service of thanksgiving for the life of Brian Chappell, whose name was not only synonymous with city organisations, but especially with the Fleet Street church, spanning more than 60 years.

For well over half of that time, Brian was Clerk to his much-loved Guild of St Bride and was one of the co-founders to resurrect the guild back to life in the late 1950s and particularly in time for the rededication of the church in 1957, nearly 20 years after it had been almost entirely demolished at the beginning of World War II.

Brian’s widow, Yvonne and son Edwin , who paid a special tribute to his father, were clearly impressed, not only with the choir’s singing, but some of the music, which Brian had particularly requested. Parry’s I was Glad, Britten’s evocative music set to the Jubilate and Widor’s final movement from his glorious 5th Symphony to round off the service were among Brian’s favourites.

Earlier, Richard Grove, one of his Masonic friends, paid tribute to Brian, mentioning the many organisations and associations within the City of London, with which he was connected, and Eric Davies, a guildsman since 1975, read an extract from London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd.

The service was led by The Venerable David Meara, Rector of St Bride’s and Archdeacon of London, and Canon Nigel Nicholson, Chaplain, the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards, assisted him.

Refreshments in the Bridewell Hall, St Bride Institute, were provided by Yvonne and the family after the service.

Edward Bevin

congregation sitting for service

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