On Thursday 21st September, 2023 at 11:30am a service of thanksgiving for the life of Melvyn Marckus was held at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street. Download Order of Service (pdf)
The Revd Canon Dr Alison Joyce delivered the opening:
A very warm welcome to St Bride’s, the Journalists’ Church, as we come together to honour the memory and to celebrate the life of Melvyn Marckus: a man who was a highly respected expert in his field of journalism, a consummate professional, and a man who was much loved by those who were close to his heart.
We begin with an opening prayer by the priest and poet John Donne:
Let us pray:
Bring us, O Lord, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house where shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession: no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity in the habitations of your glory and dominion world without end. Amen.
Addresses
Alan Parker
George Pitcher
Readings
Remy Marckus read Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13
3: 1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
9 What gain has the worker from his toil?
10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live;
13 also that it is God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil.
Ella Marckus-Draffan read an extract from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nat Marckus wrote and read Fishing
Music
The choir & organist of St Bride’s performed the following anthems and songs:
God be in my head – Henry Walford Davies Ave verum corpus – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Let the river run – Carly Simon arr. Josh Daniels Toreador’s Song from Carmen – Georges Bizet Love theme from The Godfather – Nino Rota
Hymns
He who would valiant be
Morning has broken
Jerusalem
