The arts team at St Mary's welcomed Christopher Kelly from Vézelay Abbey in Burgundy to introduce us to the stunning sculpture of the Great Tympanum at Vézelay on Friday evening. Christopher, who is an international speaker on the subject of Vézelay, demonstrated his considerable knowledge of history and architecture, and combined this with an insight into the spirituality which brings many modern-day pilgrims to this world-famous site.

 Christopher also explained about the importance of the 'Golden Ratio' (a mathematical concept which influenced architectural design) when the master craftsmen built the abbey. They aligned it so that the sun's rays would fall on particular architectural elements, and highlight significant features at different times of year. Christopher talked about the role of transformation, both in sculptural and human terms, and he showed an ethereal film, accompanied by beautiful music, which challenged our perceptions of visual art with its thought-provoking commentary. The beauty of St Mary's Church, with its atmospheric lighting, further enhanced the quality of the film for the audience.

 The audience thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to view the sculpture at close quarters through the medium of the film, and several people expressed an interest in making their own pilgrimage to Vézelay in the future in order to see this masterpiece of Romanesque architecture for themselves. Many thanks to Christopher for travelling from France to share the beauty of this outstanding abbey church.

Sarah Bourne