What’s On – Glaven Valley Benefice
FEATURED EVENTS
Five Churches Festival
For the third year, the five churches of the Glaven Valley on the North Norfolk Coast, each with their own unique architecture, history and atmosphere will host a varied and exciting programme of music from 9-13 July.
Featuring musicians of international acclaim alongside established professionals from across Norfolk, the Festival provides five days of exceptional concerts with something for everyone. Chamber music, evening jazz, brass ensemble, and an idyllic finale English music for strings.
Browse our Festival EVENTS page and book early as some venues have limited capacity.
We look forward to seeing you!
Art Lark, a group of local artists, are once again exhibiting their work in Letheringsett Church during the festival; open daily Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm.
JULY
Wednesday 9th July 7.30pm – Wiveton Church
Time Stands Still
A Five Churches Festival Concert
LOTTE BETTS-DEAN mezzo-soprano
DIMITRIS SOUKARAS guitar
Mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean and guitarist Dimitris Soukaras launch the 2025 Festival with a unique programme weaving together the songs of John Dowland and Nick Drake – two extraordinary English songwriters separated by centuries but united by their ability to convey haunting melancholy and timeless beauty. After an interval glass of fizz, Lotte and Dimitris will take us on a further vibrant musical journey, through Southern Europe, Latin America, and folk songs from around the world.
Tickets – Adults £20; U18 free – from the Festival Website
Thursday 10th July 3pm – Cley Church
Thursdays@3
No 156 Making Musicians
A Five Churches Festival Concert
Tristan McCardel – violin
Benjamin Griffiths – tenor
Brenda Blewett – piano
Please do join us for both some music and some lovely tea and cake afterwards.
You will be most welcome.
There is no charge, but donations are appreciated in aid of the Cley Regeneration Project.
Thursday 10th July 5pm – Glandford Church
Glaven Rhapsody – Performance 1
A Five Churches Festival Concert
Rachel Stacy (viola) and Ivan McCready (cello) present a unique multimedia performance celebrating the beauty and magnificence of the Glaven Valley.
Tickets – Adults £20; U18 free – from the Festival Website.
Thursday 10th July 7pm – Glandford Church
Glaven Rhapsody – Performance 2
A Five Churches Festival Concert
Rachel Stacy (viola) and Ivan McCready (cello) present a unique multimedia performance celebrating the beauty and magnificence of the Glaven Valley.
Tickets – Adults £20; U18 free – from the Festival Website.
Thursday 10th July 8.30pm – Bayfield Hall
Jazz at Bayfield
A Five Churches Festival Concert
Legendary singer Barbar Gough joins the Chris Cooper Trio as Barbar and the Black Sheep in a summer evening programme of classic jazz swing standards, blues and ballads.
Tickets – Adults £20; U18 free – from the Festival Website.
Friday 11th July 7.30pm – Blakeney Church
Schhh … Schubert and Schumann
A Five Churches Festival Concert
The Festival welcomes celebrated international cellist Robert Cohen, hailed as one of the foremost cellists of our time, in performance with pianist, Brenda Blewett and Chaos Collective.
Tickets – Adults £20; U18 free – from the Festival Website.
Saturday 12th July 11.00am – Cley Church
In Conversation – Stephen Threlfall
A Five Churches Festival Event
Artistic Director Brenda Blewett in conversation with Stephen Threlfall, conductor of the Festival Finale, about what makes English music sound English and more.
Tickets – Adults £5; U18 free – from the Festival Website.
Saturday 12th July 7.30pm – Letheringsett Church
Brass in Time
A Five Churches Festival Concert
London Central Brass are an exciting new name in the Chamber Music world, and bring to the Festival a varied, vibrant and joyful programme
Tickets – Adults £20; U18 free – from the Festival Website
Kindly sponsored by Robert & Charlotte Carter.
Sunday 13th July 11.00am – Blakeney Church
Festival Songs of Praise
A Five Churches Festival Event
A special Festival service of favourite hymns and songs celebrating creativity, the arts and music.
The guest speaker is Michael Wakelin – former Head of Religious Broadcasting at the BBC and Series Producer of Songs of Praise – so the perfect source of wisdom, knowledge and inspiration for this joyful service.
Sunday 13th July 11.15am – Glandford Church
Holy Communion with hymns
A Book of Common Prayer service.
Sunday 13th July 6pm – Wiveton Church
Service of Contemplation
A service of Peace, Healing and Reconciliation
30 minutes of silent, contemplative prayer.
Candles, stillness, peace.
Sunday 13th July 7.00pm – Cley Church
Festival Finale – An English Idyll
A Five Churches Festival Concert
A feast of English music for String Ensemble. Britten Simple Symphony, Elgar Serenade for Strings, Holst St. Paul’s Suite, Finzi Romance and the Oboe Concerto by Vaughan Williams performed by acclaimed young oboist Ewan Millar, whose performance in the BBC Young Musician final was described as “an exemplary, richly shaded account” (The Guardian).
Continuing the Festival’s vital support of young artists, the programme also features a movement from Divertimento for Strings by 14-year-old Isaac Schaad, as well as a unique and moving work by Philip Herbert – Elegy: In Memorium Stephen Lawrence.
Directed by international conductor Stephen Threlfall, former BBC Philharmonic cellist, Director of Music at Chetham’s School of Music and current Artistic Director of Lake District Summer Music, this concert promises to be an exhilarating and memorable finale to the 2025 Festival.
Tickets – Adults £25; U18 free – from the Festival website.
Tuesday 15th July 10am – Blakeney Church
Bible Study
An open group for all churches (and any others who wish to join us) to discuss the readings that will be part of the next Sunday’s service.
Informal, friendly, interesting.
Tuesday 15th July 6pm – Wiveton Church
Contemplative Prayer
Silence, Peace, Presence.
30 mins of silent, contemplative prayer to which all are welcome.
Wednesday 16th July 10am – Cley Church
Holy Communion
A Book of Common Prayer service.
Wednesday 16th July 12pm-2pm – Blakeney Church
Let’s Do Lunch!
Serving homemade salads plus our legendary desserts. A great place to meet and make friends!
There is no charge but donations are appreciated.
Everyone welcome – visitors and residents.
Thursday 17th July 3pm – Cley Church
Thursdays@3
Please do join us for both some music and some lovely tea and cake afterwards.
You will be most welcome.
There is no charge, but donations are appreciated in aid of the Cley Regeneration Project.
Sunday 20th July 9.30am – Blakeney Church
Celtic Communion with prayers for healing
Also live-streamed on YouTube
Do stay for tea/coffee afterwards.
Sunday 20th July 9.30am- Letheringsett Church
Morning Prayer with hymns
A Common Worship service
Sunday 20th July 11.15am- Cley Church
Café Church
A wonderful opportunity to worship, learn and chat in an informal setting around tables at the back of the church – all whilst enjoying delicious croissants and fresh coffee and the Sunday newspapers to inspire prayer and discussion.
Sunday 20th July 6.30pm – Wiveton Church
Evensong
A Book of Common Prayer Service with Sung Responses and Canticles.
Tuesday 22nd July 10am – Blakeney Church
Bible Study
An open group for all churches (and any others who wish to join us) to discuss the readings that will be part of the next Sunday’s service.
Informal, friendly, interesting.
Tuesday 22nd July 6.30pm – Wiveton Church
Music in Country Churches
Crossing Borders: Eighteenth Century Travels Across the Italian Border
A celebration of the life of Mirabel Cecil
La Serenissima directed by Adrian Chandler
Brescianello: Ouverture-Suite for Strings and Continuo in F major
Vivaldi: ‘Paris’ Concerto VI for Strings and Continuo in G minor
Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings, and Continuo in B flat major
Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, Strings, and Continuo in G minor
Telemann: Ouverture-Suite for Strings and Continuo in A minor
Tickets: £50, includes a pre-concert reception from 5,30pm available from Music in Country Churches. This concert has now sold out.
This concert has been generously sponsored by the Lady Hind Trust and the RC Snelling Charitable Trust.
Sunday 27th July 8am – Cley Church
Holy Communion
A Book of Common Prayer Service.
Sunday 27th July 9.30am – Blakeney Church
Sung Communion
A Common Worship service also live-streamed on YouTube
We welcome The Ven Catherine Dobson, Archdeacon of Lynn, to preside at our service.
Do stay for tea/coffee afterwards.
Sunday 27th July 11.15am – Wiveton Church
Family Service
An informal, short service with drama, singing and refreshments afterwards!
All are welcome.
Sunday 27th July 6.30pm – Glandford Church
Evensong
A Book of Common Prayer service with traditional chants.
Monday 28th July 7.00pm – Blakeney Church
The Institution and Induction of
The Rev Canon Jonathan Dowman
This service will also live-streamed on YouTube
We welcome The Rt Rev Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and The Ven Catherine Dobson, Archdeacon of Lynn, to institute and induct our new Rector.
Do stay for refreshments afterwards.
Tuesday 29th July 6pm – Wiveton Church
Contemplative Prayer
Silence, Peace, Presence.
30 mins of silent, contemplative prayer to which all are welcome.
AUGUST
Sunday 3rd August 11.00am – Blakeney Church
Benefice Sung Communion
A Common Worship service also live-streamed on YouTube
Do stay for tea/coffee afterwards.
Sunday 3rd August 6.00pm – Cley Church
Taizé
Following the tradition of this well-loved ecumenical community in France, using easy repetition of beautiful chants, as well as short readings and prayers.
Tuesday 5th August 6pm – Wiveton Church
Contemplative Prayer
Silence, Peace, Presence.
30 mins of silent, contemplative prayer to which all are welcome.
Wednesday 6th August 8am-11am (Last orders for a cooked breakfast 10.30am) – Blakeney Church
The Great Blakeney Breakfast!
Come and join us for our monthly breakfast to enjoy a feast of cereal, home-made porridge, croissants, scrambled egg on toast, egg and bacon, fruit juice and fresh fruit and of course our great bacon rolls. It’s a great place to bring friends and to make new ones.
There is no charge but donations are appreciated.
Everyone welcome – visitors and residents.