Hellesdon Pageant
Other names
- A Pageant to Celebrate 600 Years of Living and Caring
Pageant type
Performances
Place: Hellesdon (Hellesdon, Norwich) (Hellesdon, Norwich, Norfolk, England)
Year: 1970
Indoors/outdoors: Indoors
Number of performances: 1
Notes
Unspecified date during 1970
[The pageant was probably held in St Mary's Church]
Name of pageant master and other named staff
Names of executive committee or equivalent
n/a
Names of script-writer(s) and other credited author(s)
Names of composers
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Numbers of performers
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Financial information
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Object of any funds raised
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Linked occasion
600th anniversary of the village church of St Mary’s
Audience information
Prices of admission and seats: highest–lowest
Free
Associated events
n/a
Pageant outline
I. Prologue
In 870 [869], very near this spot, the gentle King Edmund and his Angles are overrun by the marauding, pagan Danes. And Edmund, offered his life, prefers to die rather than compromise his faith and integrity by sharing the pagan throne.
II. Man and His Work
i) Village life in 14th century Hellesdon is shown, with various kinds of work going on. St. Mary’s is built and dedicated.
ii) The crops are blessed, and the parish bounds beaten. The harvesting of the crops is celebrated with dancing and thanksgiving to God for his bounty.
iii) To-day too our work is to be offered to God as something sacred. A parade shows some of the industries carried on to-day in Hellesdon.
III. The Education of Man
- i) A fascinating glimpse from 1668.
- ii) A step forward in the local training of
teachers – 1855-90.
- iii) ‘Concern for others’ in School today.
IV. The Care of Men in Sickness
In eight short scenes, some glimpses are given of how man, inspired by love and faith, have tried to care for the sick. From the work of Jesus, the story passes through Saxon witchcraft, superstition and herbalism, to the present understanding of the physical and spiritual roots of sickness.
V. Family Life in 1370.
Marriage—baptism—breakfast—school—14th century fun and games!
God still cares about family life. The caring remains the same: though perhaps you will be glad of some of the changes on man’s side!
Key historical figures mentioned
- Edmund [St Edmund] (d. 869) king of
the East Angles
Musical production
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Newspaper coverage of pageant
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Book of words
- None known
Other primary published materials
- Hellesdon 600th Anniversary Programme and Pageant Synopsis. Norwich, 1970. [Price 6d]
References in secondary literature
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Archival holdings connected to pageant
- Copy of Programme in Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, Reference PD 700/137
Sources used in preparation of pageant
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Summary
Hellesdon had celebrated a previous pageant in 1951. This 1970 pageant, strongly religious in its themes, was staged by local schoolchildren in St Mary’s Church (the 600th anniversary of which the event commemorated). It was a small-scale affair, performed just once.
Footnotes
How to cite this entry
Angela Bartie, Linda Fleming, Mark Freeman, Tom Hulme, Alex Hutton, Paul Readman, ‘Hellesdon Pageant’, The Redress of the Past, http://www.historicalpageants.ac.uk/pageants/1387/