C S Lewis Centenary Group

Newsletter of the C S Lewis Centenary Group, commemorating Lewis’s Centenary in his native land

Number 4, August 1997

SURPRISED BY JOY!

Nick Page, Manager, on (01959) 523740, adds more details on the nature of two versions of this musical offering [see July C S Lewis News]. There will be;

a) a theatrical version with words and music, to be named Surprised by Joy! [with exclamation mark], which will tour Great Britain from Plymouth to Inverness in Febuary and March 1998. A later tour of cities in Ireland is planned as well.

b) an orchestral concert version, presently unnamed, which will come to the Waterfront Hall in Belfast sometime in 1998, as one in a series of orchestral showcases of the new music.

A musical album of Keith Getty’s new music will be recorded in the USA, probably early next year.

Nick has also been approached to take the theatrical version to the USA, Europe and Australia, but no decisions on these will be taken until the concert events are decided.

DOCUMENTARY

Executive Producer, Mr Ian Kirk-Smith, will produce a 40-minute documentary on the life of C S Lewis, commisioned by BBC Northern Ireland. The documentary will appear on BBC 2 in 1998.

ENGAGEMENT

Group Member, Cllr Dr Ian Adamson, Lord Mayor of Belfast 1996-97, has recently announced his engagement to Miss Kerry Carson, of Cherryvalley, Belfast. The couple plan to wed next year on April 15th, during the Centenary year of CSL's birth. We wish Ian and Kerry every happiness.

FAMILY TREES

Mrs Primrose Henderson, of Holywood, Co Down, a relative of CSL through the Ewart connection, writes giving an outline family tree of CSL and other descendents of Rev Thomas Hamilton.

Mrs Patricia Shelley, of Bradford-upon-Avon, Wiltshire, [see July C S Lewis News] writes giving 2 family trees;

a) her own, showing her descent from John Hamilton floruit 1780, and her relationship with Mrs Alice Moore, whom CSL brought to live in a bungalow in Oxford, where she is buried (see They Stand Together, letters number 180 [written from Mrs Moore's home in Kilkeel] and number 202 [noting her death]). Douglas Gresham would later live in the same bungalow; and

b) that of CSL’s Hamilton side, through his grandfather, Rev Thomas Hamilton, back to Hugh Hamilton 1664-1728, born in Co Down.

Mrs Shelley gives as well an extract from a letter of CSL’s to Warnie, dated 11th November, 1939, discussing the funeral of Mrs Alice Moore.

ARTHUR GREEVES

Miss Molly Greeves, a lively lady of 89 years, writes with more information about her second cousin, Arthur Greeves. [Mr Michael Hutchison writes on the same subject, too.] Molly's parents were good friends of Arthur's parents, and Molly met CSL once, before CSL's marriage, at Arthur Greeves's house in Crawfordsburn.

The Greeves family were longstanding Quakers, but some converted to the Plymouth Brethren in the 1860s. Arthur's parents were Brethren of the most exclusive kind. Some of Arthur's siblings joined the Church of Ireland. After CSL converted to Christianity, Arthur, oddly, began to waver. While at Crawfordsburn, Arthur attended meetings of the Ba'hai Faith. In the final years of of his life, Arthur reverted to the old family allegience and attended the small Quaker meeting in Bangor. A living resident of Crawfordsburn village recalls Arthur giving him a lift in his motor car on Sunday mornings to worship in Bangor.

On 24th August Michael Hutchison and James O'Fee have taped an interview with Molly. Inter alia Molly admired Arthur's painting and called him a fine Christian.

FUSION

North Down Borough Council includes a short feature on Arthur Greeves in the July-September issue of its Arts Newsletter, FUSION. If you would like a copy, please write to; Arts Section, Tourist Information Centre, Tower House, Quay Street, Bangor, Co Down BT20 5ED. [See as well item in June ‘C S Lewis News’.]

ST MARK’S

Group member, Mr Tony Wilson, has witten a 4-page, A4, leaflet on ‘C. S. Lewis in St Mark’s, Dundela.’ He will send a copy on request, free of charge. Mr Tony Wilson, 372 Belmont Road, Belfast BT4 2LB.

LYRIC THEATRE

The Lyric Theatre have sent an attractive flyer, with a dragon design, promoting their production of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Advertisments have appeared on television as well. Perfomances Thurs 27 November 1997-Sat 10 January 1998. Tickets £5-9 each [Family ticket for 4 incl 2 children, £28]. Box office Tel: (01232) 381081.

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