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The Nightingale of Bath - Words and Music

Friday 6th March 2025

Drinks at 6.30pm; Talk Starts at 7.00pm

ALL PROFITS GO TO ALL SAINTS' CHURCH CLIFTON, LENT CHARITIES

 

Mrs Richard Brinsley Sheridan

 

The life of Elizabeth Linley, one of Britain's first modern celebrities, is presented by Thomas Messel, with readings from his recently published book The Nightingale of Bath, along with readings from the book and a musical recital of the period.


Presented by:  Thomas Messel
Music Director / Harpsichord:  John Davenport
Soprano:  Meg Rees
Readings:  Helen Sutton
 
The Nightingale of Bath Cover Bath, 1772: Elizabeth Linley, one of Britain's most celebrated singers of the time, wildly famous, renowned for her charisma and beauty, suddenly and mysteriously disappears from her family home, No. 11 Royal Crescent, Bath....
Living under the coercive control of a domineering father, she was the Britney Spears of her age. Later, trapped in a miserable marriage to the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, yet the unacknowledged genius behind his most famous plays....

Elizabeth navigates the scandalous world of society dominated by The Prince of Wales and Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and the perils of political intrigue, manipulated by Fox and Pitt.

This is a true story of ambition, jealousy, betrayal and passionate love.

Thomas Messel
Thomas Messel photo hi-res (cr
Thomas Messel, the author of The Nightingale of Bath, is known as one of Britain's most respected furniture designers, in which field he has built a reputation in the world of design both in the UK and the USA.
 
In 2011, he co-wrote and edited the study of the work of his uncle: Oliver Messel, in the Theatre of Design, for which he won the Speares Book Award in 2012.


The author will be signing copies of the book, which will be available for purchase on the night @ £20 (cash only)

Full Details Booking  
  • £20 (including a glass of fizz/soft drink) 
    • To book your place, and make payment, contact Helen Sutton at Crown Church & Arts:
      E:  helen@crownchurchandarts.co.uk
      M:  07802 256315
    • NB. payment is due at time of booking via BACS or cheque (see details below) and places are non-refundable
Payment via BACS - Payment Ref: Nightingale
  • Account name:  Crown, Church and Arts
  • Account number: 77202325
  • Sort code: 51-70-08
Payment via cheque: 
  • Cheques payable to:  Crown, Church and Arts (add 'Nightingale' to back of cheque as reference)
    • Post to:  Helen Sutton, Crown Church & Arts, 68 Pembroke Rd, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3ED
 
“At last Bath has a new heroine and Jane Austen is relegated to the shadows……. This is no Bridgerton re-enactment; it is the Georgians in the raw. I finished it in one sitting.”
Country Life. October 2025
 
The Nightingale of Bath is available in all formats on Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/Nightingale-of-Bath-Amazon 
as well as from:
No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath; John Sandoe, Chelsea; Heywood Hill, Mayfair and
Heron Books, Bristol
 
Take a look at a video about the book, below.......
  
Sorry, your browser is unable to play this type of file. You can still download it
  

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 10am, before the service begins. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

  • Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
  • Livewires (3-7 years)
  • Encounter (7-11 years)
  • Katalyst (11-15 years)
  • Young people (15+ years) Stay in service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Children

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

  • Men's Ministries
  • Women's Ministries
  • Night Shelter
  • Foodbank
     
Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

No Photo icon   No Photo icon
Leader 1   Leader 2
Leader Intro   Leader Intro
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)