A rural church in the Usk Valley has welcomed a congregation of over 70 in its annual memorial service to celebrate the life of Breconshire’s famous 17th century poet Henry Vaughan.

Since the 1920s, the Brecknock Society and Llansantffraed Church, near Talybont-on-Usk, have followed the tradition of commemorating the poet’s death by holding an evensong service in the church followed by wreath laying at the poet’s grave in the churchyard.  

On Sunday, April 21, they were joined by enthusiastic members of the Vaughan Association from the UK and overseas who had been attending its annual colloquium in Llangattock, together with interested local followers and the choir from St Mary’s Priory Church, Abergavenny.

The choir delighted the congregation with a lyrical new anthem based on Vaughan’s poem ‘Joy of my life’ with music composed by their Director of Music, Tim Pratt.

In her address on Vaughan’s poem ‘And do they so’, the invited speaker Professor Alison Milbank, Canon Theologian at Southwell Minister, said: “Henry Vaughan would be amazed that we still honour his memory more 300 years, but his words about recognising that we humans are part of the natural environment are even more relevant today.”

After the service, local minister Revd Kelvin Richards led the laying of wreaths from the Brecknock Society and the Vaughan Association at the poet’s grave. Nigel Clubb, President of the Brecknock Society laid its wreath, and Japanese Professor Takashi and Dr MaiYoshinaka from Hiroshima University, who had their wedding blessed at Llansantffraed Church in 2019, laid the Vaughan Association’s wreath.

The collection at the service raised more than £450 towards the ongoing maintenance of Llansantffraed Church. 

Dr Mervyn Bramley, speaking on behalf of the Brecknock Society, thanked everyone who had played their part in continuing this annual event, and particularly to churchwarden Will Hutton and the small local congregation at Llansantffraed who make visitors from near and far so welcome.  

Llansantffraed Church is now a part of the Brecon & Epynt Ministry Area and church services are held on the third Sunday of each month. Sunday afternoon concerts at Llansantffraed are being planned for June 30, September 8 and December 1 2024 and will be widely advertised.