Relayed from The Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Taunton
The Bells

Order of Service
Hymn (Ancient and Modern, No. 50), On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
Psalm 42
Lesson, St. Luke xv, 1-10
Nunc Dimittis (Stanford in B Flat)
Prayers
Anthem, Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace (Wesley)
Address by the Vicar, the Rev. John E. G. Sweetman
Hymn, The King of Love my Shepherd is (Ancient and Modern, No. 197)
Blessing

Few parish churches can compare in size and architectural beauty with that of St. Mary Magdalene, Taunton. The tower, which is 163 feet high, is claimed to be the second tallest of any parish church in the country. It contains a magnificent peal of twelve bells and a carillon with a repertoire of twenty-one tunes, most of them being of a secular character. The church is sometimes spoken of as the Cathedral of West Somerset, and indeed in size and structure it more resembles a small cathedral than a parish church. The services are of a cathedral character, and the pulpit is constantly occupied by clergy from surrounding parishes and even further afield. Thomas Cranmer, the renowned Archbishop of Canterbury, was Archdeacon of Taunton from 1522 to 1533.