Poetic evening to remember in Norwich church
 The work of poets such as TS Elliot, WB Yeates and Dylan Thomas featured in an evening of poetic inspiration in a Norwich church on March 2. Les Champion reports.
Songwriter, speaker and evangelist Lex Loizides, veteran actor John Carson (pictured right), and local drama student Linda Black gave us an evening to remember, opening our minds to a better appreciation of poetry, and its potential to impact spiritual life.
Nearly 100 people, one or two even travelling up from London, gathered at the King’s Centre on March 2 for a unique presentation of the work of a number of 20th century poets. The names T S Elliot, W B Yeats, and Dylan Thomas are probably known to most of us, even if their actual work is not. But we also heard the work of John Crow Ransom (Piazza Piece) and Stevie Smith (Not Waving, But Drowning). For Christians, especially those of an evangelical persuasion, the parallel for that one was not too difficult to perceive I thought.
Was the title of the evening – The Poet’s Question - referring to a question the featured poets asked, or was it a reference to the searching nature of the poetry? We were not told, indeed the question was left hanging in the air for us to decide for ourselves.
The central assertion of this presentation was that poetry can have a prophetic element, a spiritual dimension that expresses the questions, the longing and aspirations of the human heart.
 Lex Loizides (right), a man with a lifelong passion for poetry, presented the evening, admirably supported by John Carson whose quiet presence and spirit enriched the evening, read the poetry with grace, a wonderful richness of voice and great feeling. Linda Black was also supporting, reading some specifically female roles.
Many who attended were largely unfamiliar with poetry in general, but, as myself, came out of curiosity and intrigue. Much may have been over our heads, but that did not detract one bit from a great presentation and, with the usual high standard of King’s Centre hospitality, a unique experience was made quite memorable. And we’ll all probably in future, take a longer look at the poetry we do come across.
Pictures by Luke Hills.
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