On Sunday 25th October the Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Norham, Northumberland celebrated its 850th anniversary with a service of Holy Communion during which the choir, directed by Patricia Bonia and accompanied by Julian Bonia, gave the first performance of \’A Place Prepared\’. The anthem, with words selected from scripture by Carole Caddick and music by Paul Ritchie, was specially commissioned for this service and reflects on the life of a church which has seen more than its fair share of conflict over the centuries.