The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) is the oldest and largest civil society organisation devoted to the Commonwealth. Founded in 1868, it conducts a range of events and activities aimed at promoting international understanding. Its educational, youth and cultural programmes include one of the world’s oldest and largest schools’ essay competitions, and an innovative international youth leadership programme. The RCS has some 4,000 members in the UK and a presence in over fourty Commonwealth countries through a network of branches and Commonwealth societies. The RCS is a Registered Charity (No. 226748) in England and Wales. www.thercs.org

Photographs from this event are available from www.picturepartnership.co.uk/events

The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge 2013

The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge is a business competition for young people who want to make a difference in the world. The competition asks school students to start an environmentally friendly enterprise that will solve a problem in their local community. The competition opens for registrations today as part of the celebrations for Commonwealth Week.

The competition takes place in two stages. In the first stage, students are asked to design a business plan and in the second, to launch and run an enterprise, generating income either for their school or for a cause of their choosing.

This year, Teach A Man To Fish is delighted to bring you the Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society and Ashoka. We look forward to welcoming energetic young entrepreneurs from all fifty-four Commonwealth countries into our network in 2013!

The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge offers prizes of up to $5000 for the best business plans and businesses, as well as individual prizes for the most inspirational teachers and the most enterprising students.

If you are interested in the competition, please visit www.schoolenterprisechallenge.org or email info@schoolenterprisechallenge.org for more information.

The Abbey is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Members of the congregation are kindly requested to refrain from using private cameras, video, or sound recording equipment. Please ensure that mobile phones, pagers, and other electronic devices are switched off.

It is my great pleasure, in my first year as Chairman of the Council of Commonwealth Societies, to welcome you to this very special event.

Every year, on the second Monday in March, the Council—the association of key Commonwealth organisations working under the auspices of the

Royal Commonwealth Society—organises this flagship occasion, the Commonwealth Day Observance. The Observance marks

Commonwealth Day, when people across the world celebrate the great partnership and network of nations,

peoples, and ideals which constitute the modern Commonwealth.

The Observance is the UK’s largest annual multi-faith gathering, and today we are honoured by the presence of the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of

Edinburgh, the High Commissioners of Commonwealth nations, and the faith leaders of each major religion. I am delighted that we are also joined by almost 1,000 young people, representing the bright future of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Day Observance takes a different theme each year, and in 2013 we are celebrating ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’. Through a mix of

music, dance, and personal testimonies, the event will celebrate innovation

throughout the Commonwealth and our shared commitment towards the role of young

people, and towards creativity and sustainable enterprise as the pathways to development and

prosperity for the Commonwealth’s two billion citizens.

I hope you enjoy this great event, which crystallises our hopes for the future and our global responsibilities. The

Council of Commonwealth Societies is deeply grateful to the Dean of Westminster and his staff for their support.

The Right Honourable The Lord Howell of Guildford

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Strategic Economic Hub

• Largest on-shore oil and gas producing state.

• Headquarters of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon industry.

• Rivers State possesses three major universities: University of Port Harcourt, University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt and the University of Education.

• Rivers State is served by a number of major refi neries, two signifi cant seaports and airports (one of which services international fl ights), and well-maintained road and rail infrastructure.

• Rivers State has an extensive Atlantic coastline – linking it with the world.

• Rivers State is home to numerous oil and gas multinationals such as Bonny NLNG, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), MOBIL, AGIP and Chevron; as well as an established Free Trade Zone.

• Rivers State is credited with long term foreign and local currency ratings of B+, and a national long term rating of ‘AA’, as determined by Fitch. Rivers State is also the fi rst state in Nigeria to receive a Standard & Poor’s rating: a ‘B’ rating, indicating its ‘stable outlook based on improved transparency’.

Our Mission Our mission is to serve our people with humility and render transparent and accountable stewardship anchored on integrity and good governance. We shall use our God-given resources to improve the quality of life of our present and future generations and empower our people in a peaceful, just and harmonious society under God.

Rivers State GovernmentCome to an unexpected place. A place where untapped potential thrives, with a welcoming culture that’s fresh and dynamic. It is a place where you will be inspired to be a part of something big, with one vision – to make tomorrow’s dream, today’s reality.

Governor Amaechi has exhibited transparency and accountability in his administration as Governor of Rivers State and has made the offi ce of governor as approachable as never before. He leads a participatory style government, maintaining constant communication with the people.

www.riversstate.gov.ng Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Amaechi

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Opportunity Through Enterprise: Unlocking potential with innovation and excellence

WHAT IS THE COMMONWEALTH THEME? Every year, the Commonwealth chooses a theme

to provide a focus for its activities. The theme is celebrated throughout the year, with special

events taking place during Commonwealth Week, including the Commonwealth Day Observance and the Commonwealth Lecture.

WHAT DOES ‘OPPORTUNITY THROUGH ENTERPRISE’ MEAN?This year’s Commonwealth theme, ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’, celebrates the ways in which citizens around the Commonwealth use innovation, hard work, and creative thinking to find opportunities to improve lives around the world.

Through a series of events and programmes, in 2013 the Commonwealth will celebrate the enterprising spirit which unlocks opportunities in small rural communities,

large urban centres, businesses, governments and civil society, and encourage us to find ways

to nurture enterprise through education, skills development, and political action.

To find out more about the theme and how you can get involved, visit www.commonwealththeme.org.

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Order of the Observance

Before the Observance

The Commonwealth Festival Orchestra, conducted by James Ross, Guest Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, plays:

Movements from King Arthur Z 628 Henry Purcell (1659–1695)

Dance of the Spirits: an African Epiphany Joshua Hagley (b 1995) Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’ Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

Paraphrase on the National Anthem of Sri Lanka Toby Hession (b 1997)

Suite in D HWV 349 George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)from Water Music

Peter Holder, Organ Scholar, plays:

Prelude in E flat BWV 552 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

English Folk Song Suite Ralph Vaughan Williamsarr. James McVinnie (b 1983)

i. March: Seventeen Come Sunday ii. Intermezzo: My Bonny Boy iii. March: Folk Songs from Somerset

The Procession of Flags As the procession of Commonwealth flags moves through the Abbey, it is accompanied by drummers from The Commonwealth Resounds! playing ‘Morosa Mosepele’. The flags of the member countries of the Commonwealth are carried in the order determined by the date of membership (when read from right to left):

Canada

New Zealand

India

Sri Lanka

Malaysia

Cyprus

Tanzania

Trinidad and Tobago

Kenya

Malta

The Gambia

Guyana

Lesotho

Mauritius

Nauru

Samoa

The Bahamas

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Dominica

Kiribati

Vanuatu

Antigua and Barbuda

Saint Christopher and Nevis

Namibia

Mozambique

United Kingdom

Australia

South Africa

Pakistan

Ghana

Nigeria

Sierra Leone

Jamaica

Uganda

Malawi

Zambia

Singapore

Botswana

Barbados

Swaziland

Tonga

Bangladesh

Grenada

Seychelles

Tuvalu

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and The Grenadines

Belize

Maldives

Brunei Darussalam

Cameroon Rwanda

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All stand.

The Procession of Honoured Guests and Participants

An Honorary Steward

The Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth SocietyMr Peter Kellner

The Chairman of the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship

Mr Lyn Hopkins

The Chairman of the Royal Over-Seas LeagueSir Anthony Figgis KCVO CMG

The Deputy Chairman of the English-Speaking Union

Mr Jonathan Dye

The Representatives of the Faith Communities

A Verger

The Representative of the Jain Community

Mrs Alpha Kotari

The Representative of theZoroastrian CommunityMr Malcolm M. Deboo

The Representative of the Chief Rabbi and the Orthodox Jewish Community

Rabbi Alan Plancey

The Representative ofthe Sikh Community

The Lord Singh of Wimbeldon CBE

The Representative of the Sunni Muslim

CommunityImam Mohammed Shahid Raza OBE

The Representative of the

Jewish Reformed SynagoguesRabbi Laura Janner Klausner

The Representative of

Liberal JudaismRabbi Danny Rich

The Representative of the Bahá’í

CommunityMs Vivien Craig

The Representative of theHindu CommunityMr Anil Bhanot OBE

The Representative of theShia Muslim CommunityImam Syed Raza Shabbar

The Representative of the

Buddhist CommunityThe Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala

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The Representatives of the Christian Churches

Orthodox

His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios

A Verger

Westminster CathedralCanon Christopher Tuckwell

Church of Scotland

The Reverend Angus MacLeod

Methodist Central HallThe Reverend Martin Turner

Free Churches in England

The Reverend Michael Heaney

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The Observance

All stand.

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh are received. The fanfare ‘Euphoria’ is sounded.

Presentations are made.

All sing

The National Anthem

God save our gracious Queen,long live our noble Queen,God save The Queen.Send her victorious,happy and glorious,long to reign over us:God save The Queen.

The procession forms and moves through the Nave and the South Quire Aisle into the Lantern, Sacrarium, and Quire.

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O praise ye the Lord! praise him in the height;rejoice in his word, ye angels of light;ye heavens adore him by whom ye were made,and worship before him, in brightness arrayed.

O praise ye the Lord! praise him upon earth,in tuneful accord, ye sons of new birth;praise him who has brought you his grace from above,praise him who has taught you to sing of his love.

Laudate Dominum 427 NEHCharles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918)from Hear my words, ye people

O praise ye the Lord! all things that give sound;each jubilant chord, re-echo around;loud organs, his glory forth tell in deep tone,and, sweet harp, the story of what he has done.

O praise ye the Lord! thanksgiving and songto him be outpoured all ages along:for love in creation, for heaven restored,for grace of salvation, O praise ye the Lord! Amen, amen.

All remain standing to sing

The Hymn

Henry Williams Baker (1821–77)after Psalm 150

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The Order of the Procession

The Beadle

The Choir of Westminster Abbey

The Minor Canon

The Canons’ Verger

The Canons of Westminster

The Dean’s Verger

The Dean of Westminster

The Queen’s Almsmen

An Honorary Steward

The Commonwealth Flag

(with Brownie escort)

The Commonwealth Secretary-GeneralHis Excellency Kamalesh Sharma, and Mrs Sharma

The Representative of The Chairperson-in-Office of the CommonwealthSenator the Honourable Jan McLucas

Australia

The Chief Honorary Steward

The Chairman of the Council of Commonwealth SocietiesThe Right Honourable The Lord Howell of Guildford

The Commonwealth Mace

Suite in Attendance

The High Steward The High Bailiff

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

HER MAJESTY THE QUEENHEAD OF THE COMMONWEALTH

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All remain standing.

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, gives

The Bidding

On behalf of the Dean and Chapter, I welcome you warmly to Westminster Abbey, this House of God and House of Kings in which almighty God is honoured in daily worship, and the place of coronations since 1066.

In this sixtieth anniversary year, we recall in particular Her Majesty The Queen’s Coronation in this Abbey Church on 2nd June 1953. We give thanks for more than sixty years of Her Majesty’s faithful service to this Nation, the Realms, and the whole Commonwealth under God.

Together, united by ties of history and friendship, we represent the Commonwealth’s rich diversity of cultures and faiths throughout the world. We shall think in this Observance about how the Commonwealth creates ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’, and pray, each in our own way, that all people may have the opportunity to flourish and, in the words of Jesus Christ, ‘have life abundantly’.

As we come into the presence of almighty God, let us pray for a moment in silence.

Silence is kept.

Now let us pray for the spread of God’s kingdom in the words Jesus taught his disciples:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

All sit.

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The Commonwealth Day Message 2013 from Her Majesty The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth

This year’s Commonwealth theme, ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’, is a celebration of our achievements, particularly those that may have seemed challenging, daunting or even impossible, which have helped to build strength, resilience and pride in our young people, in our communities, and in our nations.

Great achievements in human history have a number of common characteristics. From climbing the highest mountain to winning a sporting competition, making a scientific breakthrough, building a successful business or discovering unique artistic talent—these outcomes all begin as a simple goal or idea in one person’s mind.

We are all born with the desire to learn, to explore, to try new things, and each of us can think of occasions when we have been inspired to do something more efficiently, or to assist others in achieving their full potential. Yet it still takes courage to launch into the unknown. Ambition and curiosity open new avenues of opportunity.

That is what lies at the heart of our Commonwealth approach: individuals and communities finding ways to strive together to create a better future that is beneficial for all.

Our shared values of peace, democracy, development, justice and human rights—which are found in our new ‘Commonwealth Charter’—mean that we place special emphasis on including everyone in this goal, especially those who are vulnerable.

I am reminded of the adage, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. As we reflect on how the Commonwealth theme applies to us individually, let us think about what can be gained with a bold heart, dedication, and teamwork. And let us bear in mind the great opportunity that is offered by the Commonwealth—of joining with others, stronger together, for the common good.

Elizabeth R.

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A Dance Performance by Living the Dream Company

All remain seated for

A Reflection by Ricken Patel, co-founder and Executive Director of Avaaz

All remain seated. John Agard reads

From Over The Mountain Came News

John Agard (b 1949)

and the air I breathed filled me with such joyI thought I could get used to this paradise.

Now all that was left for me to do was waitfor opportunity to show her face.

I looked at my watch. I paced the floor.I thought opportunity’s taking her time.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.‘Come in, opportunity,’ I said. ‘Do come in.’

But the old one who stood there before me said, ‘there must some misunderstanding.

‘Opportunity is my daughter. I’m her mother – Enterprise.

Impress me with the talents of your doing.Wow me with the dreaming of your mind.’

From over the mountain came newsthat the grass was greener

from over the mountain came newsthat the air was cleaner

from over the mountain came newsthat opportunity knocked on all doors

and the language of those who lived therepossessed no word for poor.

So I gathered what few belongings I hadand shook the old dust from my feet

for I couldn’t wait to reach that placewhere they said opportunity walked every street.

When I got there I found legend had not liedfor the grass was greener on the other side

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All remain seated. The Choir of Westminster Abbey sings

A Motet

O sing unto the Lord a new song: for he hath done marvellous things.With his own right hand, and with his holy arm: hath he gotten himself the victory.The Lord declared his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen.He hath remembered his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel: and all the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God.Show yourselves joyful unto the Lord, all ye lands: sing, rejoice, and give thanks.Praise the Lord upon the harp: sing to the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving.With trumpets also, and shawms: O show yourselves joyful before the Lord the King.Let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is: the round world, and they that dwell therein.Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord: for he is come to judge the earth.With righteousness shall he judge the world: and the peoples with equity.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Philip Moore (b 1943) Psalm 98

A Reflection by The Right Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria

A Performance by The Noisettes

All stand to sing

The Hymn

Luckington 394 NEHBasil Harwood (1859–1949) George Herbert (1593–1633)

All sit. Senator the Honourable Jan McLucas reads

St Matthew 25: 14–28

Jesus said, ‘It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his prop-erty to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more tal-ents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trust-worthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.”’

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Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!The heavens are not too high, his praise may thither fly;the earth is not too low, his praises there may grow.Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!

Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!The Church with psalms must shout, no door can keep them out;but above all, the heart must bear the longest part.Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!

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A Performance by Beverley Knight MBE

The Address by Sir Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group

The Choir of Westminster Abbey sings

The Anthem

Vast Ocean of light, whose rays surroundThe Universe, who know’st nor ebb, nor shore,Who lend’st the Sun his sparkling drop, to storeWith overflowing beams Heav’n, air, ground,Whose depths beneath the Centre none can sound,Whose heights ’bove Heav’n, and thoughts so lofty soar,Whose breadth no feet, no lines, no chaines, no eyes survey,Whose length no thoughts can reach, no worlds can bound,What cloud can mask thy face? where can thy rayFind an Eclipse? what night can hide Eternal Day?

Jonathan Dove (b 1959) Phineas Fletcher (1582–1650)

All remain seated or kneel for

The Prayers

The Reverend Angus MacLeod, representative of the Church of Scotland, says:

Let us pray.

O God, you guide the judgement of those who are meek and humble of heart, and send your light to enlighten those who trust in you. Grant us, amidst our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask that which you would have us do; that your holy wisdom would save us from all false choices, and that your light might guide our paths; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mrs Alpha Kotari, representative of the Jain community, says:

May the entire Universe be blessed,May all beings engage in each other’s well-being,May all weakness, sickness and faults diminish,May everyone be healthy, peaceful and blissful.

Progress, whether for individuals, groups or the whole of Humanity, can only be made when ideas and decisive choices are guided by Ahimsa.

Through the fruits of our labour, may we continue to observe self–discipline, truthfulness and compassion in an enterprising society that strives for social co-existence and collaboration with out planet

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Rabbi Alan Plancey, representative of the Orthodox Jewish community, says:

May He who blessed our fathers bless this and all other holy congregations: them, their wives, their sons and daughters, and all that is theirs. May He bless those who unite to build places of worship for prayer and those who come to pray: those who provide lamps for light, food for visitors and charity for the poor, and all who faithfully occupy themselves with the needs of others. May the Holy One, blessed be He, give them reward, may He remove from them all sickness, grant them complete healing, and forgive all their sins. May He send blessing and success to all the work of their hands together with all their brethren and let us say, Amen.

The Lord Singh of Wimbledon CBE, representative of the Sikh community, says:

Guru Nanak’s father once gave him a sum of money to take to town and invest in business. On his way the Guru saw some poor and hungry people huddled together shivering in the winter cold. The Guru spent all his money buying food and blankets for the cold and hungry group. On returning home, he responded to his irate father’s criticism of wasting money by saying that looking to the wellbeing of his fellow humans was the best investment he could make.

Sikh teachings remind us of the importance of earning by honest effort and using wealth for the greater good. In a memorable verse the Guru wrote:

What is the use of food in abundanceOf splendid clothes and soft bedsIf they turn us from the divine pathThey are all as dust.

Malcolm M. Deboo, representative of the Zoroastrian community, says:

By the Grace of the Creator Ahura Mazda;

May the immortal souls of all who kept their word and generated wealth not only for them-selves but created opportunity for others by donating their excess wealth during their lifetime, to build schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and infrastructure projects be remembered here.

May the chosen leaders of Ahura Mazda lift up the best and the most gifted, so as to make them perform the greatest service to the country.

May they relieve those who are weakest and most helpless and have fallen in distress.

May generosity prevail over miserliness in the Commonwealth.

May we be inspired by those who made the world prosperous.

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Imam Mohammed Shahid Raza OBE, representative of the Sunni Muslim community, says:

In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Kind.

The value of work, of seeking a livelihood, the attitude to wealth and enterprise and its relation to the real purpose of life, are well caught in the fine balance of the saying:

“Work for the world as if you will live forever, and work for the eternal life as if you will die tomorrow.”

O God! help us to attain both the level of work and enjoyment and the level of moral consciousness and sacrifice, so that we may all achieve complete fulfilment.

O God! help us in strengthening social harmony and brotherhood and in having inner satisfaction through helping fellow human beings.

O God! help us to realise the vision of an enterprising, sharing and caring society. Amen.

The Reverend Michael Heaney, representative of the Free Churches, says:

Heavenly Father, you delight in your whole creation, and call all people to share in your light. May your will be done in us and through us; that in all things we may share in your enterprise of healing, peace and joy for the world. Prosper our handiwork, we pray, that working for your glory and the good of our neighbour, your Kingdom might come on earth as it is in Heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

All stand for

The Act of Affirmation to the Commonwealth The Secretary-General says:

We affirm that every person possesses unique worth and dignity.

We affirm out respect for nature, and that we will be stewards of the earth by caring for every part of it, and for it as a whole.

We affirm our belief in justice for everyone, and peace between peoples and nations.

Joining together as members of one worldwide Commonwealth family, and affirming our shared goals of development and democracy, we commit to working alongside one another in a spirit of respect and understanding, exploring new ideas, seeking fresh challenges, and finding innovative solutions that will help bring ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’ to us, and to all our sisters and brothers, wherever we may live, learn, or work.

We affirm our belief in the Commonwealth as a force for good in the world, and pledge ourselves to its service, now and in the future.

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Praise to God’s creative Wisdom, Word that speaks in human hearts,Sowing seeds of faith and service, Gifts of grace which life impart;May we be so shaped and graven For God’s enterprise divine,Made anew in love for glory, Wisdom’s sacrament and sign.

Through this world of dazzling beauty, Held in being by your Word,Draw us to your Holy Presence, Known in prayer, in prayer adored;In the silence and the stillness Find in you the source of grace,Know your glory and your goodness, Deepest truth of time and space.

May all peoples, every nation, Live in peace and harmony;Know the light that drives out darkness; Know the truth that sets us freeFrom injustice and oppression, From all selfishness and greed;That with mercy and compassion Each may serve the other’s need.

Blaenwern 408(1) NEH Geoffrey Rowell (b 1943) William Rowlands (1860–1937)

All sing

The Hymn

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All remain standing. The Dean pronounces

The Blessing

Unto God’s gracious mercy and protection we commit you. The Lord bless and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you peace; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Music after the service:

Final from Symphonie I Louis Vierne (1870–1937)

The Commownealth Resounds! plays

Music for the Royal Fireworks HWV 351 George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

Members of the congregation are asked to remain in their places until invited to move by the Stewards. Those in the Nave will be asked to leave by the Great West Door. Those seated in the Lantern and Transepts leave by the North Door.

A retiring collection is taken for Youth Business International

(For more information, see page 25)

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Ricken Patel is the founding President and Executive Director of Avaaz. Avaaz is a global campaigning movement which has grown rapidly since 2007 into the largest online activist community in the world at 20 million members in all 194 countries. “Avaaz” means “voice” in many languages, and the organisation has a simple democratic mission: to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.

Ricken was in Foreign Policy magazine’s 100 Top Global Thinkers in 2012. He was named a ‘Young Global Leader’ by the Davos World Economic Forum and was listed ‘Ultimate Gamechanger in Politics’ by Huffington Post.

Ricken Patel

Flamboyant poet John Agard is one of today’s great celebrants of the English language. He draws equally on classical tradition and the language of the street, with the rhythms of Caribbean speech never far away. From the provocative and extremely funny ‘Listen Mr Oxford Don’ to the classical sonnet ‘Toussaint L’Ouverture Acknowledges Wordsworth’s Sonnet “To Toussaint L’Ouverture’’’, which is the great rebel leader’s appreciation of and reply to William Wordsworth’s sonnet. John’s poetry combines acute social observation, puckish wit, and a riotous imagination used to thrilling effect.

John Agard was born in Guyana and emigrated to Britain in 1977. He lives in Lewes with his wife, the poet Grace Nichols, and his daughter.

John Agard

The Right Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi

Speakersin order of appearance

The Right Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria. He has had a long and distinguished political career, serving as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, State Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of the Democratic Party of Nigeria, and Secretary of the National Republican Convention.

He has also served as a Director of two state-owned companies, and as a member of several national and international bodies, including the Louisiana House of Representatives in the USA, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and the National Stakeholders Working Group of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. He holds the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger and is a Knight of Saint John – as well as being a devoted Christian.

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Kamalesh Sharma has been Commonwealth Secretary-General since 2008. A career diplomat, Mr Sharma had previously served as India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and was the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to Timor-Leste. As India’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva and New York, he was spokesperson for developing countries in the Uruguay Trade Round and was closely involved in the development of the Monterrey Consensus and Millennium Development Goals. He is currently Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast.

His Excellency Kamalesh Sharma

Sir Richard Branson is Founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group. Through more than 100 companies, Virgin employs approximately 60,000 people in over 30 countries.

Branson has challenged himself with many record-breaking adventures, including the fastest ever Atlantic Ocean crossing, a series of hot air balloon journeys, and becoming the oldest person to kitesurf across the Channel. He has described Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, as being “the greatest adventure of all”.

Since starting youth culture magazine Student aged 16, Branson has found entrepreneurial ways to provoke positive change in the world. In 2004 he established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which tackles tough social and environmental problems and strives to make business a force for good.

Sir Richard Branson

Senator McLucas has been a Senator representing Queensland for the Australian Labor Party since 1998. She has been Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers since September 2010, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister since March 2012.

She has also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing and Shadow Minister for Ageing and Disabilities. She has sat on numerous Parliamentary Committees, including the Senate Community Affairs References Committee and the Senate Committee for the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Before entering Parliament, Senator McLucas was a teacher, and a councillor for Cairns City

Senator the Honourable Jan McLucas

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The Commonwealth Resounds is delighted to be able to create the Commonwealth Festival Orchestra especially for Observance Day 2013. The Commonwealth Festival Orchestra helps create life-changing opportunities for developing orchestral musicians, conductors, composers, and young music leaders.

Today, the Commonwealth Festival Orchestra has partnered with London’s Music Colleges and Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen’s Coronation with music by Handel, Purcell, and Vaughan Williams, and with new orchestral items composed by Toby Hession and Joshua Hagley, young composers inspired by the sounds of Africa and Asia. It comprises musicians from seven different Commonwealth countries and is conducted by James Ross, Guest Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka.

The Commonwealth Resounds!

A spectacular drum performance to accompany the Procession of Commonwealth Flags, composed and performed by former BBC Young Musician of the Year percussion finalists James Larter and Hristo Duchev, together with members of an African drumming group from the Harris Boys’ Academy in East Dulwich. The title ‘Moropa Mosepele’ is created from the Kiswahili words ‘drum’ and ‘procession’.

Special thanks to The Commonwealth Resounds!, which funded a training workshop for the young drummers, and to Lord Harris and Sir Daniel Moynihan for their support.

Moropa Mosepele

Performersin order of appearance

The arrival of Her Majesty The Queen will be heralded by the brilliant sounds of this fanfare resounding throughout Westminster Abbey.

The fanfare has been composed by Alan Mofti, a 16-year-old composer, who is a member of the Purcell School’s Sri Lanka Commonwealth Team. The performers are brass players from the Royal College of Music’s ‘Sparks’ outreach programme, working together with Tomorrow’s Warriors and young brass players with cultural links to Ghana, Australia and Brunei.

‘Euphoria’ Fanfare

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The Choir of Westminster Abbey is renowned worldwide as one of the finest choirs of its type. Comprising some thirty boys (all of whom attend the Abbey’s dedicated residential Choir School) and twelve professional adult singers (known as Lay Vicars), the Choir plays a central role both in the daily choral services in the Abbey and in the many royal, state, and national occasions which take place there. In addition to fulfilling its responsibilities in Westminster, the Choir undertakes an extensive programme of recordings, broadcasts, concerts, and tours, travelling in recent years to Australia, the United States, the Far East, Russia, Spain, and Italy. The Choir is directed by James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers, and the organ is played by Robert Quinney, Sub-Organist.

The Choir of Westminster Abbey

In 2006, at the age of 16, Zoe Jackson set up the Living the Dream Performing Arts Company, which inspires and empowers young people from all walks of life to grow in talent and confidence, and to believe in themselves and their dreams.

Living the Dream has a school of performing arts, a professional dance company, and a charity, The Dream Foundation, and works with young people through classes, workshops, after-school clubs, showcases, flashmobs, and other events. The music from Living the Dream’s dance performance is taken from several Commonwealth countries.

Living the Dream Dance Company

With a career that has stretched over seven years, a string of hitsalready under their belt and a fashion following that could rivalGrace Jones, this duo needs no introduction. We all remembertheir well-known smash hit ‘Don’t Upset The Rhythm’, whichstormed into the UK Charts at No. 2, and ‘Never Forget You’, which has sealed itself as a firm family favourite sing-along. They have shared arena stages with Muse and criss-crossed the United States with TV On The Radio and Bloc Party.

Two years on, the Noisettes are ready to embark on a new musicaljourney. They are set to release their next single ‘Rag Top Car’ in April 2013, with more releases to follow later in the year.

The Noisettes’ performance at today’s Observance is with thanks to The Lake of Stars festival, a music and arts festival set up to en-courage international tourism to, and generate revenue and expo-sure for Malawi.

The Noisettes

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Queen of British soul Beverley Knight has been one of the UK’s most consistent artists in the past 15 years, scoring several Top-10 albums, including the platinum-selling ‘Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight’. She has sold over a million albums in the UK along the way, including four gold records. She has been awarded an MBE for her services to British music and for her charity work, won three MOBOs, been nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards three times, and been nominated twice for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. Beverley is currently working on her eighth studio album.

Beverley Knight MBE

Youth Business International (YBI) is a global network of independent, non-profit initiatives helping young people to start and grow their own businesses and create employment.

YBI is currently active in 36 countries, including 16 in the Commonwealth. YBI was founded in 2000 with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales as its President. YBI members assist under-served young entrepreneurs with a combination of training and access to capital, mentoring and other business development services, in partnership with governments, businesses and civil society organisations.

Through YBI, members exchange resources and ideas to increase the scale of support for young people seeking to start their own businesses. A network team based in London co-ordinates and leads this activity.

YBI has helped over 100,000 young people to create their own businesses. An estimated 70% of these businesses are still trading after three years, with many going on to create significant levels of employment and provide further benefits for their communities.

Retiring Collection

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The Commonwealth Charter“We the people of the Commonwealth…”

Today, as people around the Commonwealth mark its annual Commonwealth Day, we have an extra-special reason to celebrate. For the first time in the Commonwealth’s 64-year history, all of the Heads of Government belonging to the organisation have agreed to adopt a Commonwealth Charter. This means that the Commonwealth now has a single document setting out the basic values that the people of the Commonwealth believe in, and which they expect their governments to support and protect.

By outlining sixteen core values in the Charter, Commonwealth leaders are committing themselves to upholding democracy and human rights, promoting tolerance and respect, protecting the environment, providing access to health, education and food, and recognising the positive role of young people in promoting these and other values. We hope that all people in the Commonwealth can continue to enjoy the values to which their leaders have agreed.

Later today, the Commonwealth Secretary-General will present a special copy of the Charter to Her Majesty The Queen, who is Head of the Commonwealth, and all the schools in the Abbey today will receive a copy in a special goody-bag.

To find out more about the Commonwealth Charter, visit the Commonwealth Secretariat website (www.commonwealth.int) or this year’s Commonwealth Theme website (www.commonwealththeme.org).

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With thanks to Rivers State Government is the governing authority of Rivers State, one of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The State Government is committed to improving the living and working conditions of its people as well as the quality of the workforce, which it hopes to achieve through rapid infrastructural development. Critical areas of focus include: education, health, agriculture and the expansion of transport infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

Founded 125 years ago in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the Trust is an independent charity that works with accredited educational experts to invest in primary and secondary education.

Nexus is a company working in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society to deliver a communications package in support of the Commonwealth Day Observance. Nexus publishes the Commonwealth Yearbook and manages www.commonwealth-of-nations.org for the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge, and its purpose is to further the University’s objective of advancing knowledge, education, learning and research.

Othersupporters:

Mr James Copeland, Ms Alison Cox, Ms Sharon Davies, Mr Neil Denney, Mr Will Gore, The Reverend Dr James Hawkey, Mr Padraig Herlihy, Ms Georgia Hewson, Mr Will Jameson, Ms Josie Verghese, Ms Claire Whitaker

The Cadillac Cup Polo Match is a charity polo match that debuted in 2010. This action-packed afternoon combines sports, entertainment, business networking and charitable giving, and promises to be one of the year’s most highly anticipated annual events. The 2013 event will take place on 6 October 2013, and will donate one hundred per cent of all the proceeds to the premier charity partners. www.cadillaccuppolo.com

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The Commonwealth MaceThe Mace, carried by Ms Tamara Babao-Sadgrove, goes before Her Majesty The Queen. It was a gift of the Royal Anniversary Trust to The Queen in her role as Head of the Commonwealth, on the fortieth anniversary of her accession to the throne. The Mace is used on special Commonwealth occasions, including the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London, and at biennial Heads of Government Meetings.

FlowersThe striking flowers you see around the Abbey have been prepared by the National Association Of Flower Arrangement Societies under the direction of Jane Rowton-Lee.

Flag-bearersThe 54 flag-bearers have been recruited with the support of the High Commissions in London, who each nominate a flag-bearer from their own country usually resident in the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth flag is accompanied by an escort of Brownies from the United Kingdom.

The Council of Commonwealth Societies (CCS)The CCS is a group of organisations, which promotes the value of Commonwealth Day and seeks to raise the profile of the modern Commonwealth. The CCS gratefully acknowledges the financial support of its member organisations.

The CCS members in 2013 are:

» Association of Commonwealth Universities

» Commonwealth Broadcasting Association

» Commonwealth Business Council

» Commonwealth Countries League

» Commonwealth Education Trust

» Commonwealth Foundation

» Commonwealth Local Government Forum

» Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

(UK)

» Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

(International Secretariat)

» Commonwealth Telecommunications

Organisation

» Commonwealth Secretariat

» Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council

» Corona Worldwide

» English-Speaking Union

» Foreign & Commonwealth Office

» Goodenough College

» Nexus Strategic Partnerships

» Pacific Islands Society

» Pakistan Society

» Royal Commonwealth Society

» Royal Over-Seas League

» Soundseekers (Commonwealth Society for

the Deaf)

» Papua New Guinea Church Partnership

» Victoria League

Behind the scenes

The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge 2013

The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge is a business competition for young people who want to make a difference in the world. The competition asks school students to start an environmentally friendly enterprise that will solve a problem in their local community. The competition opens for registrations today as part of the celebrations for Commonwealth Week.

The competition takes place in two stages. In the first stage, students are asked to design a business plan and in the second, to launch and run an enterprise, generating income either for their school or for a cause of their choosing.

This year, Teach A Man To Fish is delighted to bring you the Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society and Ashoka. We look forward to welcoming energetic young entrepreneurs from all fifty-four Commonwealth countries into our network in 2013!

The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge offers prizes of up to $5000 for the best business plans and businesses, as well as individual prizes for the most inspirational teachers and the most enterprising students.

If you are interested in the competition, please visit www.schoolenterprisechallenge.org or email info@schoolenterprisechallenge.org for more information.

The Abbey is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Members of the congregation are kindly requested to refrain from using private cameras, video, or sound recording equipment. Please ensure that mobile phones, pagers, and other electronic devices are switched off.