In honour of celebrating the 22 names that have been added to the Liber Vitae this year, guests were invited to a gathering in the Solarium, in the Deanery, for drinks and mince pies. There was a thankful speech by Philip Plyming, Dean of Durham and guests had the opportunity to have their photograph taken alongside their name in the Liber Vitae.
There were a total of 12 volunteers' names added to the manuscript, marking their time and contribution to service at the cathedral. Alongside the names of volunteers, also added are the names of the cathedral’s major benefactors which include individuals, trusts and companies who have gifted more than £10,000 in the last five years.
Each of the volunteers and donors' names were inscribed by specialist calligrapher Tim Sokell. An inscription in the front of the Liber Vitae states:
“The Chapter commissioned this volume with the intention of recording each year the significant gifts and voluntary service without which the Cathedral could not continue to flourish.”
The tradition of the Liber Vitae goes back many centuries; the original manuscript was started in the ninth century, possibly on Lindisfarne, and listed the names of kings, dukes, queens and abbesses. It is thought that the purpose was to remember the living and the dead in church, including in some solemn ceremonies when the book would be processed to the high altar.In 1100 the monks revived the use of the Liber Vitae and the names of bishops of Durham, the first priors of Durham Cathedral Priory and Durham monks were included.
