"Lift Thine Eyes"
"Ubi Caritas"
"God So Loved the World"
This was quite a contraption from a musician in the square outside of Bath Abbey and The Baths.
Video of Musician
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tuesday at Canterbury Cathedral
Today featured a day trip to Canterbury Cathedral and our last concert of the trip. Today was our earliest start - we had to leave the hotel at 8:00 to get to Canterbury for our 10:30 tour...that was painful. But we were able to rest up on the bus and do a REALLY QUICK warm up on the bus before the tour - not ideal, but better than nothing. Canterbury Cathedral does not allow for any rehearsal time in the space.
The Cathedral is magnificent. By far the most impressive we've seen, from my perspective. You could just sense the history in the walls.
This was one of my favorite parts - the monks were allowed a certain amount of ale everyday. They each had their own mug, and they would put the mug in the hole below and voila - out came their allotted ale! Love it!
Of course, the main part of the tour centered around Thomas Becket and his martyrdom. What a horrifying story. If you haven't seen the movie "Becket" with Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole you must - it is one of my favorites. Although, they make it seem more like Disney than real life. Apparently the soldiers who killed Becket didn't just kill him - they hacked him to pieces, as our very proper English guide said. One of the soldiers hit him so hard that he broke his sword. The spot where he was killed is now called The Martyrdom, and the stone on the floor was inscribed in honor of a visit by Pope John Paul in the 80's.
We also visited the crypt where Becket's was first interred, and then later moved to the nave. We could not take pictures in the crypt, but it was an eerie place. Apparently when Cromwell took over the cathedral he used the crypt as a barracks for soldiers, and they desecrated many of the graves there by cutting off the heads of statues, etc. What a place. Becket's tomb lies where the candle is burning under the stone in the picture below:
After the tour we waited to begin our concert. One of the interesting things about both Canterbury and Salisbury is that at 12:00 noon all the touring stopped for a few prayers and the leader then encouraged everyone to pray the Lord's prayer in their own language - a great reminder of what the building is truly for. When it was time, we marched out into the Quire to begin the concert - we had anywhere from 200-300 people in attendance! Our largest so far! The choir did an excellent job at the end of a long and taxing residency. There were a few tears in a few eyes as we ended our working part of the trip - it was truly an unforgettable experience for everyone, and all are looking forward to the next adventure...
After the concert, we ate lunch in Canterbury - some of us enjoyed yummy fish and chips from a small, local place. Who would ever have thought we'd see Larry eating "fast food" in an alley?
And of course, we can't forget our friend Plastic Baby Jesus. We took this picture of him as he sat on the dirty ground outside of the gate to the Cathedral. He was going to go back in and pray, but it cost 9 pounds just to get in! Poor PBJ - too poor to go into his own house and pray...does anyone have a few pence to spare?
We went our separate ways for the rest of the evening - some had theater tickets, and others explored the city - you'll have to wait for their posts when they get stateside!
One more day left - tomorrow we visit the historical sights of London - Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London...can't wait to see all these wonderful places for real!
The Gate to the Cathedral
This was one of my favorite parts - the monks were allowed a certain amount of ale everyday. They each had their own mug, and they would put the mug in the hole below and voila - out came their allotted ale! Love it!
Of course, the main part of the tour centered around Thomas Becket and his martyrdom. What a horrifying story. If you haven't seen the movie "Becket" with Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole you must - it is one of my favorites. Although, they make it seem more like Disney than real life. Apparently the soldiers who killed Becket didn't just kill him - they hacked him to pieces, as our very proper English guide said. One of the soldiers hit him so hard that he broke his sword. The spot where he was killed is now called The Martyrdom, and the stone on the floor was inscribed in honor of a visit by Pope John Paul in the 80's.
We also visited the crypt where Becket's was first interred, and then later moved to the nave. We could not take pictures in the crypt, but it was an eerie place. Apparently when Cromwell took over the cathedral he used the crypt as a barracks for soldiers, and they desecrated many of the graves there by cutting off the heads of statues, etc. What a place. Becket's tomb lies where the candle is burning under the stone in the picture below:
After the tour we waited to begin our concert. One of the interesting things about both Canterbury and Salisbury is that at 12:00 noon all the touring stopped for a few prayers and the leader then encouraged everyone to pray the Lord's prayer in their own language - a great reminder of what the building is truly for. When it was time, we marched out into the Quire to begin the concert - we had anywhere from 200-300 people in attendance! Our largest so far! The choir did an excellent job at the end of a long and taxing residency. There were a few tears in a few eyes as we ended our working part of the trip - it was truly an unforgettable experience for everyone, and all are looking forward to the next adventure...
After the concert, we ate lunch in Canterbury - some of us enjoyed yummy fish and chips from a small, local place. Who would ever have thought we'd see Larry eating "fast food" in an alley?
And of course, we can't forget our friend Plastic Baby Jesus. We took this picture of him as he sat on the dirty ground outside of the gate to the Cathedral. He was going to go back in and pray, but it cost 9 pounds just to get in! Poor PBJ - too poor to go into his own house and pray...does anyone have a few pence to spare?
We went our separate ways for the rest of the evening - some had theater tickets, and others explored the city - you'll have to wait for their posts when they get stateside!
One more day left - tomorrow we visit the historical sights of London - Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London...can't wait to see all these wonderful places for real!
Monday at Salisbury, then London
On Monday morning we packed up our things, said goodbye to Bristol and its blasted seagulls and headed to London via Salisbury Cathedral.
The Cathedral’s foundation stones were laid in 1220 and the building was consecrated in 1258 – an unbelievably short period of time for a cathedral. Because of this, its architectural style is fairly pure.
Its tower and 404’ spire, Britain’s tallest, was added in the years 1310-1330. Unfortunately, the Cathedral was not built to withstand the 6500 ton addition of weight to the building, and the supporting columns began to bend and the tip of the tower shifted 75 cm out of alignment. It was said that the pillars creaked and moaned as the tower and spire were built. Additional support was later added to the building to prevent further damage.
Unbelievably, the cathedral was also built on water! Several rivers come together in the city of Salisbury, and the building was placed on top of a “foundation” of gravel. Surprisingly, there has not been a flood since the early 20th century, as river management has been improved. The large worry now, of course, is that the water beneath will dry up and cause the “foundation” to become unstable. The water level is regularly checked through a small opening in the floor of the cathedral at the spire crossing.
All that being said, it is indeed a beautiful space.
A truly magnificent space! We had lunch in Salisbury after the tour, then finished our trip to London. Our guide reminded us that we were entering “a whole new world” – a world of pickpockets, purse snatchers, and generally not-so-nice people. A simple reminder to be alert as we entered the largest city in Europe – a safe city, but a very FULL city. Time to put on the City Smarts!
We arrived at our hotel, which was beautiful, then went to dinner at an interestingly decorated restaurant called Salieri. The food was pretty good, but we had been spoiled by our fare at Bristol.
The best part of the meal was dessert – THE BEST tiramisu ever! “Made by Mama this morning,” our server told us. Mama is 86 years old…
After dinner John took us about London a bit to help us get acquainted with the city. We split into groups – some heading back to the hotel to explore the area there, some staying in the downtown area to explore. All in all, a great day. Tomorrow – our last concert at Canterbury Cathedral – so excited!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sunday in Bristol - the last services
Sunday was our last day in Bristol - a busy day with a Choral Eucharist at 10 am and Choral Evensong at 3:30 pm. We had an early start to the day before walking over to the cathedral. The city was a MESS from the Harbour Festival, but was surprisingly all cleaned up by the end of Eucharist! We were not allowed to arrive at the cathedral before 9:00 for rehearsal, which meant a very short warm up time for a Mozart Missa Brevis, Anglican Chant Psalm and the Britten Jubilate Deo. Yikes. The choir was put through their paces before the service began. Instead of being seated in the choir stalls, we were placed in front of the screen behind the moveable altar - closer to the people, but the most horrible place to sing in, as the sound just went bouncing around the room like mad. Poor Tim, our excellent organist, was really put to work. Before the service began, the canon introduced the choir as being from Hudson, Ontario. The verger almost had a fit, and we worked hard to contain our giggles. This was only slightly better than being introduced as the choir from Houston, Ohio as we were at Evensong the day before. All in all, the service went well. Unbeknownst to me, during communion the "resident schizophrenic" as some put it entered the church and began to approach the area where the choir was. Apparently, a couple of priest grabbed hold of him quite vigorously and forced him out of the building! I would have loved to see that.
After the service we had tea with some members of the congregation - lovely, lovely people who were very appreciative of our presence. We split up into little groups for lunch about town - our group went to a little Italian place just up the hill from the cathedral - we could see a little more of that Georgian architecture from Bath:
After lunch we went back to the cathedral to rehearse for evensong - our last service! The canon who preached this service was a wonderful older gentleman who reminded me of Archbishop Rowan Williams, at least with the hair. His sermon was witty, and included many funny moments that showed he had done his research on American politics...not bad for the second sermon of the day! The choir was truly splendid - we sang the Harris service in E-flat, the Ayleward Responses and Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine, which simply soared into the vaulted ceiling. After the service, we were allowed some time at the high altar to take a few photos.
After the service we were sad to leave - the space was just so gorgeous to sing in. But we gathered all our belongings and boarded the bus back to the hotel. Most people went off to their favorite pub to grab a celebratory pint - I joined Tim and Daniele Olsen at Seamus O'Donnell's, who just happened to have free wifi...
After dinner at the hotel, we did a last bit late night conversing at the hotel and then hit the sack - off to London on Monday! The choral residency at Bristol was truly a wonderful experience and an enormous amount of work for the choir. It is unusual for a volunteer choir to sing so much music over a short period of time. I am immensely proud of their dedication and spirit throughout the whole process. Buildings like Bristol Cathedral will probably never be built again - too expensive, too time consuming. What a blessing to be able to experience worship in such a place - for some, a once in a life time chance. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity.
One more concert to go at Canterbury on Tuesday. On to London via Salisbury tomorrow!
After the service we had tea with some members of the congregation - lovely, lovely people who were very appreciative of our presence. We split up into little groups for lunch about town - our group went to a little Italian place just up the hill from the cathedral - we could see a little more of that Georgian architecture from Bath:
After lunch we went back to the cathedral to rehearse for evensong - our last service! The canon who preached this service was a wonderful older gentleman who reminded me of Archbishop Rowan Williams, at least with the hair. His sermon was witty, and included many funny moments that showed he had done his research on American politics...not bad for the second sermon of the day! The choir was truly splendid - we sang the Harris service in E-flat, the Ayleward Responses and Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine, which simply soared into the vaulted ceiling. After the service, we were allowed some time at the high altar to take a few photos.
After the service we were sad to leave - the space was just so gorgeous to sing in. But we gathered all our belongings and boarded the bus back to the hotel. Most people went off to their favorite pub to grab a celebratory pint - I joined Tim and Daniele Olsen at Seamus O'Donnell's, who just happened to have free wifi...
After dinner at the hotel, we did a last bit late night conversing at the hotel and then hit the sack - off to London on Monday! The choral residency at Bristol was truly a wonderful experience and an enormous amount of work for the choir. It is unusual for a volunteer choir to sing so much music over a short period of time. I am immensely proud of their dedication and spirit throughout the whole process. Buildings like Bristol Cathedral will probably never be built again - too expensive, too time consuming. What a blessing to be able to experience worship in such a place - for some, a once in a life time chance. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity.
One more concert to go at Canterbury on Tuesday. On to London via Salisbury tomorrow!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Saturday in Bristol
Today was a "free" day, which means there was nothing on the schedule for us to travel to with the exception of Evensong at 3:30.. A good idea, as all the work and play we've been doing for the past several days is starting to catch up with us! Most people who have never sung in a choir or spent much time serving for a worship service don't realize how much work goes into it - before the service, during the service, and afterwards. All our voices are holding up, which is good, but the bodies and minds need rest. We were all on individual schedules and activities today, so I can only tell you about what I experienced before Evensong; hopefully once we get stateside the rest of the group will update the blog with experiences of their own.
I decided to visit the Harbour Festival again - I just couldn't stay away from all that delicious food! After a late start to the day and preparations for the service, I hit the Festival around lunch time. It was PACKED with people. Last year, the Festival brought 400,000 people to Bristol and made 9 million pounds - I'll say that's a success! After the Festival, I finally had a chance to spend some quiet time in the cathedral - it is a truly beautiful space.
Here's our "work area":
This is MY view from the center of the aisle:
LOVE IT!!!!!!
Soon thereafter, it was time to prepare for Evensong. The choir has truly done a marvelous job - we sing a different set of service music every evening - including the concerts, we will sing 31 different pieces of music, not including the hymns for the services. This is an ENORMOUS amount of music to sing, and a large amount of music to sing WELL. The standards for worship in at the cathedral are high, just as they are at Christ Church, and we constantly work to improve ourselves so that we can become better ministers than we were the day before. This residency is no different.
Evensong went very well this evening, and the choirs have adjusted well to their new surroundings and the slight differences in the liturgies here at Bristol. After the service some of us visited the Harbour Festival again before coming back to the hotel for dinner. Although it was a low-key day (except the Jogging Crew was up bright and early!), several people decided to take advantage of some local theater productions in town. Hopefully, we'll all be well rested for the services tomorrow!
This will probably be the last post till we get to London on Monday - tomorrow is a big day! Choral Eucharist and Evensong in the space of a few hours - keep us in your prayers as we prepare!
I decided to visit the Harbour Festival again - I just couldn't stay away from all that delicious food! After a late start to the day and preparations for the service, I hit the Festival around lunch time. It was PACKED with people. Last year, the Festival brought 400,000 people to Bristol and made 9 million pounds - I'll say that's a success! After the Festival, I finally had a chance to spend some quiet time in the cathedral - it is a truly beautiful space.
Here's our "work area":
This is MY view from the center of the aisle:
LOVE IT!!!!!!
Soon thereafter, it was time to prepare for Evensong. The choir has truly done a marvelous job - we sing a different set of service music every evening - including the concerts, we will sing 31 different pieces of music, not including the hymns for the services. This is an ENORMOUS amount of music to sing, and a large amount of music to sing WELL. The standards for worship in at the cathedral are high, just as they are at Christ Church, and we constantly work to improve ourselves so that we can become better ministers than we were the day before. This residency is no different.
Evensong went very well this evening, and the choirs have adjusted well to their new surroundings and the slight differences in the liturgies here at Bristol. After the service some of us visited the Harbour Festival again before coming back to the hotel for dinner. Although it was a low-key day (except the Jogging Crew was up bright and early!), several people decided to take advantage of some local theater productions in town. Hopefully, we'll all be well rested for the services tomorrow!
This will probably be the last post till we get to London on Monday - tomorrow is a big day! Choral Eucharist and Evensong in the space of a few hours - keep us in your prayers as we prepare!
Friday in Wells
On Friday we travelled to the city of Wells to visit the cathedral. STUNNING.
We learned from our tour guide that the difference between a city and a town is that a city has a cathedral. Wells (named for the natural spring wells on the property of the Bishop's palace) is a fairly small city with lots of charm. We were taken on a tour of the cathedral by 2 lovely guides who were very informative.
One of the most distinctive features of the cathedrals are the scissor arches which were installed due to the stress put on the building when the tower was erected.
The baptismal font is from the original cathedral and is over 1000 years old - the choristers were encouraged to feel the tops of the arches on the font to see how the builder tried to change them from Norman to Gothic.
The cloisters were also beautiful.
After the tour we had a bit of time to find lunch and explore the town. Some people shopped, some found a good pub for lunch, some continued to explore the cathedral. Afterwards we returned to Bristol for Evensong.
We rehearsed quite a bit before the service before taking a rest before the liturgy began. The choristers had fun taking some refreshment in the cafe with our friend, Plastic Baby Jesus.
The choir sang well once again, treating the congregation to Kenneth Long's Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in F set for trebles. Our women and trebled did a spectacular job on this piece, while the men added their lovely tones for the rest of the service music. All in all - a great service.
After evensong we headed down to the dock for the Harbour Fest before dinner - quite the party scene! There were tugs of war on boats, lots of music, food...a true festival. We even indulged in a little body art:
Don't worry - it's not permanent!
We returned to the hotel for dinner after a bit, then a small group went out to Queen's Park to check out the night life of the festival. It was a heavenly feast of food - stalls and stalls of sweets, cheeses, paella, noodles...just fantastic! More than a few plans were made to return on our free Saturday before AND after Evensong.
Saturday is a free day for everyone before Evensong at 3:30 - we'll get some much needed rest before the weekend liturgies.
Onward we go!
We learned from our tour guide that the difference between a city and a town is that a city has a cathedral. Wells (named for the natural spring wells on the property of the Bishop's palace) is a fairly small city with lots of charm. We were taken on a tour of the cathedral by 2 lovely guides who were very informative.
One of the most distinctive features of the cathedrals are the scissor arches which were installed due to the stress put on the building when the tower was erected.
The baptismal font is from the original cathedral and is over 1000 years old - the choristers were encouraged to feel the tops of the arches on the font to see how the builder tried to change them from Norman to Gothic.
The cloisters were also beautiful.
After the tour we had a bit of time to find lunch and explore the town. Some people shopped, some found a good pub for lunch, some continued to explore the cathedral. Afterwards we returned to Bristol for Evensong.
We rehearsed quite a bit before the service before taking a rest before the liturgy began. The choristers had fun taking some refreshment in the cafe with our friend, Plastic Baby Jesus.
The choir sang well once again, treating the congregation to Kenneth Long's Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in F set for trebles. Our women and trebled did a spectacular job on this piece, while the men added their lovely tones for the rest of the service music. All in all - a great service.
After evensong we headed down to the dock for the Harbour Fest before dinner - quite the party scene! There were tugs of war on boats, lots of music, food...a true festival. We even indulged in a little body art:
Don't worry - it's not permanent!
We returned to the hotel for dinner after a bit, then a small group went out to Queen's Park to check out the night life of the festival. It was a heavenly feast of food - stalls and stalls of sweets, cheeses, paella, noodles...just fantastic! More than a few plans were made to return on our free Saturday before AND after Evensong.
Saturday is a free day for everyone before Evensong at 3:30 - we'll get some much needed rest before the weekend liturgies.
Onward we go!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thursday at Longleat and Evensong
"...and we heard the screaming all night. Screaming and screaming. Then they would laugh - a cackling, maniacal laugh that sent chills down the bones...nevermore, nevermore..."
No, friends, this is not some dark poem you studied in middle school. It's the seagulls. Every night, at least for those staying on a certain side of the hotel, is filled with the sound of screaming seagulls all hours of the night. The stories at breakfast in the morning are quite amusing, I have to say. Who knew this group was such a violent bunch!
Beyond that, all is well! We spent the morning at Longleat, home of Alexander Thynn, the Marquess of Bath. The home was built between 1567-1580, and is filled with wonderful art, tapestries and furniture from every imaginable period.
A "leat" is an aqueduct or waterway built to supply water to a watermill or mill pond. While we didn't see any waterways by the main house, there certainly could have been on this vast property. The landscaping was designed by a man named Capability Brown, who was well know for "redesigning" countryside to fit the aesthetic needs of the homes, including building and excavating new hills and planting very mature trees and greenery.
It is a truly gorgeous estate - sorry, no pictures allowed on the inside. The Lord Bath, the Marquess' son, is quite the eccentric - the art collection features some of his own work which is, shall we say, interesting. The estate features a safari park and other "attractions" for families. Opening a large manor home to the public is becoming more common as the aristocracy struggle to maintain these monstrously large properties and homes.
After our visit to Longleat we returned to Bristol to get ready for Evensong. There were a few different customs to learn, including how one vested for the rehearsal before the service, but the choir adapted admirably. We were fortunate to have plenty of time to warm up and receive instruction from the 2 vergers on duty - they pretty much run the place so that the clergy can focus on doing what they are supposed to be doing. A nice perk. The cathedral provided a light snack for everyone before the service. We met the Dean of the cathedral - charming chap - and one of the canons before the service began. Tim Olsen, our resident organist, provided excellent leadership on the organ for the service. The choir was nervous at first, but sang well throughout and was enthralled by the glorious sounds that rang through the space. And that Tommy Richmond - WHAT A SOLO. It will be such a sad day when his voice changes... :( Sorry, but no pictures here either - not allowed in the church. Kind of refreshing, really, to see a sacred space treated with such reverence...
After evensong we enjoyed the hospitality of a local pub just down the street from the hotel - we are getting to know all the local establishments QUITE well. Then another great dinner at the hotel - boy, we really lucked out. We're all going to have to get up with the Jogging Crew (Janet Greer, Larry Richmond and Doug Swift) before this trip is done - they've been jogging around Bristol for exercise in the mornings around 7 am...a wee bit too early for most of us after pubbing.
The young choristers are doing well, but starting to get a little tired and a wee bit car sick from all the windy roads! But lucky for us, there are enough drugs and homeopathic remedies on this trip to create a small apothecary. All will be well! Or, at least, well drugged...
We look forward to our next service tomorrow!
Sorry - no food pictures today, either...we'll work on it!
No, friends, this is not some dark poem you studied in middle school. It's the seagulls. Every night, at least for those staying on a certain side of the hotel, is filled with the sound of screaming seagulls all hours of the night. The stories at breakfast in the morning are quite amusing, I have to say. Who knew this group was such a violent bunch!
Beyond that, all is well! We spent the morning at Longleat, home of Alexander Thynn, the Marquess of Bath. The home was built between 1567-1580, and is filled with wonderful art, tapestries and furniture from every imaginable period.
A "leat" is an aqueduct or waterway built to supply water to a watermill or mill pond. While we didn't see any waterways by the main house, there certainly could have been on this vast property. The landscaping was designed by a man named Capability Brown, who was well know for "redesigning" countryside to fit the aesthetic needs of the homes, including building and excavating new hills and planting very mature trees and greenery.
It is a truly gorgeous estate - sorry, no pictures allowed on the inside. The Lord Bath, the Marquess' son, is quite the eccentric - the art collection features some of his own work which is, shall we say, interesting. The estate features a safari park and other "attractions" for families. Opening a large manor home to the public is becoming more common as the aristocracy struggle to maintain these monstrously large properties and homes.
After our visit to Longleat we returned to Bristol to get ready for Evensong. There were a few different customs to learn, including how one vested for the rehearsal before the service, but the choir adapted admirably. We were fortunate to have plenty of time to warm up and receive instruction from the 2 vergers on duty - they pretty much run the place so that the clergy can focus on doing what they are supposed to be doing. A nice perk. The cathedral provided a light snack for everyone before the service. We met the Dean of the cathedral - charming chap - and one of the canons before the service began. Tim Olsen, our resident organist, provided excellent leadership on the organ for the service. The choir was nervous at first, but sang well throughout and was enthralled by the glorious sounds that rang through the space. And that Tommy Richmond - WHAT A SOLO. It will be such a sad day when his voice changes... :( Sorry, but no pictures here either - not allowed in the church. Kind of refreshing, really, to see a sacred space treated with such reverence...
After evensong we enjoyed the hospitality of a local pub just down the street from the hotel - we are getting to know all the local establishments QUITE well. Then another great dinner at the hotel - boy, we really lucked out. We're all going to have to get up with the Jogging Crew (Janet Greer, Larry Richmond and Doug Swift) before this trip is done - they've been jogging around Bristol for exercise in the mornings around 7 am...a wee bit too early for most of us after pubbing.
The young choristers are doing well, but starting to get a little tired and a wee bit car sick from all the windy roads! But lucky for us, there are enough drugs and homeopathic remedies on this trip to create a small apothecary. All will be well! Or, at least, well drugged...
We look forward to our next service tomorrow!
Sorry - no food pictures today, either...we'll work on it!
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