Blue Steps

 

(View from below)

One of the first features people see upon visiting Naumkaeg, depending on how they approach the house, are its iconic Blue Steps. According to the Library of American Landscape History, Fletcher Steele "used industrial materials—cast concrete and metal pipe—and the Italian Renaissance form of the water staircase, planted with lithe white birches that uncannily mimic the stair railings."

 

(View from above)

Naumkaeg

 

According to Wikipedia, "Naumkeag is the former country estate of noted New York City lawyer Joseph Hodges Choate and Caroline Dutcher Sterling Choate, located at 5 Prospect Hill Road, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The estate's centerpiece is a 44-room, Shingle Style country house designed principally by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White, and constructed in 1885 and 1886." I stopped by for a visit shortly after attending the BSO's rehearsal at Tanglewood.

Winsor Dam

 

Nothing quite prepares you for the size of Winsor Dam. 2640 ft (805 m) long, 35 feet wide (10.7 m), with a maximum bottom width of 1100 ft (335 m), it's breathtaking. 

 

 

Built to help create one of the largest unfiltered water supplies in the United States, the 412 billion gallon reservoir covers 39 square miles with 181 miles of shoreline.

 

Nothing I did with my iPhone camera could adequately capture it's vast dimensions. But in this last photo, if you expand it, you might just be able to make out the form of someone hiking in the shadow of the trees along the trail in the center right.

  

Bridge

I've photographed this bridge many times over the past few years. The last time was last year on the Fourth of July. It's become something of a go-to destination every time I visit this region.

According to Wikipedia, the "Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge is an eight-span steel lattice truss bridge. It crosses Elwell Island in the middle of the river, providing no access to the island in an attempt to keep the island otherwise untouched. Riding over the bridge shows eight spans, with two of them over Elwell Island. It was built by the R. F. Hawkins Ironworks Company. The bridge was redesigned by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. of Watertown, rebuilt by MassHighway, and opened in 1992 to bicycle and foot traffic as part of the Norwottuck Rail Trail."

View of the Connecticut River and Elwell Island

Wesley House

After singing at Great St. Mary's, I happened to pass by the Wesley House. Curious to see more, I was very cordially welcomed by the staff and even given a brief tour.

"Wesley House was founded as a Methodist theological college in Jesus Lane, Cambridge, England. It opened in 1921 as a place for the education of Methodist ministers and today serves as a gateway to theological scholarship for students and scholars of the Wesleyan and Methodist traditions from around the world. It was a founding member of the Cambridge Theological Federation, an ecumenical body of theological colleges in Cambridge which is affiliated to but independent of the University of Cambridge." -- Wikipedia

Cambridge

Panoramic view of Cambridge University from atop Great St. Mary's tower.

Stephen Hawking

Interesting note: Stephen Hawking's (1942–2018) funeral was held here at Great St. Mary's on 31 March 2018 prior to his cremation and interring of his ashes in Westminster Abbey.

Great St. Mary's

From the post office in Cambridge, it was on to Great St. Mary's (aka University Church) for yet another rehearsal.and final concert.

"In addition to being a parish church in the Diocese of Ely, it is the university church for the University of Cambridge. As such it has a role in the university's legislation. For example, university officers must live within 20 miles of Great St Mary's and undergraduates within three. The church also hosts the 'University Sermons' and houses the University Organ and the University Clock. The latter chimes the 'Cambridge Quarters' which were later used by the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament ('Big Ben')." -- Wikipedia 

Octagonal Tower

Ely Cathedral's large stone octagonal tower, with its eight internal archways, according to Wikipedia, "leads up to timber vaulting that appears to allow the large glazed timber lantern to balance on their slender struts. The roof and lantern are actually held up by a complex timber structure above the vaulting which could not be built in this way today because there are no trees big enough. The central lantern, also octagonal in form, but with angles offset from the great Octagon, has panels showing pictures of musical angels, which can be opened, with access from the Octagon roof-space, so that real choristers can sing from on high. More wooden vaulting forms the lantern roof. At the centre is a wooden boss carved from a single piece of oak, showing Christ in Majestry. The elaborate joinery and timberwork was brought about by William Hurley, master carpenter in the royal service."

Just so that you know, none of our choristers sang from "on high." I don't think I could have recovered from vertigo long enough to sing. 😵

Lady Chapel

We ended our rehearsal at Ely Cathedral by moving from the high altar to Lady Chapel to hear for ourselves the much praised acoustics. 

Ely Rehearsal

Choir members arriving at Ely Cathedral to rehearse for a midday concert in front of the high altar.

Ely Cathedral

According to Wikipedia, Ely Cathedral "can trace its origin to the abbey founded in Ely in 672 by St Æthelthryth (also called Etheldreda). The earliest parts of the present building date to 1083, and it was granted cathedral status in 1109. Until the Reformation, the cathedral was dedicated to St Etheldreda and St Peter, at which point it was refounded as the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Ely, which covers most of Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk, Essex, and Bedfordshire. It is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon."

Chancel

Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge

Interior

Jesus College Chapel ceiling

South window

Solitude

Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge

 

Jesus College

One of the rarest, if not THE rarest, moment on our trip was the morning I had free to wander into Cambridge on my own and to explore Jesus College, founded in 1496. Things must have been slow, because as soon as I passed through this impressive entrance, a security guard, hearing that I was there to scope out the place before the choir's evening performance, very generously offered to to give me my own private tour!

Room with a View

After our short stop in Lincoln, the choir pressed on to Cambridge where we stayed at the slightly less glamorous, but nonetheless strategically located, Premier Inn. Didn't make much difference, anyway, as we really only had time to sleep and eat in the hotel. 

I agree, though, along with probably a whole lot of tour organizers, that glamor must sometimes give way to convenience. And the Premier Inn on Newmarket Road could hardly have been more convenient, being within an easy and pleasant one mile walk to Jesus College where we would be singing next. 

View looked much the same whether seen vertically or horizontally. :-)

Steep Hill

Lincoln, England

Lincoln Flowers

Lincoln Cathedral

Lincoln Cloister

Built originally in the 13th century the cloister was rebuilt in 1674 by Sir Christopher Wren during his work on the Lincoln Cathedral.