Showing posts with label People. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People. Show all posts

Thursday, June 5, 2025

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 

Monday, June 2, 2025

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. 

Sunday, June 1, 2025

Ely Rehearsal


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

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Boots

 
Boots is essentially the Walgreens of England. I found this one in Cambridge. I was particularly curious about these automated checkout counters.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Prep


After cooking in the copper kettles, the fudge is transferred to this marble table to cool before being cut into individual slices for sale.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Caffé Nero


Cambridge, England

Not plugging anything here. Just sayin' that Caffés Nero often seemed in just the right places at just the right times.

Friday, May 16, 2025

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!

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Old Sacristy


Robing in Selby Abbey's Old Sacristy before our midday concert.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Verger


So on Sunday morning at Ripon, the verger lined us up in the south transept of the cathedral, then led us in procession to the west end and up the nave to our places behind the low altar. No mean feat considering what a rabble we are normally on Sunday mornings! Maybe that's why he's smiling. :-)

Monday, May 5, 2025

Evensong


The renowned British composer Andrew Carter on the right with the scarf congratulating members of the choir for our performance of his Californian Canticles at evensong.


After evensong in Ripon, it was a quick bus trip back to Harrogate for a bite to eat at The Crown's bar and grill and a night's rest before returning to sing for Sunday morning Eucharist.

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Quiet

 


Had a few moments to explore Ripon Cathedral before heading down the hill to the cathedral's rehearsal hall. We served as the choir in residence for the weekend while the cathedral's regular choir was on break.

"Ripon Cathedral has a vibrant choral tradition that has spanned 14 centuries, since St Wilfrid introduced cantors from Canterbury Cathedral in AD680, and it remains at the heart of our worship. The uplifting sound of the cathedral’s outstanding choirs, as well as the dramatic notes of the mighty pipe organ, can be experienced at regular services such as Choral Evensong."

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Ripon


Another reason to eat lunch at the Royal Oak is that it is literally around the corner from the cathedral where I was headed next for rehearsal. We had so many rehearsals because the choir sang different music for each performance. In fact, most of us traveled with separate bags for the sole purpose of carrying our music and choir robes. Also, each cathedral or chapel had its own unique acoustics and physical space, requiring us to quickly settle in and adjust to the new circumstances.

Friday, April 25, 2025

The Crown


After rehearsing in Stamford, our choir traveled to the Crown Hotel in Harrogate (shown abpve) where we arrived just in time to take our bags to our rooms and head out to find something to eat for a late supper.

Here's how The Crown describes itself: "This glorious Victorian exercise of Italian Renaissance in sandstone has a long and distinguished history that reaches back to the early 1600s when visitors first began to drink the waters of the world's strongest known Sulphur Well The name Crown may have been adopted around the time of Charles II's restoration of the monarchy in 1660, when a much smaller inn overlooked the Sulphur Well to the west. Since then, the Crown thrived, reaching 'gigantic proportions,' by the time Lord Byron and his 'string of horses, dogs and mistresses' were guests in 1806 . . . . When Elgar stayed at the Crown, it was probably at the peak of its Edwardian perfection. After being sequestered by the government in 1939, the Crown reopened to visitors in 1958."

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Rehearsal


Rehearsal in St. Mary's chancel, Stamford.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

St. Mary's


Arrived at St. Mary's just in time for rehearsal. By pre-arrangements months before, the church agreed to host our rehearsal while we were in Stamford on our way to Harrogate. According to Wikipedia, the church was built in the 12th century, the tower in the 13th century, and the spire in the 14th century. The tower is 78 feet high, topped by a spire of 90 feet, giving a total height of 168 feet.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Spanish Food


Spotted this vendor at work in Stamford on my way from lunch to rehearsal. 

Monday, April 14, 2025

Tobie's


Had a quick bite to eat at Tobie Norris' (highly recommended!) in Stamford before trundling off to rehearsal at St. Mary's.

Friday, April 11, 2025

Rehearsal

Some fellow choristers at rehearsal in Norwich.
 

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Ethelbert Gate

 
Ah, but now back to Norwich where I happened to explore one of the main gates to the cathedral close after returning from visiting the Julian Shrine. Fascinating bit of history took place here. Seems as if tensions could sometimes run rather high between the townsfolk and the cathedral's monks. So much so that the Ethelbert Gate was ordered to be built by King Henry III and completed around and about 1325.