Family of Spies

Sound familiar? Nazis. ICE. What's the difference?

"One morning, soon after Otto arrived at his office, there was a knock on the door. Several men burst through and dragged him from his chair, hustling him into a black sedan without any explanation and speeding away." 

Crim Dell

"The Crim Dell bridge is a wooden bridge on the College of William & Mary’s campus in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, and is considered one of the College's most visually appealing elements. Crim Dell is the pond that the bridge crosses, but the bridge is commonly referred to as Crim Dell." -- Wikipedia

Inflatables

"Protesters have taken to wearing oversized inflatable costumes to deflate tensions and draw attention at rallies against Trump administration’s policies. Crowds across the U.S. and abroad rallied Saturday during 'No Kings' demonstrations against what they call a slide into authoritarianism under President Donald Trump. Republicans dismissed the gatherings as “Hate America” rallies, but many had a festive feel" -- AP News

In this photo, though, I would also take note of the gentleman wearing the AFL-CIO stocking cap, suggesting to me, at least, the more sober side to this No Kings protest.

First Amendment

 "The 'No Kings' gatherings wouldn’t have been possible without the First Amendment; a cornerstone of U.S. democracy. It gives us freedom of speech, to peacefully protest, and to gather without fear of government intervention. In this country, everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and to act on them lawfully and without fear of punishment — no matter how 'unpopular' or 'disfavored' those beliefs may be.

But the Trump administration continues to abuse its power to silence and punish people and organizations who express viewpoints it doesn’t like. Despite fearmongering from those who would prefer that the public stay quiet, millions of Americans refused to stay home and instead channeled their courage to show up and speak up for each other. Because the best way to protect our First Amendment rights is to keep using them — and to do so peacefully, knowing the power of nonviolent protest to make repression backfire." -- Ellen Flenniken, ACLU Justice Division

Activism

"With every protest, flag waving on street corners, voter registration drive and postcard party, organizers say they are inching toward a special number of civically active Americans.

When 3.5% of the population of a country is actively involved in peacefully protesting a government, that government is likely to fall from power, according to one theory of nonviolent civil resistance." -- USA Today

Bubbles

"Republicans have spent many days trying to marginalize the massive anti-Trump 'No Kings' rallies held across the country over the weekend.

They’ve argued the people involved were extremists and even predicted they would be violent (which turned out not to be true). They’ve claimed the protesters hate America." -- CNN

Tyranny

"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world." -- The Declaration of Independence 

Pail

"The primary meaning of the word pail as defined by the OED is 'An open-topped vessel with a hooped carrying handle, typically of slightly tapering cylindrical shape, used esp. for holding or carrying liquids; (now more generally) a bucket.'  Various dictionaries from the 17th through the 19th century also support the notion of a pail as a vessel for carrying liquids often specifically mentioning water and milk as the liquids specifically carried by pails." -- Bonhams

Woodland Sunflower

Hightop Mountain Trail

Shenandoah National Park

"In spring and summer, the small blue and yellow flowers of bluets or Quaker ladies (Houstonia caerulea) line many trails. May is the time for pink azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) to bloom in the forest and along Skyline Drive, followed by the white flowers of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in June. Summer is the time for flowers such as columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), milkweed (Asclepias spp), nodding onion (Allium cernuum), ox eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), and turk's cap lily (Lilium superbum) to bloom. Also in summer, look for the yellow and orange flowers of touch-me-nots (Impatiens spp.) along streams and near springs, and countless spiked blooms of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) rising above the forest floor. The Park's growing season concludes with a strong display of goldenrods (Solidago spp.), asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), and wild sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) into the fall." -- Shenandoah National Park

Eighteenth Amendment

I probably should have remembered this from earlier readings about the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. There were loopholes. One had to do with purchases of alcoholic beverages before ratification. For example:

"In New Orleans civic leader Walter Parker, a member of the Stratford Club, built two new wine cellars in his house, purchased a stock of more than five thousand bottles, and proceeded to dip into it daily for the next fourteen years. In Los Angeles, Charlotte Hennessy, mother of actress Mary Pickford, simply bought the entire inventory of a liquor store and hat it relocated to her basement." -- Daniel Okrent, Last Call

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.

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

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. 😵

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."

Limestone

South transept (above) and altar (below).

"Lincoln Cathedral is one of the few English cathedrals built from the rock on which it stands. It is mostly built from Lincolnshire Limestone. The cathedral has owned the existing quarry, on Riseholme Road, Lincoln, since 1876. As of 2016, the quarry was expected to run out of stone in 2021. The cathedral's stonemasons use more than 100 tonnes of stone per year for maintenance and repairs." -- Wikipedia

Selby Abbey

After Ripon, we headed to Selby Abbey for a midday concert.

"The church is one of the relatively few surviving abbey churches of the medieval period and although not a cathedral, it is one of the largest. It was founded by Benedict of Auxerre in 1069 and subsequently built by the de Lacy family.

On 31 May 1256, the abbey was bestowed with the grant of a mitre by Pope Alexander IV and from this date was a 'Mitred Abbey'. This privilege fell into abeyance a number of times, but on 11 April 1308, Archbishop William Greenfield confirmed the grant, and Selby remained a 'Mitred Abbey' until the Dissolution of the Monasteries." -- Wikipedia

Choir & Pulpit

Ripon Cathedral choir and pulpit. According to my sources, the choir stalls are "studded with a series of thirty-four small ledges that protrude from the underside of the hinged seating [VERY uncomfortable!]. These are referred to as misericords, or the modern English translation ‘mercy seats’, and are perches that were designed for clergy to respectfully rest against during the back-to-back services of pre-Reformation Britain."

The pulpit was designed by Henry Wilson and dates from 1913. It stands on marble pillars and has silver and bronze decoration.

Ripon Font

According to the North Yorkshire Council, the Tudor font in the Ripon Cathedral, was created in the early 16th century and carved out of a solid piece of granite taken from Lintzgarth in Teesdale. "In 2017 the wooden top can still be seen on the font. Originally, it would have had a chain attached via a metal hasp to provide a locking mechanism to prevent people from stealing the Holy water which was often appropriated by pagans and other sects for their own practices including sorcery."

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."

Crypt

Some oddities about Ripon Cathedral. I took this photo in the crypt below. Here's how one website describes it:

"Built in 672 by Saint Wilfrid, Ripon Cathedral’s Crypt predates England itself by 255 years, and it’s still accepting pilgrims and visitors today.

Accessed by steep and narrow steps, a claustrophobic and gloomy passageway winds underneath a medieval cathedral. This cramped tunnel leads to a white painted void, believed by its creators to be a faithful representation of Jesus’s modest tomb.

With an arched ceiling, a simple altar, and a 14th-century alabaster carving of the resurrection, the otherwise chilly emptiness of this simple whitewashed crypt disguises its rich historical significance.

Ripon's crypt, and the long-vanished basilica it was originally built beneath, were the first of their kind to be built in the Kingdom of Northumbria, a territory that once covered most of Northern England and part of Southern Scotland."