Service: Interrupted

July 30, 2008 - 9:58 Local Time

So, here's the problem - internet in England is difficult. We are now in Winchester, staying in the dorms of Winchester College. However, I believe the internet there to be turned off for the summer. I'm going to try to work on that tomorrow, but tonight it is too late to do so. I'm hoping that I won't be without (essentially) for the remainder or the time here. Currently, I'm in McDonalds racing against a "free trial" clock, haha.



Quick run-down of the last two days, sans pictures. We left York rather early for Oxford, where we checked-in to the hotel, and then spent the evening at Oxford University. The evening ended with the Office of Compline at New College (Murray's alma mater) - a TRULY beautiful experience. *For those who care, the New College cloisters was the sight of several Harry Potter movie scenes*











This morning we travelled to Winchester and checked-in to the dorms there. We had a large part of the day to ourselves, but sang Evensong at Winchester Cathedral this evening. For my taste, this is the most fun place to sing throughout the whole trip. We will be here for the duration of the trip, so it's really great to be able to experience this space to such a lengthy extent.



The next few days (in case I can't post) will be taken up with a trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge, a trip to Portsmouth, a rather free Saturday and the a VERY busy (three services) Sunday before flying back Monday morning.

I hope I can post more often, but I can't make any promises at this point. I hope this post isn't too incoherant - the music in here is really loud and distracting, haha. Thanks to all for reading, and I will post as soon as possible! ~AJR

SGEC Trip Days 5 & 6

July 28, 2008 – 10:27 Local Time

When one thinks of an English parish church, I think the stereotype is that the clergy and parishioners are typically cool and aloof. However, the parish of Selby Abbey was quite to the contrary of all that. They were the warmest and most inviting group of folks we could have had the opportunity to meet. We arrived there early to warm-up in their choir stalls, and the organist and his wife ushered us through the entire process and helped us in every way possible. We then sang the service (which is far more complicated than an Episcopal service in the US), and they shepherded us along when we were close to stumbling. Afterward, there was a reception for a couple celebrating their golden anniversary and we were all invited to take part in their jollity. All-in-all, this experience has thus far been our warmest time spent in a service while here. (Yes, that is the Vicar down there with a glass of wine, haha!)







We then travelled to Harrogate to acquire the Youth singers, as they had sung their own service in a parish church there. Next, it was on to Bolton Abbey in Devonshire and the ruins there. Honestly, the beauty of this place is breathtaking! It is a former priory which was left essentially in ruins after the Reformation and has been left as such to the present day. After a casual lunch, we sang a very informal concert there (at which Murray’s mother was in attendance!) and took a photo. As with York Minster, I feel that it is best to allow the pictures to speak for themselves.











Following our return to York, Stephanie, Rachel, Megan, Trevor and I went out to dinner at a small restaurant/pub. Sitting there, a few (not all) of us became rather friendly with some proofed-out grape extract (haha), and considering that it was only £7 per bottle, we had much more than we had intended. It turned out to be a rather long night (and not in a good way), but I think we’ve all recovered nicely.







The morning and early afternoon were ours to do with what we pleased, so (considering the night before) I slept until 10:30. After a shower and a quick text message to Trevor, we met up and went to H&M. In case you aren’t familiar with this store, it is a trendy clothing store for 20-somethings which has great prices! While in Germany, I bought quite a bit there, but here I kept it to a bare minimum. Afterward, we found a delicious Mediterranean restaurant with a lunch special and proceeded to replenish some much-needed nutrients. Notice anything odd about the last choice for pizza (see below)? We spent the rest of our free time walking around this magnificent town, browsing in some of the shops and taking a few pictures. Eventually, it was time to return to the hotel, freshen up, grab our robes and music, and walk over to York Minster for a 3:30pm rehearsal.







The joys of singing Evensong in a place like York Minster are hard to put in to words. It’s not a place where the building does all the work for you, by any stretch (as was Selby Abbey). Rather, you have to make a conscious effort to fill-out the choral sound, not to mention the HUGE space, haha. Quite to Gerry Senechal’s satisfaction, we sang Edward Bairstow’s Lord, thou hast been a refuge in the space for which Bairstow wrote it. (He is at the top of Gerry’s favorite composer list.) We also sang the Magnificat & Nunc dimittis of T. Tertius Noble, which is of a particularly special significance to me – it was the first “Mag and Nunc” that I ever sang, and it was at St. George’s where I had this experience. Considering the power behind the piece, it becomes difficult at times to maintain my composure.







After the service, Richard Shepherd (the cantor), Gerry, the Somervilles and I went to Dr. Shepherd’s house for a couple of glasses of wine. I wasn’t thrilled about wine after last night, but I didn’t want to be rude, haha. We all sat there in his drawing room and discussed everything from making a career as a countertenor to the new Batman movie to the pitfalls of flying through Dulles airport. It was quite an entertaining experience, especially when Dr. Shepherd repeatedly tried to convince Gerry that Bairstow did actually have shortcomings, and that other, greater composers have lived, haha. At around 7:45, Dr. Shepherd needed to meet someone for an engagement, so the Somervilles and I (Gerry had already had to leave) went to a fantastic Italian restaurant for dinner. It was a delicious meal with great company and splendid conversation. I’ve been truly lucky to know and work with them, and I’ll miss them, and the St. George’s choir on the whole, an immeasurable amount once I move to Indiana.







Well, I’ve definitely written enough for tonight. I still need to pack, and have to be on a bus at 8am rolling toward Oxford and a compline service at New College tomorrow evening. As always, I’m not sure what my internet situation will be from day-to-day, so I’ll post as soon as I can! ~AJR

SGEC Trip Day 4

July 26, 2008 – 20:58 Local Time

*The pictures are all from York Minster, but I wanted to space them out through the blog, since that is all I photographed today, haha!*

Today has been such a low-key day! We got up early this morning and had breakfast before packing up and getting on the bus for that long bus trip to York. We stopped at a travel center for a brief lunch, and then continued on to arrive safely in York, checked-in to our hotel with no complications, and met back outside at about 3:15pm. From there, we took a walking tour of York, ending at York Minster. Along the way, Tim (our guide) showed us many different places to eat and shop, giving us ideas of how to use our ample free time in this beautiful city.









At York Minster we met up with a local guide named Louise who took us on a lengthy, and rather detailed, tour of the minster. She was quite fantastic, even allowing us to sing the Duruflé (remember St. George’s Chapel?) in the Chapter House of the Minster. Being in this space (the second-largest gothic medieval cathedral in Europe) really gave us some great insight into our historical roots, both as Anglicans and as musicians. With traditions leading from Constantine to Edward Bairstow and continuing through today, this place was a magnificent example of what we share.









After the tour we were allowed to have the evening to ourselves. A large number of us went to a wonderful restaurant called Russell’s. They specialize in roasted meats which they carve in-front of you. Knowing that we have to sing a very early service at a parish church in Selby tomorrow, and then head on to Bolton Abbey, I decided to turn-in early for the night. Sorry for the brevity of this one, but there isn’t a lot to say – just a good number of pretty cathedral pictures. Thanks for reading! ~AJR

SGEC Trip Day 3

July 25, 2008 – 11:26 Local Time

Well, today has been a fantastic (though not overtly “touristy”) day in London. We started the day with a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel. While sitting there, I still hadn’t decided what I wanted to do in my free time today – Tower of London, Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Eye? I had basically decided to go to Westminster Abbey in the morning, then buy a Tube pass and head over to the Tower of London for a 1pm tour with our guide. This would end just in time to get to St. Paul’s Cathedral for the Choral Evensong we were participating in. However, Stephanie mentioned that she was going to the British Museum, and that the Westminster Abbey folk had already left. Oops! Well, that made up my mind – the Museum it was! Altogether, for where I am in life, this was the best decision I could have made. We had such a good time looking through the artifacts from ancient Egypt, China, India, Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia, etc. Some of the highlights were the Rosetta Stone, the actual mummies (including those of calves) and the archaic instruments. It was amazing what England (among others) decided to just steal at certain points along the way, haha!









After losing track of time and spending over four hours there, we didn’t have enough time to do anything else (like the Tower), and Stephanie mentioned that she would like some lunch. I wasn’t hungry at the time, so we parted company. I had every intent of getting a Tube pass and at least taking pictures from the outside of some major attractions. However, I apparently walked past the Tube station and wound up in Covent Garden – what a pleasant surprise! This was a lovely area with shops everywhere, street performers on nearly every corner, and just an overall energy that really helped to boost my spirits while *technically* lost. Eventually, I found a station, bought a pass and simply made my way on to St. Paul’s.







I was an hour and a half early, but that gave me and Trisha (who I met up with at the Underground station) an opportunity to explore the church some on our own. As guests singing a service there, we were allowed to walk around more freely and access more areas than the general public. However, we still were not allowed to take pictures inside the church. However, I would highly suggest going to their site and looking around – truly beautiful. Trisha and I made the hike up the 259 steps to the Whispering Gallery and the 119 steps to the Stone Gallery. *Whew!* Due to time, we couldn’t make the additional climb of 152 steps to the very tip-top. Darn! (My legs were burning so badly that I was thanking Jesus we were out of time!) At 5pm we sang a beautiful Evensong there, which seemed to be very well-received. The vergers were all genuinely helpful and friendly, and the Dome itself leaves want wanted to sing for hours, but too tired to be capable. This will definitely go down as one of the most memorable choral experiences of my career.









After Evensong, we (Rachel, Megan, Stephanie, and I) came back to the hotel to freshen up, and then headed out to Covent Garden for dinner. What should have been a quick bite to eat followed by some shopping turned into a more-than-two hour meal at a quite fine Mediterranean restaurant. Following the meal (and the bill *cringe*), we decided to go to King’s Cross Train Station to see if the rumors were true about them having hung a Platform 9¾ sign for a photo opportunity. It was true! We got some amusing pictures there, grabbed a soda for the bus ride tomorrow, and walked back to our hotel – tired, full, slightly less wealthy, and all the better for it.







Tomorrow we’re up rather early, and hopping on the bus for the monstrous (six hour) trek to York. We’ll check in to our hotel there, tour York Minster, and then have the evening free to explore, so I’m rather looking forward to it. As always, thanks for reading, and I’ll keep posting as long as I have an internet connection wherever I go, haha! ~AJR

SGEC Trip Days 1 & 2

July 25, 2008 – 00:13 Local Time

Well, we’re here! At the beginning we weren’t sure we were going to make it, but all turned out for the best. As could be expected when travelling with 75 people, our flight from Nashville to Atlanta was delayed, which would have caused us to miss our connecting flight from Atlanta to London. However, in a brilliant moment of serendipity, the pilot for the second (ATL-LHR) was actually flying to Atlanta with us – they couldn’t leave for England without him, so we were safe! Many, many hours later, we landed at Heathrow and met our tour guide, Tim. He’s a fantastic fellow who knows an awful lot about his country, and who you can see below wielding a yellow flag with his name on it.







Our first (and only real) stop for the day was Windsor Castle – the summer home of the royal family. If I understood correctly, the flag flying on the top of it was an indication that the Queen was actually there at the time of our visit. After a very quick bite to eat in the train station, we made our way to St. George’s Cathedral and sang an impromptu performance of Duruflé’s Ubi caritas et amor. It was a wonderful way to begin our trip. Next, we moved on to the State Apartments, which are a picture-free zone. Basically, the rule at Windsor Castle is as such: If you don’t have sky above you, pictures aren’t allowed. It’s an interesting rule, and while sounding vague, it actually covers everything well. The Apartments were, of course, beautiful but we were so hurried through them that we didn’t really get to enjoy them. Our late flight caused all kinds of problems like that.









After the castle, we boarded the buses and made our way to the hotel in London. This was supposed to take an hour, but took almost two because of a large wreck on the motorway. We *finally* arrived, safe and sound, to check in to our rooms. The rooms here are quite similar to the rooms from the Prague/Germany trip, so how about scrolling down to one of those entries for an explanation, if you’d like one? Haha. After a quick shower (thank Jesus!), we all met in the hotel restaurant for our inaugural dinner. It was a hearty 3-course meal with several options, all of which seemed to be pretty decent. I decided on mushroom soup, lamb and veggies, and lemon meringue pie – delicious! Pair this with two glasses of (complimentary) champagne and one glass of red wine, and I’m about to crash. However, there were about 10 of us that decided to go down the street to have another drink or two before actually turning in. I had only one more drink, but made it a double – the best of both worlds, haha!







And that brings us to now. Goodnight everyone! I love you all, and I’ll see you soon! Thanks for reading! ~AJR