Yesterday morning groups of us were off on the Tube or city busses (yes, the double decker ones) for St. Paul's Cathedral, [http://www.stpauls.co.uk/]designed by Christopher Wren after the previous one was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. It is situated on the sight of the Roman Temple to the Goddess Diana. By UK standards, it is still a new building.
St. Paul's was saved by St. Paul's Watch, a brigade of citizen volunteers, during the Blitz of December 1940 while all around it was destroyed. 28 bombs fell on the building and were tossed off as were burning cinders. The Cathedral became an icon of hope in those tumultuous times.
Our tour was designed to include St. Paul's at the climactic point as the singer's courage was maximized by all that they had done leading up to this moment. The concert came off beautifully. The choir sang from under the dome. The sound remained cohesive throughout the entire concert. Every musical gesture and expression could be heard in every nook and cranny of the vast cathedral. Our seated audience under the dome and in the nave was just about 200 and there, again, were the visitors wandering through to our accompaniment. (as in Canterbury) This was a very proud moment for us and, we hope, for the folks back home.
Following the concert, we were again free to explore. TA and I attended A Service of Choral Evensong at Westminster Abby. I enjoy visiting the Abby. On the floor is a plaque (near the war memorial surrounded by poppies if you ever visit) to George Peabody who founded the conservatory that I attended, now a part of Johns Hopkins. It serves as a reminder to me of connections and relationships to those who have come before us, paving the way for us. I never visit London without a visit to the Peabody plaque. It's a good lesson, really. For whom are we paving the way with our lives?
Choral Evensong was sung by a visiting choir. The thought that stayed with me following the service came from one of the Psalms sung in the service, Psalm 120. It is a Psalm that I think of so often in my work leading congregational music. Those who intentionally make music in the church occasionally find themselves asking the same question: "How could we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?" This brought on new meaning as we are singing in this foreign land. The Psalms are often like this, some line or thought comes through that we connect to our current situation as if we are being talked to directly.
Last night TA and I joined HTD and BD at a fabulous late night concert by the Artemis Quartet with pianist Jacques Ammon. It was a one hour concert in Wigmore Hall of Tango's by Astor Piazolla arranged for the group. I've been a big fan of Pizaolla for years and it was fun to hear this vibrant, energetic performance. If you're looking for music to add to your library, these are recorded by this ensemble on the EMI label. By the way, EMI is located within a few yards of our hotel.
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