St. Mark's In Ely

Pics: Saturday in Ely

2010-07-25T15:05:00.001-07:00

View from the rooftop during the Octagon tour

Our tour group up on the roof

Maddie Stokes next to a large buttress. The buttress is wood with lead casing.

Helen Ballew sizing up her next shot.

Trevor Stokes

Final Evening

2010-07-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2010
Ely

This is our final evening in Ely. The morning began with rehearsal at 9, services at 10:30, wine and juice reception following, picnic lunch, rehearsal at 2:30, Evensong at 4:00, and dinner celebration at 7:00. A very long day. We are tired, grateful and ready for a short night sleep before the long ride home tomorrow.

Having been part of a few productions, I recognize the variety of feelings flowing through the choir at this point. There is a palpable sense of satisfaction that the trip was a real success. A feeling of exhaustion is creeping in as well. We share real sadness in departing this beautiful place that has so easily become our home. And we are impatient to get on with the trip home, achingly missing family and loved ones. This long day, this final act, or series of acts, is filled with all these feelings and more.

We were helped in focusing these emotions during a lovely dinner party at a local banquet hall. Overlooking the River Ouse we paused to give thanks and praise for all that we had beheld this week, and to celebrate the completion of a job so very well done: gifts were given, toasts were made, stories begun.

And now we get ready for home. Our group wakes up very early at 4:00 for a long trip to Heathrow and the day long journey. My prayer is that as we go from this mountain top we will do what the saints of the Old Testament did and tell lots of stories. Aided by pictures, music, recordings and laughter may we continue to return to this journey is some small way in the retelling of its great moments. And in so doing the formation begun here will continue. Thanks be to God.

I will continue to post some reflections and photos during the next few weeks.

Until then, God's peace.

- Jonathan

Pics: Friday rehearsal in the Mary Chapel

2010-07-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal in the Mary Chapel

Alexandra following rehearsal in the Mary Chapel

Gabby resting before evensong
in the Mary Chapel

Trevor and Jonathan in The Mary Chapel

Prayer Candles in the Mary Chapel

Parish choir

Rehearsal in the Mary Chapel

Pics: Thursday at Burghley House

2010-07-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

Burghley House

Trevor feeding the deer a la "Lady and the Tramp"

The Garden of Surprises

Andrew Thayer connecting with friends from the choir

"Light Prevails"

2010-07-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

7/24/2010
Ely

I write this on Saturday evening after a few days off from posting. Today included a well needed day off from bus travel and the daily touring schedule. We have had days filled with fantastic tours, but we were ready for a day to just bum around Ely. Many of us took tours of the higher reaches of the Cathedral, the Octagon and the West Tower, and all of us took in the local market day in the center of town. We ended the day with Evensong and dinner.

On Thursday we spent the morning and lunch time at the Burghley House, one of the finest Elizabethan stately homes. It was built by Lord Burghley, a close friend, mentor and advisor to Elizabeth I. The house and ground were amazing. Soaring rooms with spectacular art and amazing murals led to sprawling grounds populated by a large deer herd. Apparently, the way to keep a large lawn trimmed is to bring in the deer…very effective. They are very tame and come right up to a hand offering a snack. The aptly named Garden of Surprises was, by far, the hit of the day. Filled with many interesting water features that literally surprise you when you venture through, it’s a place where laughter reigns.

When we returned to the Cathedral for rehearsal and evensong we met up with Andrew Thayer. Andy is a priest, former Assistant Rector at St. Mark’s, and current graduate student at Oxford pursuing a PhD (or D. Phil. in local parlance). He came over to say hello to old friends and to enjoy the choir. He and Kelsey and the kids are doing very well and are looking forward the arrival of a new baby boy any day now. After a good visit and dinner with Albert and Kathleen Vale we got him on a late bus home. It is great to meet up with good friends from far away.

Yesterday we were at RAF (Royal Air Force) museum in Duxford, Thursday we were at Burghley House near Stamford. The RAF museum is reportedly the largest in Europe and featured several extensive exhibits. I was transported to my childhood fascination with the B-17, Spitfire, Mustang, Messerchmidt, F-100, Phantom…and the list goes on. The museum houses many working planes and several were in action during our time. It’s interesting to see two World War I era biplanes take off followed by the Vietnam War era F-8 Crusader jet.

We returned from Duxford to rehearsal and choral evensong in the Lady Chapel at the Cathedral. The chapel is an amazing space for choral music. With its box shape, stone and glass walls, stone floor and towering ceiling, the place is made to make the tiniest voice huge. The right choir can make the air shimmer with beauty, and we have the right choir.

When rehearsal began I was just entering the chapel. Coming in behind me was a woman with her camera ready for more vacation photos. At the first notes of the rehearsal she reeled around, stood stock still with her eyes wide and mouth agape. She slowly inched backward to a seat along the wall and slumped against it with teary eyes. A short while later she was joined by a friend (maybe her sister?), whispering excitedly as they sat and listened. I went over to say hello during a break, letting her know that we are a choir from Texas in America rehearsing for the service later that night. She said, in a Spanish accent, “Do you have this music where you live? Because we do not…we do not have this. I have never heard this. It is so beautiful.” Two lives touched by beauty.

The dominant theme from the day at Duxford was the perils, and heroism, of war. In England, World War II remains a vital piece of current history. This story of this tiny island is filled with conquest and re-conquest piled on top of one another. Hitler’s march toward England was the latest in a series of attempts by foreign invaders to claim England for themselves. The attack stalled when his numerically and materially superior air force was met by the cunning heroism of an outmanned RAF. To lose the air war of the Battle of Britain would be to lose Britain itself, and our world map likely would be different as a result.

Juxtaposed with the history of our Ely Cathedral home- a history of conquest, rebuilding, re-conquest, defeat and victory- the day at Duxford adds another to the multiple layers of meaning from this pilgrimage. So much of human history in this place is about war: World Wars, monarchial power-grabs, theological cleansings or Norman conquests. The Cathedral is a living testament to this tumultuous ebb and flow. And yet there remains the promise that even through this tattered history transcendent moments prevail.

Unlikely heroes emerge in war time saving more lives than they can possibly understand.

Unknown builders, masons, architects reach impossible heights of beauty and design after years of building and failure, success and destruction.

An unlikely group of singers, both young and old, both experienced and green, fill a church half the world away with such voice that strangers from foreign countries stop and stare, mouths gaping, tears filling eyes, and whisper in amazement.

Transcendence prevails in the most surprising ways. Light shines even in the darkest hour. And when it does, when we witness and give witness to these glimpses of God’s own presence, we become partners with God, transformed into transcendence ourselves, offering light to the world.

Tomorrow is a long day: rehearsal and Eucharist in the morning followed by a reception by the Dean and Evensong rehearsal at 2:00, Evensong at 4:00 and an all group special dinner at 7:00. Then we head for home early Monday morning. I will post some pictures and a message one more time tomorrow and then further from the states.

God’s Peace be with you, and through you,
- Jonathan

"Many Bodies, One Spirit"

2010-07-23T13:20:00.001-07:00

July 23, 2010
Ely

A reflection by Helen Ballew

In the front window of our two “coaches” are signs that say “St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Choir, San Antonio, Texas – We are Together.” And indeed, as one day melts into another, we are more and more together. “The Wickham” has been teaching us that a pilgrimage is a journey and to think of this tour as a pilgrimage. Often we think of a pilgrimage as a journey to some place, like Jerusalem or Mecca. But there is a way in which this pilgrimage is as much about the journey -- the joys and sorrows of travelling together in a group -- than it is the destination, although Ely Cathedral is a most worthy destination for a pilgrimage of the Anglican faithful. So in this pilgrimage to England and to Ely, the longer we live in community and the more we travel and explore and experience together, the more “we are together.”

We are witnessing a process of group transformation enriched by the individual personal transformations that are evident nearly every day. Theological discussions on our bus rides sprinkled with many thoughtful questions, and deep reflections that bracket each day engage each and every member of the group. We are a group of highly individualistic personalities – “many bodies” – but we are increasingly becoming “one spirit.”

Many Bodies, One Spirit (You may have seen this saying on the Youth Group’s t-shirts. They chose the saying and it fits.)

Needless to say, as a parent chaperone, I feel extremely blessed to be a pilgrim among these faith-filled, faith-seeking, highly gifted, fun-loving and thoughtful pilgrims, young and not-so-young alike.

Father Jonathan mentioned in an earlier post that I’d observed the music to be the truly transformative experience here. I’d like to elaborate. When we first arrived in Ely and stood on the grounds of the Cathedral, up came the goose bumps. When we then walked in the Cathedral and laid eyes on the interior, mere goose bumps gave way to breathlessness and tingling. But when the voices of our choristers – our friends, our children -- filled the Cathedral with their beautiful music, the experience became for me and for others simply transcendent. There was a feeling that all the centuries of history – all the many voices -- embedded in the stones and wood and glass of this deeply historic place came alive and merged into one.

Here was our own St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Choir adding its voices to the 1,400 years of worshipping voices contained in this beautiful place. And each day as our beloved choir leaves it all on the altar, the heart and soul in their united voices lifts us all. What a blessing. What a tremendous gift.

I only wish you could all be here with us to experience this.

Many centuries, many voices, one spirit.

- Helen

Pics Around Cambridge 2

2010-07-22T17:23:00.001-07:00

Christina Howe

Ed Rieke absorbing every detail

Trying my hand at punting. It's actually quite tricky.

The Eagle pub where Crick and Watson announced they figured out the double helix structure for DNA

Robert Patlan at the EagleDavid Frego

Fan Vaulting at King's College Chapel
King's College Chapel

Pics around Cambridge 1

2010-07-22T17:17:00.001-07:00

Helen Ballew trying her hand at punting on the Cam

The Bridge of "Sighs"-

University Library

Natalie and Ana

In front of Kings College Chapel

7-21-2010 American War Cemetery and Memorial outside of Cambridge

2010-07-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Chapel at the American War Cemetery and Memorial

Reflecting pool at the Cemetery

Pictures from Wednesday, July 21

2010-07-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of the reception hosted by the Morgans

David and Sally Morgan, St. Mark's members and generous hosts of a reception in the choir's honor.

Ely Cathedral from the street.

2010-07-22T01:03:00.001-07:00

Day six
7/21/2010
Ely

Today was spent at Cambridge, with a short stop at the American War Cemetery and Memorial at Madingly. The cemetery is the final resting place for some 3,000 soldiers lost in World War II, either in England during training, in the air, or in nearby waters. This was a solemn, reflective place. The chapel at the memorial was wonderful surprise. Our eyes were lifted to a breathtaking mosaic on the ceiling and apse wall. Again our hearts were touched by transcendent beauty.

Once in Cambridge we had to adjust to the crowded streets and multi-sensory pulse of a busy college town. It’s a wonderful place filled with many languages, color palettes and cultures. A group of us went punting (floating in a flat bottomed river boat) on the River Cam. It was a great way to see the city and University away from busy streets. The highlight of our tour was Kings College Chapel. Simply amazing.

We returned for a reception in our honor given by David and Sally Morgan, St. Mark’s parishioners who are from England and who frequently return to visit family. They were delighted to celebrate the choir and we were all honored by their hospitality.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is spent at Burghley House, a large Elizabethan Estate. After roaming the gardens and playing in the water there we will return to the cathedral for rehearsal and evensong.

Enjoy the pictures the follow! God’s peace and blessing to all.

- Jonathan

Transported by Song

2010-07-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

Day five

7/20/2010

Ely

Today was all day in Ely. The morning began with rehearsal at the chapel at the Bishop Woodford House where the youth choir, their chaperones and some other adults are staying. The BWH is a retreat facility of the Diocese of Ely. And it’s perfect for the youth…we are the only ones lodging here throughout our stay so we have lots of space to stretch out, a lovely garden, and we are not very far from the cathedral grounds and the wide open park there.

Our journey with the youth choir has embraced the theme of pilgrimage, focusing on what Benedictine spirituality has for us as we grow in community. The lodgings for the youth are perfect for this. We eat breakfast and dinner together at the retreat house, and that regular mealtime gives us a good rhythm for the day. We begin the day with some quiet, a prayer, a meal and some conversation and teaching, and we end the day the same way. Of course the in-between time is filled with all of the youthful energy you would expect from twelve highly energized students half a world away from home…we are ever grateful for the steady influence of our chaperones.

The majority of the adults in the parish choir are staying and The Lamb, a hotel near the cathedral. It is the only hotel in Ely, and the choir has taken the majority of the rooms there for the week. That location works well for them as well since it is nearby the restaurants in downtown Ely and they are on their own for dinner.

Ely is a very nice town. Right away it feels, and sounds, smaller than San Antonio. There is very little road noise, no highway rumble in the distance. And it seems that every available piece of land is maintained as a garden or lawn. Little gardens are everywhere. Peek down an alleyway and it will be lined on one side with a shade garden. A few feet of space between sidewalk and house becomes a lavender hedgerow filled with honeybees.

This evening was the choir’s second at the cathedral for evensong, and they were better than the first. There is space in the choir seating area for the congregation to sit between the choir and the high altar. We sat there last night. Today many of us sat in the midst of the larger church space during rehearsal and the service to get a feel for how the service fills the larger church space. Once again we were impressed with the quality and strength of our group.

Visitors came to and fro in the rehearsal, and most paused to listen to choir. Many stopped and closed their eyes to take it all in. Helen Ballew, one of the youth choir chaperones said this: “The Cathedral is breathtaking in its own right. But when the choir is added into that space you feel transported.” And that’s what the choir is doing…They are making their voices available for God’s use to touch, transport and transform people. And they do it so faithfully and well.

Wednesday has us touring Cambridge and King’s College, with no evensong in the evening.

More about our day – and many more pictures - later on.

- Jonathan

"Transendence"

2010-07-20T02:37:00.000-07:00

Day Four
7/19/2010
Northampton to Ely

Today was move day. Our three day sojourn in Northampton and its environs have ended and our pilgrim journey continues northeast to Ely. Ely is in an area known as Fenland or “The Fens.” These lowlands extend north to “The Wash”, the shallow basin that drains into the North Sea. Once entirely covered in marshland laced with slow rivers and tributaries, the area features occasional high points, or fen-islands, that remained dry amidst the flooded swampland. The island on which Ely was founded is the largest of these.

St. Etheldreda (read more about her at www.elycathedral.org) founded a monastery here in 673. In the eleventh century work began on the present church building for the monastery, which would be designated a cathedral for the newly organized Diocese of Ely a century later.

From the cathedral’s website: The monastery at Ely was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. Ely suffered less than many other monasteries, but even so, statues were destroyed together with carvings and stained glass. St Etheldreda's Shrine was destroyed. The Cathedral was refounded with a Chapter of eight canons in 1541 as was the Kings School. Robert Steward, the last Prior of the monastery, became the first Dean.

Like most cathedrals, Ely has had many renovations. Towers have fallen (due to unstable land) and been rebuilt. Chapels have been added, destroyed and rebuilt. One transept side fell, and was not rebuilt- the remaining scarred wall remaining a cautionary witness to architects and builders.

All of this is easily learned from books, websites and pamphlets. And despite all of this learning nothing fully prepared us for what we would see and feel upon entering this marvelous cathedral. Built to awe, inspire, teach and transform, the space is simply breathtaking. I found myself unable to fully take in all that my easy were seeing.

We entered the space and sat at the crossing, the choir waiting for instructions from our hosts. As nervous energy ebbed we began to look around at our surroundings. Eyes widened and mouths gaped at what would be our musical home for the next week. The space began to transform the choir, and voices trimmed to awed whispers as the rehearsal began.

The first notes of the rehearsal filled the cathedral with beauty befitting the space. This choir, these kids and adults that we know so well, became something else in their music. They have sounded good before, even great, but this afternoon and evening they were transcendent. It seems impossible that this is just the first offering of the week. Transformative space, transformative music, transformative faith all have conspired to make this choir an instrument of transformation themselves. Visitors paused during the music and lingered during evensong instead of departing with the tours, even turning to one another and whispering “They’re good!”

The day has drawn to a close, and we are settled into a new rhythm here at Ely. Tomorrow will bring a more thorough tour of the cathedral and more time to get to know our host town. For now we rest.

God’s peace.

-Jonathan

Kenilworth Castle

2010-07-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Kenilworth Castle

2010-07-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

2010-07-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Coventry Cathedral: The altar of reconciliation and the charred cross

Coventry Cathedral

Coventry Cathedral

Coventry Cathedral

Broken Wholeness

2010-07-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Day three
07-18-2010
Northampton

This morning (Sunday) we attended services at Coventry Cathedral and spent some time visiting the cathedral grounds which include the ruins of the old church. Following lunch we departed for Kenilworth Castle, a short ride away.

Coventry Cathedral bears some explaining. There have been three cathedrals in the city since within the past 1000 years. St. Mary’s, the first, fell into decay following the dissolution of the monasteries and removal of the cathedral to another city in 1539. St. Michael’s church, organized as a parish in the 12th century, had built a tremendous church beginning in the 14 century. This church became the cathedral in 1918 when the diocese of Coventry was created. The beauty of this 700 year old church crumbled in one night during World War II.

From the cathedral’s website: “The majority of the great ruined churches and cathedrals of England are the outcome of the violence of the dissolution in 1539. The ruins of St. Michael's are the consequence of violence in our own time. On the night of 14 November 1940, the city of Coventry was devastated by bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe. The Cathedral burned with the city, having been hit by several incendiary devices.” www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Immediately following the destruction, the people vowed to rebuild both the church and the city. What emerged from the ashes was a civic and religious identity of peace, reconciliation and the restoration of hope. Building the new St. Michael’s cathedral began in the fifties and finished early the next decade. The bombed out remains of the old church rest immediately adjacent to the new. New/old, broken/healed, hobbled/healthy- this is the stirring context for life and worship in Coventry.

To worship and walk in this Holy Place is to witness the resurrection. And it often left us speechless, drawing deep breaths with tears in our eyes. Brokenness and wholeness often dwell in the same place.

For many of the choir, the youth especially, this was a first feel of cathedral worship. The large proportions of the church are similar to that of Ely, where they will sing evensong tomorrow evening. Contemplating filling such a large and holy space with their voices gave them pause, and called them to consider the task soon at hand. We enjoyed the service, and were warmly welcomed by the clergy, lay leaders and members of the church.

After lunch in Coventry we made our way to Kenilworth Castle. It is an amazing site and we had beautiful weather for our afternoon outside. Again we found ourselves amidst broken buildings, hearing the stories of God, empire and power and the endless capacity for humanity to render ruin in most every era. And yet the day was lovely, and the recently restored Elizabethan gardens (the originals were built for her by friend, and sometime suitor, Robert Dudley) were spectacular. Once more- wholeness in the midst of brokenness.

Tomorrow is our travel day. We arrive in Ely in time for lunch and a quick settle in at our lodgings. By 3:00 the choir will be in rehearsal and 5:30 is the first evensong of the residency. Blessings to all, and peace.

- Jonathan

p.s.- If i have time I will post picture tonight. If not, you'll see them tomorrow.

2010-07-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

“One Body”

Day two- July 17, 2010

Northampton

After a blessed night’s sleep we spent our first full day of touring in the Cotswolds. Considered somewhat the ideal of English country culture, the region is renowned for its natural beauty and quiet villages where time seems to have stood still. Rolling hills, yellow with ripened wheat, striped with green rows of trees, green pastures where sheep, cattle and even rabbits graze. It really is as beautiful as it sounds.

We stopped in three Cotswold towns: Bibury (pron: BYE-bury), Cirencester (pron: SHY-ren-shester) and Burford. Each town is filled with lovely, well-kept homes,tidy, narrow streets and winding waterways. Each also has a lovely parish church and each church is a treasure.

From the small parish of St. Mary in Bibury to the larger St. John’s in Cirencester, and mid-sized and very vibrant, youthful feeling St. John’s Burford, each church is a unique expression of beauty. Of course they are old…our 150 year old St. Mark’s Church seems newborn in comparison. Travelling with architect and architecture professor Michael Conner, chorister Anne’s husband, is an added bonus. His exegesis of churches and local buildings is a great asset along our pilgrimage.

At St. Mary’s, Bibury, we found the Gospel reading from the past Sunday’s liturgy sitting on the lectern. It was the same reading we heard at St. Mark’s on the same Sunday. Sharing the schedule of lessons with the broader Anglican Communion, and most other Christian denominations, is a subtle reality easily glossed over in our common life. But the young people with whom I am traveling picked up the deeper significance immediately…”We are united,” said Harris. This simple observation, this profound truth, this hopeful prayer for the church, settled deep into me for the rest of the day.

We are one body.

We are one body. Is this a present reality, a hopeful prayer or a desperate, broken plea for survival in the midst of crisis...or perhaps all three?

So we continue as youth and adults, singers and hangers on (I among the latter) seeking to be one body. And we do so knowing that we are all very different from one another. Young, old, experienced and not. Our hope is that the strength of our voices and the conviction of our hearts may somehow mix with the Grace of God and provide a glimpse of the depth and diversity of God’s own voice. And perhaps, just perhaps, in the days to come we will find that sacred moment where pilgrims from Texas, from England and from all over the world will stop, take a deep breath in, sigh gently….and become the One Body that might provide a small measure of God’s Peace.

-Jonathan

Arrival

2010-07-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Friday, 11pm, Northampton, England

We arrived at Heathrow Airport safe & sound at 12:5o local time. For those of you keeping track at home, we are six hours ahead of central daylight time. The flight was 9 hours long and uneventful- unless you count attempting to sleep sitting upright and adjusting to the time change along the way. That being said, all luggage and people arrived well. For that we are all grateful.

From Heathrow we went to Woburn Abbey (http://www.woburn.co.uk/abbey/) which is near Northampton, arriving a bit later than planned. Woburn is an 18th century estate build on the ruins of a Cistercian Abbey. The Abbey was disbanded and destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monastaries under Henry VIII. Since 1574 the Abbey lands have been the home of the dukes of Bedford.

The estate is beautiful and awe-inspiring in its grandeur. Countless works of art and valuables line the halls and rooms of this amazing estate. Our tour was self-directed and very flexible. Most of us had time for some tea and biscuits in the tea room on the grounds. For me the beauty of the estate and grounds is juxtaposed with the knowledge that this sacred ground had been brutally wrested from a religious community by a king hungry for power, wealth and religious influence. This same king many credit with creating the environment necessary for the English Reformation- a reformation that birthed the church we know and love today. Cross and crown are never tidy bedfellows.

Now we are settled into the hotels in Northampton. I am with the Youth Choir in the Holiday Inn and the Parish Choir are in the Marriott nearby.

The transforming power of this pilgrimage is already present in our group. Through the crucible of small seats on a crowded plane, extended hours without the proper rest and arrival in a strange new land inhabited by people with strange accents, traveling on crowded highways, the group has begun to take on the character of a faith community. Like travelers, pilgrims, before us we have found that the journey is as important as the goal.

Friends become deeper friends-new insights are gained into people we thought we already knew so well. Acquaintances become friends- conversations lead to deep understanding and new connections beyond the Sunday morning handshake relationships. These are the beginnings of the fruits of this journey...and there will be many more to come. The journey has become the destination.

- Jonathan, traveling with the Youth Choir

Sign-up Now To Follow Us - We Leave Thursday!

2010-07-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family -

This Thursday evening, July 15th, at 6:30 p.m. the Parish and Youth Choirs of St. Mark's depart on a pilgrimage to England, including a week's residency at Ely Cathedral. Sign-up here to receive the updates to this blog directly in your email box! Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated!

This post composed by Assistant Director of Music, Kristin Roach. Who will the next blogger be? Sign-up to find out!