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 StokesEly Cathedral
Image courtesy of Ely Cathedral
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Pics: Saturday in Ely
View from the rooftop during the Octagon tourOur tour group up on the roofMaddie Stokes next to a large buttress. The buttress is wood with lead casing.Helen Ballew sizing up her next shot.Trevor Stokes
Final Evening
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
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
Rehearsal in the Mary Chapel
Alexandra following rehearsal in the Mary Chapel
Gabby resting before evensongin the Mary Chapel
Trevor and Jonathan in The Mary Chapel
Prayer Candles in the Mary Chapel
Parish choir
Rehearsal in the Mary ChapelPics: Thursday at Burghley House
Burghley House
Trevor feeding the deer a la "Lady and the Tramp"
The Garden of Surprises
Andrew Thayer connecting with friends from the choirSaturday, July 24, 2010
"Light Prevails"
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
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
Friday, July 23, 2010
"Many Bodies, One Spirit"
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
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
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Pics Around Cambridge 2
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 Eagle
David Frego
Fan Vaulting at King's College Chapel
King's College Chapel
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