Nativity Choir Tour

Most all of us are home

2011-06-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

I believe most everyone is home safely from our wonderful trip, except Suzanne who is still tramping through Wales. I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported the choir over the last year and a half leading up to this trip. It was a trip for the ages, and I think we represented Nativity, Nativity music and the Episcopal church well. Thanks to everyone who participated in our never ending fund raising (or at least put up with it). Thanks to all the folks who came to listen to our concerts and services. And thanks to all of those who just wished us well. We could not have done it without the support and prayers of our great Nativity family.

Stairs to the Wells Cathedral Chapter house

Reflections

2011-06-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

What a fabulous twelve days in England. Between the history, the music, and the fellowship, my head is still spinning (and that is not a reference to the apple or pear cider!). There are at least two habits I am going to have to break. First, a small snack at mid-morning and afternoon tea (complete with scone and jam). Second, that glass of cider with lunch. I am sure I have developed others (oh, ice cream after dinner) that will have to go, as well. I am still in awe at what we saw, and I am sure it will filter through. Thanks to all who made this such a memorable trip! S Moon

First Wave of Choristers Return Home

2011-06-26T13:14:00.001-05:00

The bus departs Cheltenham for a 2-hour ride into Heathrow.

Suzanne sees us off before heading to Wales on her own.

Peter Baldwin entertains us on the bus with more stories.

Waiting for DL flight 9 from Heathrow to Atlanta

Our flight was delayed between Atlanta and Huntsville but...

We were treated to a spectacular sunset - a fitting end to a glorious adventure!

Cheryl Mc (cdm)

The Day Thou Gavest

2011-06-22T16:23:00.000-05:00

We had a great day today touring Glastonbury and Wells. The drive in (a little long due to an upcoming music festival) was made more bearable after a wonderful guided tour through the Abbey ruins. Going on to Wells the sun came out, and the beauty of the countryside was enhanced only by the beauty of Wells Cathedral. Each cathedral visit has been meaningful and educational. Each place has special characteristics unique to its history and structure. Our time in Wells was long enough to revel in the history, and all it stands for today. From the "scissor arches" to the vast lady chapel, the chapter house, and vicars close, it could not have been a better place to finish our tour. Some were able to tour the Bishops Palace and its beautiful gardens as well. We concluded our visit by attending evensong at 5:15, this time provided by the Junior choristers, (magnificent) and finishing a traditional English Roast dinner in the Vicars Hall. It was an excellent way to conclude our time together.

More photos and posts will be coming! Thanks to everyone for their support and love. Suzanne

2011-06-21T17:50:00.002-05:00

waiting for the bus after a wonderful day in Oxford (Christ Church gate)

End of the day dinner of singers and friends

Dan and Suzanne exiting the organ loft at Gloucester

Evensong in Bristol

2011-06-21T17:42:00.000-05:00

Hello all,
Today we journeyed to the city of Bristol to sing Evensong at the Cathedral. In the morning we visited the S.S. Great Britain, the world's first luxury steamship, which was designed and built by Bristol's famous engineer Brunel. It was amazing to see the luxurious quarters for the first class passengers, the amount of supplies needed, the light filtering below decks through skylights into the lower compartments. It really was an engineering marvel. Over time, the engines were removed and masts raised so that the ship could make much longer journeys to Australia and San Francisco (too far to carry enough coal to power the engines). The museum presented a pretty complete picture of life aboard the ship during the different time periods.

After lunch in Bristol, we assembled for rehearsal at the Cathedral. We put on our choir robes and had a cup of tea in the "Chapter Room", a beautiful room reached byway of the cloisters. It's the only part of the cathedral that remains from the original Augustinian Abbey, and was built in 1165. The acoustics were wonderful and we sang one of our recital pieces just for fun. It was breathtaking!

Reflections

2011-06-20T05:43:00.000-05:00

Dear All,

This trip of a lifetime has exceeded my expectations. Canterbury - words simply cannot describe the experience. Church at Gloucester yesterday was a thrill, and when the organist played my favorite Bach Prelude and Fugue, well, I was a little closer to Heaven. Their choir was exquisite and I met a British lady in the congregation who sings alto in her community. I invited her to our service this evening and hope to see her again. It's been fun to get to know the wonderful group from Nativity and other places too. Was lucky - thanks to Suzanne, to have attended a special organ recital on Sat night by Dame Gillian Weir, who played a 2 hour program on a newly restored organ. Amazing. Tonight, we get to hear our "own" organist, Dr. Dan Hardin, who will wow us all.

Take care my friends and we'll talk when I get home. Wish You Were Here!
Humbly,
Cheryl

Sunday in the U.K.

2011-06-19T12:59:00.001-05:00

We have spent a beautiful Sunday here in England. We started the day with a Sunday Eucharist at the Cathedral in Gloucester. As we stepped into the narthex, an unbelievable sound emerged: the Boys and Men of the Cathedral Choir rehearsing before the service. The sights and sounds of the Cathedral almost overwhelm the senses. As I listened to the organ prelude (Bach Prelude in Eb), the Palestrina Gloria and the antiphons by Gabrieli, it struck me that I have never heard these pieces in the type physical settings for which they were written. It's almost like looking at a famous painting for the first time in a museum after looking at pictures of it for years--entirely different. Afterwards we strolled through the lovely Cloisters that are distinguished by their fan vaulted ceilings, the first ever constructed.

In the afternoon we journeyed to Tinturn Abbey in Wales, a ruin built in the twelfth century. In its unfinished state, you can get see the architectural details. Standing in the center of the nave, it feels like an Escher drawing, with the columns rising all around.

Oxford

2011-06-19T11:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Saturday -- we spent the whole day in Oxford. What a wonderful experience! We came as students were finishing their exams and the colleges were holding their commencement ceremonies, so colorful academic regalia and celebrating exam takers were all around, The highlight (for us) was exploring the riches of Christ Church Cathedral. Its present building dates from the last half of the 12th century, though the first church on its site was founded in the 8th century; and it became a cathedral in 1546. Here's a little taste:

Window made in 1320.

Stunningly beautiful high altar.

Not too shabby!

Pane of 1320 window showing the slaying of Thomas a Becket.

An about-to-be graduate decked out for the occasion.

Choir stalls, just waiting for the Nativity Choir!

Next stop: Gloucester!

Terry & Celia

Canterbury Concert

2011-06-17T16:46:00.000-05:00

Here we are, at the Mother Church! What a thrill it was to send our voices upward in this glorious setting. We had a rapt audience, who no doubt are all going home to tell all their friends about that fine choir from Alabama!

Celia Lata, pick-up singer

Terry Lata, choir groupie

Entry to the Cathedral close.

Approaching the Cathedral.

It's official -- we're on the program!

We prepare to sing!

Leaving London...

2011-06-17T16:20:00.001-05:00

Our time in London ends tomorrow....after a trip to Canterbury today to sing at the Cathedral. What an amazingly historic place! Our guide told us that site has been the location of Christian churches for over 1400 years! Before that, the Romans and who knows had religious buildings there....for over 2,000 years, that has been a sacred site. We saw the place in the Cathedral where Thomas Beckett was murdered by representatives of King Henry II and the tombs of several Kings of England. (We saw most of the other tombs in St. George's Chapel at Windsor or in Westminster Abbey. These folks know how to mark a grave!) Off to pack for our move to Cheltenham in the Cotswolds. We stop by Oxford on the way....

Patrick Robbins

Return from Canterbury

2011-06-17T15:28:00.002-05:00

A beautiful day of singing in Canterbury cathedral! what a great experience for all of us. A very appreciative audience. We followed up our concert with lunch and a guided tour of the cathedral.

Arriving at Canterbury

The Cathedral

Warming up in the Cloisters

We be Sangin'

Suzanne in charge!

British TV

2011-06-17T04:24:00.001-05:00

Watching TV yesterday after walking everywhere, and learned an interesting fact. Apparently, during the Stuart period, people believed that an ill person could be revived by forcing tobacco smoke up the patient's rear end. Could that be the source of the saying blowing smoke up someone's rear?

Headed now to Canterbury! SMoon

Off to Canterbury

2011-06-17T01:41:00.001-05:00

Had a great day of sightseeing yesterday. Westminster Abby, St Paul's, Tower of London, boat tour down the River Thames, and ended it with a London Symphony Orchestra concert at the Barbican (Bruckner 4 - Horn players' ecstasy).

St. Paul's Cathedral at 11:00PM- finally time to go to bed. Off to Canterbury for a full day, including a concert at the Cathedral. I'm sure the Archbishop will have some comments. Jerry

Walking Tour

2011-06-16T10:33:00.001-05:00

Just finished a first real day of touring. Morning drive. Then, ate at Methodist cafeteria, walked to and through the War cabinet museum, then back to and through Westminster Abbey. Then, visited St. James Park to Buckingham Palace. Walked from there through Hyde Park and back to the hotel. I am exhausted! Mom and Buddy are whining. Grin!

Nativity at Windsor Castle

2011-06-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

We had a great (long) first day. After all night in the back of a plane, everyone made it it one piece and we all got to see the Queen's crib - Windsor Castle. As Jeff said: "We have our celebrities, but these are the real deal". St George's Chapel was amazing.

These guys marched within 6 feet (2 meters) of us.

Fish and chips, bangers and mash, and BEER. Now it is time to go to bed after being up for 30 hours.

Pictures by Dorrie - Jerry

2011-06-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

We can't wait to see everone!

It is 9:38 and just getting close to dusk here. We took a long bike ride in Hyde Park tonight, which was fabulous (mid-60's, no humidity, and clear skies.) I highly recommend it as a way to see a lot in a shorter period of time than walking, but I'd warn you to pay attention to bike etiquette and to your position on the path should it get crowded. I was scolded by a professional biker in fancy pants for being on the wrong side of the bike lane. You can go to:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx
To find out about how it works & where all the trails and bike stations are. There is a bike rack about a block from the hotel. 25 percent of London is given over to parks, which are clearly well-loved and well-used. Isn't that astonishing?

Bring sunscreen if you are fair-skinned. Jonathan got a very mild burn today.

For one of your free afternoons, we highly recommend the combo London Eye/river tour/4-D film. The film is just four minutes and is fun. The river tour was about 40 minutes and oriented one re:where the major things are, so that when we went up in the eye we could recognize a lot of places. Our river boat guide also told good stories and gave us some history behind a lot of what we were seeing. The lines move quickly so don't be afraid to wait for the Eye itself.

We have been careful not to see anything that is on the nativity itinery, as we want to do it with you guys, so hurry!

Laura and Jonathan

2011-06-14T13:19:00.000-05:00

Loved your note! Please post on our blog - you have some delightful comments.

see you SOON

S

On Sun, Jun 12, 2011 at 1:41 PM, Laura Brown wrote:
Dear Suzanne,

Please send this on to other members of our group who would find it helpful or interesting.

We arrived yesterday and have only good things to report! The flights were all on time (we're essentially on the same Delta flight schedule as most everyone else, just four days early). Customs was a breeze, and the hotel staff are lovely. We spent all afternoon/early evening in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens and walking by castles and embassies - blue skies, high, puffy white clouds, about 68 degrees with a slight breeze... Simply magnificent. The park is an incredible public space; amid families, soccer players, museum-goers, etc. there was a large gathering of knitters, young and old, some with bright green hair, some with grey. You can rent bicycles, which we'll do the next time we go to the park (maybe tomorrow).

Other details:
- The flight we were on served dinner at about 11:30 p.m. and breakfast about an hour or two before we landed, so we should not have eaten at the Atlanta airport. This may be something people want to check concerning their flights.
- Our blackberry and iPad are working well (cell phone and wi-fi connections are fine.)
- The ATM at the bank dispensed pounds with no problems at all.
- Food is surprisingly expensive; a sandwich on regular bread, chips, and a (non-alcoholic) drink at a diner can run about $15. A friend of mine who lived in England for a number of years had told me that the pub food can be heavy and/or greasy (in general, just not very good) and expensive; we found this to be true on an outing last night. She suggested getting a pre-made sandwich and a piece of fruit or bag of chips sold in grocery stores when you're on the go anyway, and saving your pennies for a nice meal at a higher-end restaurant. Our hotel is 4-5 blocks from a street with lots of such stores.
- Only the most expensive rooms here at the hotel have wash cloths and bar soap, so the person who advised bringing your own wash cloth was right!
- If you get cold easily, bring a pair of gloves and pack so that you can layer. Today it is 50 and raining, and even the locals are bundled up.

We can't wait to see everyone! When we pass by someone speaking French, Italian, or perhaps just the queen's English, Jonathan mutters under his breath, "Speak American..." like he's heard some southerners do. We really *are* trying to blend in, but I'm fairly certain everything about us gives us away.

Love,

Laura (and Jonathan)

P.S. Before we left home we went to Gander Mountain and bought three items which have already been extremely useful: 1. A (very ugly, expensive) pair of shoes made by Keen, made for walking. They have been fabulous - we both have foot issues but were able to do miles of walking yesterday with no problems... Not church wear, but excellent for the plane trip and an active first day. 2. A small pair of Nikon binoculars for seeing architectural details at the tops of churches, etc. 3. A backpack with lots of nice zippers and compartments for plane travel and for walking around. I packed a small purse in my suitcase in case we go some place where that is appropriate.

Food and Weather

2011-06-14T05:57:00.000-05:00

In response to Martha's food and weather question... we've enjoyed our food so far. We've had the English Country Breakfast at the hotel (typical breakfast fare with the addition of sliced/cooked tomatos, ham/country bacon, country sausage, and baked beans thrown in for good measure). We had dinner at The Swan (great little pub close by). Patrick had the "Gov'nor Burger" (which was a burger with country ham/bacon and a fried egg)... smile!... while I had the traditional Fish and Chips with mashed peas. Don't write-off the mashed peas just yet, they were good. The "chips" were flavored exceptionally well I thought.

As for the weather, it's been a nice change of pace. When we landed at Heathrow there was a slight drizzle in the air. However, after we checked in at the hotel and had a quick afternoon nap, the sun burst through, burned off the wetness, and the parks erupted with people and dogs. Very nice. Yesterday was a high of 71 with a nice breeze and a cooling evening. Today's forecast is 70/57 with fair sun. A small bit of light rain is forecasted for later in the trip, but so far the forecast looks great. If you're still packing, it looks like you can think of comfortable days and slightly cooler evenings. The 10-day London forecast on weather.com (http://www.weather.com/weather/today/UKXX0085) is pretty consistent at the moment.

Okay, that's all for now. Time to find some lunch and see more sights.

- Chris Wesley, London time: 11:59 a.m.

Hello, this is just a test run

2011-06-13T19:23:00.000-05:00

I am sitting at home, avoiding the hemming of some pants I need. Then there is the packing. I am reluctant to get the suitcase out because my kitties or moggies, as some over there call them, will become traumatized when they see it.

someone write about the weather and the food so far.

Well, I better be about it, I need to sleep sometime tonight.

later,
martha

Are we there yet?

2011-06-13T18:55:00.000-05:00

Vestments bags are set; personal bags must still be weighed!

Attaching some photos of June 5 rehearsal in Sewanee -- a foretaste of where we are going!

Some have crossed over!

2011-06-12T22:37:00.000-05:00

Yes, at least four folks are already in the UK, and two more are on their way as this is posted.
We were given a beautiful send off at church this morning with a wonderful prayer and lots of good wishes.

The photo (attached) is from our May tour concert.

Last Minute Craziness

2011-06-10T12:44:00.000-05:00

Chris and I are busily dealing with last minute details so we can leave Sunday a.m. We are very excited about the trip and look forward to many great memories.....We look forward to seeing the rest of the group next Wednesday as we depart for Windsor.

Patrick Robbins

Success!

2011-06-09T14:13:00.001-05:00

Not being a blogger, I find some sense of satisfaction in logging on from my blackberry. Now if my eye sight would improve or the letters get larger! S Moon.

The Fun Begins!

2011-06-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to Chris W for setting up our Blog! I hope you will send the Blog address to friends far and wide, and post your own notes for all to enjoy.
The excitement for the trip was most palpable Sunday as we experienced the beauty of sound and sight in All Saints Chapel, Sewanee. Pictures anyone?
See you Soon!
Suzanne