I woke up at 8:00am after a glorious 9 hour slumber. I went to Mass at the Brompton Oratory again this morning at 10:00am. I have to say, I enjoyed it better the second time. While still very traditional, I am beginning to enjoy it. The building is huge though and I attended the family Mass which was very noisy and distracting with all of the children running about.
At 3:00pm I attended an Evensong Service at Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is the site where every King/Queen's coronation has taken place since William the Conqueror in 1066. It has been a place of worship for nearly 1000 years. It was the first time I've visited the site because typically you have to pay for a tour. If you attend a service though you don't need to pay. I was greeted at the gates and allowed inside. What a spectacular building! No cameras are allowed while service was taking place but I will definitely be going back for a guided tour. I was early for the service so I was one of the few "lucky" members of the congregation allowed to sit in the choir stalls along with the choir. Evensong Service is basically all music sung by a boys choir with a few male voices. It is a very old service and tradition. I'm not sure how this happened, it must just be my amazing luck, but I was seated in the choir stall directly in front of the Officiant who began the chants and led the prayers...it was nerve-racking! I felt like every eye was constantly on me...ugh. No lie, I felt like I couldn't move! Haha I swear my life is defined by awkward moments...great. The music was phenomenal though and it was neat to be a part of such a long-standing tradition.
So, my day was full of church services. I absolutely love visiting old churches and looking at the ornate stone work and architecture.
At 3:00pm I attended an Evensong Service at Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is the site where every King/Queen's coronation has taken place since William the Conqueror in 1066. It has been a place of worship for nearly 1000 years. It was the first time I've visited the site because typically you have to pay for a tour. If you attend a service though you don't need to pay. I was greeted at the gates and allowed inside. What a spectacular building! No cameras are allowed while service was taking place but I will definitely be going back for a guided tour. I was early for the service so I was one of the few "lucky" members of the congregation allowed to sit in the choir stalls along with the choir. Evensong Service is basically all music sung by a boys choir with a few male voices. It is a very old service and tradition. I'm not sure how this happened, it must just be my amazing luck, but I was seated in the choir stall directly in front of the Officiant who began the chants and led the prayers...it was nerve-racking! I felt like every eye was constantly on me...ugh. No lie, I felt like I couldn't move! Haha I swear my life is defined by awkward moments...great. The music was phenomenal though and it was neat to be a part of such a long-standing tradition.
So, my day was full of church services. I absolutely love visiting old churches and looking at the ornate stone work and architecture.
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