One of the best features of our music ministry is the strong social connections it offers. Members gather regularly not just to rehearse but for food, fellowship, and camaraderie. The chance to grow close to one’s fellows enhances the joy and meaningfulness of making music together.
In July, members of St. John’s choir traveled to England for a cathedral residency. While the trip involved a lot of hard work and study, it also offered some incredible opportunities for the singers to deepen their connections with one another through sightseeing and fun. Alto Marilyn Conklin was nice enough to write a report and share some photos so we can get a peek into their adventures!
– Ebby Watkins
“Excursions” by Marilyn Conklin
Shortly after our flight arrived at Heathrow Airport, the choir members boarded a motorcoach and were set loose on Windsor Castle. Although bleary-eyed, we admired the round tower, palace interiors, and St. George’s Chapel, where we paid our respects to the late Queen and Prince Philip. We also enjoyed perusing the royal merch, including everything from beautifully packaged tins of tea and biscuits, corgi stuffed animals, and shower caps emblazoned with the Windsor seal.
Growing hungry and weary, several of us visited a tearoom that had been recommended by choir members Stephen Michael Shearer and Michael Wickman, who were unable to join us on the tour. The tea, scones, jam, clotted cream, and assorted goodies did not disappoint!
Our last day of sightseeing in London, before moving on to Canterbury, also included St. Paul’s Cathedral.
During our stay in Canterbury, we made three official excursions. First we walked to the 7th-century outdoor ruins of St. Augustine’s Abbey in highly changeable weather that included blazing sun, sharp winds, and rain. The Abbey ruins covered a large site with ancient graves and a gift shop doling out samples of mead and nettle wine. A short distance away, we visited St. Martin’s Church, which claims to be the oldest church in continuous use in England. St. Augustine set up his mission here after arriving from Rome in 597.
The next day, our very own Rev. Jered joined us on our trip to Dover Castle, built atop the white cliffs of Dover shortly after 1066. We saw no bluebells but toured the castle’s centuries-old secret wartime tunnels. They were used for strategic purposes during World War II, including planning for the evacuation of Dunkirk. We revived ourselves with an outdoor lunch featuring sandwiches, fancy flavored crisps, and cans of Pimm’s Cup. Fortified, we climbed many steps to the Great Tower, with views of the sea, ships, and green fields full of sheep. After our castle visit, our motorcoach driver drove us into the town of Dover so we could see the white cliffs around us.
The day after that, we ventured to Leeds Castle (in Southeast England, not near the city of Leeds). We felt some Rapunzel vibes here as we gaped at the storybook-like grounds, flower gardens, a double moat, a garden maze (some of us might still be there), and beautiful castle interiors, with everything from Tudor furnishings to 1960’s tv sets. After lunching on ice cream and sandwiches, we meandered back to our bus, taking many selfies along the way.
The final day, we moved from Canterbury to St. Alban’s, stopping en route at Hampton Court Palace, home of Henry VIII. This was a bit of an endurance test, as the bus parked some distance from the entrance gates and the temperature soared to 90 degrees. The Tudors were not early adopters of air conditioning, but they had impressive dining halls, portraits, gardens, and “Greensleeves.” Also, impressive cheese toasties, chocolate cake, needlepoint kits, and Henry & the 6 Wives Christmas ornaments for sale! As we staggered back to the bus, we learned of the global computer glitch and wondered if we would be able to return home (spoiler – we made it back).
Through meals and sightseeing activities, I enjoyed the opportunity to strengthen existing friendships and form new friendships. It was a thrill to sing in Canterbury Cathedral and heartwarming to know that folks from SJE were watching us.
