Christmas at the cathedral
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 We went to Ely Cathedral last night for the Christmas carol concert featuring the Cathedral Choir, the Ely Imps (junior choir) and a brass ensemble called, er, Prime Brass.
It was a really lovely occasion. Great music, wonderful singing and very festive. Funny, too - the director of music had a good sense of humour and made everyone laugh as he escorted us through the two-hour programme.
We were all freezing, of course, even though we were assured that the heating was on full blast. Luckily there was plenty of mulled wine (sponsored by Waitrose) to act as a winter warmer and it was only the prospect of driving home that dissuaded me from getting quietly sozzled in the south transept (where we were sitting).
Simon Clark
Last year Dr Eamonn Butler of the Adam Smith Institute had this to say about a trip to Ely Cathedral:
Last weekend I took some American relatives round Ely Cathedral. The Cathedral asks for a donation from non-worshippers to go in, which seems quite reasonable, and I was asked if I would like it to quality for gift aid – to which I readily agreed. (Better that my tax should go to this fine old building rather than our hapless Chancellor of the Exchequer.) I gave my postcode and house number, and in an instant my name and those of my family flashed up on the teller’s screen. My US relatives were shocked that we should be so minutely catalogued and easily accessible. Given the incongruity of this high-tech intrusion happening in an eleventh-century stone vaulted cathedral porch, I must say I was surprised too.
The full article is on The Free Society website HERE.
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