Ship of Fools: Worcester Cathedral, England


imageShip of Fools: Worcester Cathedral, England

Beautifully done – but boring – evensong … and where did they get that altar cloth from?

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Comments

  • Tewkesbury, Hereford and now Worcester have failed to find favour with our roving worshipper. Is there no hope for the shires?

    Good to see Eel Island made the mark..
  • They find lots of favour. I can think of few more enjoyable pursuits than criticising a church service.
  • Alan29Alan29 Shipmate
    asher wrote: »
    Tewkesbury, Hereford and now Worcester have failed to find favour with our roving worshipper. Is there no hope for the shires?

    Good to see Eel Island made the mark..

    They should treat themselves and go to a service they have half a chance of enjoying. ;-)
  • I always do.
  • Let's not let this thread detour into a discussion of how Mystery Worshippers choose the churches they visit. Such a discussion would be best started in Styx, if at all. Thanks.

    Amanda B. Reckondwyth
    Lead Editor, Mystery Worship
  • Regarding that altar frontal, it's rather...umm...colourful, no?
    :flushed:

    Was it specially commissioned? I doubt if you'd find something like that in the usual ecclesiastical suppliers' catalogues.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited January 2020
    By the way, I'm glad I'm not the only one who (sometimes, at any rate) finds BCP Choral Evensong a tad tedious (Is Probably Outrage!).

    For me, it depends partly on the music, and I'm afraid I'm not generally a great fan of some 19th/20thC English choral works, though YMMV. The actual service itself (especially if the penitential opening parts are used) is very wordy, so that doesn't help.

    Lutheran Vespers, with music by J S Bach and/or his contemporaries, is much more enjoyable, IMHO, but probably not often found in English cathedrals! I have been to such services at a Lutheran church in London, however.

    The MWer does point out that this particular Evensong was well-sung, and well-spoken.
  • Thanks. Nineteenth century music (and architecture) fails to inspire me too. But of course that's just my opinion. I thought that conventional timidity might be the reason why someone would perpetrate the altar cloth.
  • Hmm. It's not unknown for cathedrals to sometimes come up with startling (!) altar cloths, reredoses (sp?) etc.

    I haven't managed to achieve a suitable link, but if you care to Google 'Chichester Cathedral altar', and click on 'images', you'll get some nice pix of the VERY colourful reredos.

    I happen to like it, but, as usual, YMMV.
  • I see what you mean. I had already thought I need to go to Chichester. Definitely an urgent need.
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