Evensong and Ely

So I forgot to mention that I went to Evensong yesterday. Evensong is an Anglican service in which just about everything is sung. Evensong takes place daily at King's College Chapel and there is always a very long line to get in. Since we are King's students, we had the pleasant experience of getting to go in the Members line so we got to go in before the general public. The King's College Choir was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI and is the most famous and, according to many, best choir in the world. They are especially known for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols which is a Christmas service that is broadcast from King's to countries around the world. There are 14 male undergraduates in the choir (including the 3 boys we met last week) and 16 young boys who are all educated at King's College School. Anyway, Evensong was fabulous. I actually got chills the first time the choir sang. They were just spectacular. I'm really glad I got to experience it because it is really an integral part of Cambridge life. Plus it was fun to hear our choir friends sing.

Today I went on a field trip to Ely Cathedral with my Gothic Architecture class. It was really amazing. I don't really know how to describe it so I'll just put up some pictures. I think the most interesting thing were the statues with all their heads chopped off as a result of Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. The shire of St. Etheldreda was also destroyed by Henry VIII, but it was located in a specific spot of the cathedral so that the sun would fully illuminate it at a specific time of day. The sculptural work was incredibly intricate. I'm going to see fireworks in a little while so I'll leave you with some pictures of Ely.