The chapel at Merton was closed for renovations last summer, so I never got to see the interior. It's open again, and I've been inside a few times. Our welcome drinks reception was held in the outer chapel because of rain—there's a wonderful combination of practicality and insouciance—and I've gone to sit there a couple of times just to clear my head.
There are no regular services during the summer, but a choir from Duke University is in Oxford this week and sang Evensong in the chapel today. The music was exquisite; I think I have a small icy fist permanently clenched in my gut these days and this service eased that a little in a way that surprised me.
I also loved that they used actual candles for light, in the stalls and on the two chandeliers. I'd love to go to a service in the winter when it's dark outside and you're listening to the music by the glow of candlelight.
There are no regular services during the summer, but a choir from Duke University is in Oxford this week and sang Evensong in the chapel today. The music was exquisite; I think I have a small icy fist permanently clenched in my gut these days and this service eased that a little in a way that surprised me.
I also loved that they used actual candles for light, in the stalls and on the two chandeliers. I'd love to go to a service in the winter when it's dark outside and you're listening to the music by the glow of candlelight.
