Westminster Abbey

Flashing our Oyster cards (for rides on both city double-decker buses and underground subways – affectionately known as “the tube”), we hopped onto the underground to travel to Westminster Abbey. Since everyone takes and posts pictures of the “main” North Entrance, I chose to show you the West Transept Entrance.


Again, photography isn’t allowed inside the Abbey itself. I wish I could have taken pictures because the place is wonderful. On the other hand, photographs cannot convey the immensity of these large spaces and beautiful work. We arrived (on purpose) too late to tour the place because they don’t charge admission to attend services; so we attended Evensong. We were able to see the interior and listen to wonderful music. We couldn’t see anything that was going on because we were seated in one of the transepts, but technology saves the day. There was a large screen in each transept showing the main aisle between the choir stalls so we could watch the choir and the officiates.

We were lucky that the boys’ choir was scheduled to sing and they were wonderful. There appeared to be about 30-35 boys in this choir and no men. As in other Evensong services, the choir sang the introit, versicles with responses, and psalm (all in plainsong), Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (both by Matthew Martin, contemporary composer) as well as an anthem (also in contemporary harmonies). Most of their music was sung in unison, but the contemporary anthem employed some two-part singing; their dissonances (notes very close together) were delicious. The organist was very accomplished and handled the contemporary compositions with ease. The organs in both Westminster and St. Paul’s are large and wonderful to hear but sound very far away due to the sizes of the spaces.