The Voice Of St. Paul’s

On the first day of my London adventure, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the choral evensong service at St. Paul’s. Oh, my! The music was presented by the organ and men’s choir along with one angelic soprano who floated her voice above the richness of the male voices.

Musicians speak about playing in a “live” space, one with lots of resonance, where sound carries. I’ve never heard anyone speak of playing in “an alive” space. But St. Paul’s is truly alive. The stones sing. The resonance of the dome creates another voice that sings in harmony with the choir.

The choir sang a piece by William Byrd from the 1600’s that soared to the heavens. After the choir processed out of the nave, the organist played Bach. I listened in wonder, for the stones of the cathedral sing with the organ, too.