2011 Tour - Day 7: Avebury and Salisbury

Happy Birthday to chaperone Pam Nehring and 8-year-old twins Mathew and William Baldridge! Pam is much loved, and she was celebrated with hugs and song repeatedly throughout the day.

Morning stories on the bus were indicative of the generosity of our host families. They have all opened their hearts and homes to us in ways that give us memories to cherish. Carly and Laura told a heart-warming story about their host named Shirley whose husband is deceased. She wanted to give the girls a sum of 20 pounds in spending money, but the girls resisted, expressing sincere appreciation for Shirley having attended the concert. Shirley insisted they take her gift, saying 10 pounds were from her and 10 pounds were from her beloved husband. The girls finally accepted and passed this most unexpected yet generous gift to Walt for the tour.

Some of our youth enjoyed a typical English breakfast and described the meal for the rest of us tourists on the bus. They had eggs sunny-side up, sausages, English bacon, baked beans, tomatoes, and tea. Another common breakfast, that is easier on the waistline, is cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, and tea or juice.

Cheltanham is on the fringe of the Cotswolds, and our drive out took us past green pastures of peaceful sheep grazing among Queen Anne's Lace and red poppies. We arrived at the World Heritage Site of Avebury Henge where we wandered through fields of enormous vertical boulders forming a rough circle amid ditches and mounds. Henge monuments found at Avebury are the best known remains of the Neolithic period in Britain, around 2500 BC. Archeological studies show this was an agrarian civilization with some of the first domesticated animals in the British Isles.

Even older than more-famous Stonehenge and 16 times larger, the Avebury ring of stones is the oldest known ring in the world. The circles of massive stones are believed to have been central to celestial worship, which continues for the Druids today. Had we visited Avebury just three days earlier on the summer solstice, we would have been among thousands of people who gathered to celebrate the official beginning of summer.

On our next stop, we went to the town of Salisbury to visit the impressive cathedral there. Salisbury Cathedral features England's tallest spire at 404 feet and the country's largest cathedral green. The enormous grassy field surrounding the cathedral makes this Gothic wonder appear even larger than it is. Our chaperones on food duty arranged for a lunch of Subway sandwiches and crisps (potato chips) as a picnic on the green. The crisps were unusual flavors - Steak & Onion, Bacon, Roasted Chicken, and simply Ready Salted. With potato chips in such odd flavors, the Harry Potter "Bertie Bots Every Flavour Beans" don't seem so far-fetched.

We had a fabulous tour of Salisbury Cathedral with our large number divided into color groups for the guided walk. While many cathedrals took hundreds of years to complete, Salisbury Cathedral took a mere 38 years to build (1220 - 1258). Since the limestone structure was built in only a few decades, which is unique to English churches, the style is uniform and consistent throughout. The octagonal spire tilts 2.5 feet due to a heavy bell tower added about 100 years after the cathedral was built (since reinforced). The foundation rests on a soggy plain, and our guide showed us with a dipstick that the water table is only four feet below the surface. The water is a forgiving base and is surprisingly essential to keep the building from crumbling. As we toured the cathedral, we saw several fresh flower arrangements in pinks and blues that were for a wedding the next day. We learned that anyone is eligible to be married in this grand church, but wealth, social status, and being from the local community would certainly be in your favor.

Salisbury Cathedral survived World War II for a disconcerting reason. The town held no particular value, but more than that, the tall spire was used as a landmark by German bombers to help them navigate to better targets. We were present for the hourly prayer, which ended with the Lord's Prayer said in unison throughout the cathedral. Thanks be to God for this holy site and the opportunity to pray in such an inspiring place!

Our last stop on the tour was an original of the Magna Carta signed in 1215, establishing basic rights for all people in England. Scribed in black ink on vellum, this document is as important to the English as the Constitution is to Americans.

We arrived at High Cross Church in Camberly for our evening concert. After a short rehearsal, we enjoyed a traditional dinner of bangers and mash in their great hall. The meal consisted of English sausages, mashed potatoes with gravy, and peas. Our tasty dessert was black currant cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake. The dinner was lovingly prepared for us and we were blessed to have received such a warm welcome.

The youth performance this evening had the highest attendance of a concert thus far on tour. High Cross Church is quite integrated with the surrounding community, and the church is large enough to have its own gift shop. Our Charles Wesley Singers performed here on their first trip abroad in 1993 and again in 1999. In spirit, our visit here felt a bit like coming home. This evening's concert had several highlights. The choir sang a new number called "Bright Morning Stars," a powerfully moving Appalachian tune with a solo by Cameron. The Haydn mass, the "Yorkshire Ballad," and "Omnia Sol" were called out by a church spokeswoman as especially meaningful. At the end of the program, host families were quickly assigned, and off we went to spend the night in our new homes.

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2011 Tour - Day 6: Westminster Abbey and Greenwich

Our host families for the past two nights brought us to the car park in Hitchin where we reluctantly said goodbye to our new friends. Gathering a little earlier today to account for traffic, we loaded the buses and met new bus drivers, Darren and Alan. They drove us to London for a much anticipated visit to Westminster Abbey.

Our group quickly took a self-guided tour of what has been England's coronation church since 1066. This world-renowned house of faith has been the setting of important national events over the centuries. It is the burial and memorial place for kings and queens and other notable figures such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and Charles Darwin. The recent wedding of Prince William and Princess Katherine Windsor took place with much grandeur at Westminster Abbey. Most of the church was built under the reign of King Henry VIII between 1245 and 1272. The church is in the French Gothic style of architecture with flying buttresses for structural support and round or "rose" windows in the transepts. The long nave is characteristically English. One look at Westminster Abbey, inside or out, and your spirit will be uplifted. This is the church meant for kings and queens to glorify the King of all creation, and they have well succeeded.

Westminister Abbey is also all about location, location, location. The church is near the impressive Houses of Parliament, home to the legislature for the United Kingdom. The well-known Big Ben clock tower stands prominently nearby at the north end of Parliament Square. A few chaperones visited the United Methodist Hall Church and Conference Center across the street from the Abbey. Souvenirs, anyone?

With a schedule to keep, we left London and arrived in the nearby town of Greenwich for lunch. Without fanfare, we were now sitting on the Prime Meridian of Zero degrees longitude and the point on earth which was the basis for time applied to time zones all around the world. Known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), this was adopted as official time in 1847 to be used by mariners in calculating longitude as they sailed the seas. We are well into our travels at this point, but it is worth mentioning that England is five hours ahead of Eastern Daylight time! The world now relies on atomic clocks, which give a more accurate reading, but GMT is an important part of history.

We each had an allotment of eight pounds to spend for lunch in Greenwich, which is ample for a drink and a sandwich (such as salmon and cheese, or Parma ham and rocket salad). England has lots of ethnic restaurants, especially Indian or Mexican, as an alternative.

We regrouped at St. Alfege's Church to attend a beautiful piano recital given by Akiko Murakami. All from memory, she played difficult pieces by Bach, Beethoven,Ravel, and Debussy. Our youth sat in the second story gallery, looking out at the elaborate columns and cornices, and the tall, elevated pulpit.

Afterwards, our youth sang enthusiastically to the glory of God with Katherine Williams as accompanist on the piano. The point of our coming to this church was to see and experience the house of worship that so moved Thomas Tallis to write beautiful music. Tallis was a gifted composer who was appointed to Henry VIII's Chapel Royal. His influence was significant to the golden age of Tudor music in the 16th century. Tallis wrote two of the pieces our choir has sung at nearly every stop on the tour. It was incredibly moving to hear "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments" start off in a capella with the tone resounding throughout the home church of Thomas Tallis. The youth ended with the Tallis Canon, sung as a four-part round, after which you could hear a pin drop. The words to this doxology are worth repeating:

All praise to thee, my God this night
For all the blessings of the light
Keep me, oh, keep me, king of kings
Beneath thine own almighty wings
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

For you history buffs out there, here's a word about St. Alfege's Church. Known officially as the Parish Church of St. Alfege in Greenwich, the church is named after the selfless man who became the Archbishop of Canterbury and gave his life working for the poor. He was murdered after refusing to allow anyone to pay ransom money when he was taken hostage at the time Canterbury was sacked in 1142. As for the church building, during World War II on the night of March 19, 1941, bombs lodged in the roof of the church and set it ablaze. Only part of the 1552 organ console was saved, protected by its casing. That bit of history dates to the time of Thomas Tallis.

We arrived at Bethesda Methodist Church in the lovely town of Cheltanham quite late for rehearsal. We went straight to a wonderful dinner the church members had prepared for us. Across the globe, Methodists seem to share fellowship around good food. We enjoyed a meal of quiche, potatoes, beets, salad, and tomatoes. English strawberries are in season! We've had them with double cream and creme fraiche, and tonight they were served with vanilla ice cream. Absolutely delicious!

Our concert started a bit late but soon got into full swing. The audience was warm and appreciative as our youth sang and played from their hearts in praise of our almighty Father. One familiar song, "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again," was arranged by our DUMC organist Steve Kalnoske explicitly for tour. The arrangement was written with the message of unity across nations through the common desire for peace. Starting a Capella, the harmonious tone of the choir was even more beautiful when the orchestra joined in. Here's to you, Steve, and glory be to God! After applause and encores, Rev. Hillary Ewing presented Walt with a chalice decorated with the Cheltanham coate of arms. Soon after, we were all assigned to host families and off we went for a good night's rest.

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2011 Tour - Day 5: The Tower of London and London Bus Tour

Having spent our first night in host homes, there was excitement in gathering this morning to share stories. Our lovely hosts are mainly from the Holy Saviour Church community in Hitchin or from the Stevenage Choral Society in Stevenage. Members of the Stevenage Choral Society, under the direction of Trevor Hughes, visited Maryland for four days in 1996 and gave their own concert at DUMC. This was a chance for some on tour, including Walt, Peggy, and Kenny Sue, to reconnect with old friends.

One group of five youth shared that their host was a book collector, and the house contained over 11,000 books, including over 1,000 first edition Penguin Publisher books dating back to 1920. They felt motivated to stay up late reading!

A whopping 19 of our boys and men stayed at a UK Girlguiding Retreat Center, which normally serves the equivalent of our Girl Scouts. They were warmly greeted by two women in pink polo shirts who showed them around the facility that had pink walls and beds with pink sheets. This two-night stay is helping our guys get in touch with their feminine side. :-) Seriously, this lodging has turned out to be absolutely wonderful for the group and they are pleased to be there.

After a 30-mile bus ride to downtown London, we crossed the Thames on the Tower Bridge that first opened in 1894. We were dropped off in the rain at the famous Tower of London, which was a formidable royal fortress and Medieval palace. Privileged life there included the Royal Menagerie holding exotic wild animals such as a polar bear and a lion. The fortress is better known for the many tortuous acts and atrocities that occurred there. Upon the death of King Edward IV in 1483, a younger 12-year-old Edward was next to take the thrown. The Duke of Gloucester had Edward and his 10-year-old brother brought to a tower in preparation for Edward's coronation. The boys mysteriously disappeared, and historians have recorded that allegedly the Duke had them murdered to gain the thrown for himself. The tower has long since been called the Bloody Tower.

On a happier note, the Tower London holds the Crown Jewels, priceless symbols of the British monarchy that are under armed guard yet available for public viewing. Ornate christening fonts, communion plates and chalices, and royal orbs and scepters are on display, but the incredible jewel-encrusted crowns truly have the "wow" factor. There are crowns through the ages, most weighing several pounds. To keep the line of visitors moving, a moving sidewalk carries tourists past the crowns. Queen Victoria had a more demure, rounded, diamonds-only crown that can be seen in famous paintings. Queen Elizabeth II has a large silver crown with purple velvet, heavily decorated with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. The sparkle effect is dazzling.

The royal "Beefeaters" are easy to spot in their distinctive red and black uniforms. On their chest is the symbol "E II R" as is commonly seen on objects in any British royal setting. The symbol stands for Elizbeth Regina the Second (Regina is Latin for queen), who is Queen Elizabeth II.
Ravens are said to be the symbol of guardianship of the Tower of London. Legend says that if the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom and fortress will fall. The birds are free to roam, but they are pretty much held captive with clipped wings and ankle bracelets. Rest assured, the kingdom is safe.

Our afternoon activity was a driving tour of London sights, and guides named Gary and Alec joined the buses to provide narration. On the Silver Cricket bus we were told the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament had started, and that accounts for the damp weather, as it always rains during Wimbledon. We saw glimpses of many famous sights, with only a sampling mentioned here.

Lower Thames Street was the location of a tragic fire in 1666 that started in a baker's shop and destroyed nearly all of London. No building was spared - 87 churches alone were burned to the ground. Sir Christopher Wren was the court architect when the city was rebuilt, and he designed dozens of beautiful churches that stand today. We drove over the current London Bridge. When the original bridge needed to be replaced, it was sold to a US entrepreneur in 1967 and now stands in Arizona in the US (of all places!). We passed Fleet Street, known as the "street of ink" due to the newspaper and telegraph business once being centered there. Covent Garden was originally known for its flower and vegetable gardens, which have become boutiques and restaurants in recent times. We learned that the infamous Jack the Ripper, a serial killer who murdered 11 women in 1888 and was never caught, performed these horrific acts in just three months. We saw the intriguing Inside-Out Building where the insurance institution Lloyds of London is housed. Built in 1980, the style is innovative in having all services - elevators, stairs, electrical power conduits, and water pipes - on the outside of the structure. We drove past the street that was used in the Harry Potter filming of Diagon Alley and Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank.

At St. Paul's Cathedral, we were able to briefly stretch our legs, and we took a group photo on the steps leading up to huge wooden doors. St. Paul's, with its enormous dome, stands 365 feet tall. Many people think of this as the most important church in England. Having been the target of bombing in World War II, it stands as a symbol of hope, resilience, and strength. The brothers John and Charles Wesley, who are key to the Methodist faith and thousands of hymns, took communion at St. Paul's many times. Among several royal weddings, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married here. St. Paul's is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2011.

The sun had come out by the time we stopped at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of British sovereigns since 1837. Everyone happily snapped pictures of friends as we stood near the golden statue of Victoria. We saw the soldiers of the royal guard in their red jackets and Canadian black bear fur helmets on duty in front of the palace.

Back on the buses, we passed Constitution Arch, which commemorates Britain's victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The monument is the Angel of Peace restraining horses that are wildly pulling the Chariot of War. This absolutely encapsulates the theme of our tour, Peace In Our Time!

After a full day of London traffic, we were pleased to be back in our host homes for dinner and a casual evening. Delicious home-cooked meals were prepared, such as honey-mustard chicken or meatballs, with mashed potatoes, peas, cabbage, or cooked carrots. We were blessed to have the opportunity to really visit with our host families. We learned about walking clubs and the vast network of well-maintained paths that thread their way through the English countryside. Most of all, we felt the love of community that brings strangers together and forms a bond of friendship.

Update on Sue Constantinides: Many thanks to all for your concern and prayers. Sue is recovering and will rejoin the tour in the morning. Praise be to God!


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