Happy Birthday Lindi Cassel
I went to Merton tonight, to see Claire sing in Fauré’s Requiem. This was the first time I had been inside the Merton Chapel, and I was thoroughly impressed by the architecture. I particularly like the transept, with its unadorned arches, illuminated from below so as to enhance the sense of depth. Not for the first time, I found myself somewhat regretful that I followed Sarah P’s suggestion, rather than her example, in choosing a college.
Despite having been here for more than a year, there must be dozens of such amazing buildings in Oxford that I have never seen from within. Over the course of the next few months, I shall try to see more. Having never seen the inside of anything at Christ Church or Magdalen, those would probably be good places to start. Are there any other essential Oxford edifices I have been missing?
The music itself was very beautiful, complimenting the otherwise unfamiliar setting. Despite the apparent fame of the piece, it is not something that I can recall hearing before, though I certainly recognized the short Bach piece that a cellist played during the service.
All told, it was enormously more enjoyable than my last Guy Fawkes night, which I spent on a cold and fruitless search for somewhere where I could actually watch the fireworks, instead of just hearing them explode in all directions.
