London Choir Tour 2009




Day One

February 13th, 2007, the OCS HS choir set off on a whirlwind cathedral concert tour of England. We had prepared a program of distinctly American choral literature spanning 2 centuries that were gospel oriented textually and could not wait to go perform and sing with salvation in mind for those who might hear us.

The majority of our students had not traveled abroad previously and had never seen a cathedral except through television or books. It’s hard to say what they were expecting to see, but the reality left many of them changed in some way.

We left Orlando International Airport at 1:15 pm and changed flights in Newark, NJ, connecting with an international flight to London, Heathrow, and landed at 6:10 am (1:10 am EST). The customs official in London was none too happy to see a crowd of bubbly, excited teens converge on his post, and quickly gave the order for there to be silence in the room. Looking our group over, I could see fatigue and nervous energy in the eyes of our students and couldn’t believe we’d begin touring in just a few minutes. Sleep on the plane was light at best and after a brief stop to exchange currency, we’d be on our way to Westmintser Abby.

Our CE tours guide met us at baggage claim and we quickly loaded and boarded our coach. The murmur of conversation on the bus was full of soft exclamations as we took in the trees, hills, and foliage that England is so well known for. Moving into the city itself we saw ancient buildings right next to modern skyscrapers, and row upon row of flats, while buses and cars moved with quick efficiency as people headed off to work.


Changing our money at the American Express shop was a tough economics lesson for us as the weak dollar exchanged poorly for pounds. After a quick walk around and a snack we piled back on our coach and headed for Westminster Abbey, located near Kings Cross in London.

We followed our guide around the side of the cathedral to the tour entrance and quickly moved inside. Appreciative exclamations sounded all around us as our eyes were instantly pulled upward towards the ornately decorated ceiling.

One of our choir members came up to me with tears slipping down her cheeks and declared that she was overwhelmed by the thought that man could have built such a beautiful place for the glory of God. It truly was a majestic cathedral.

Our guide lectured non-stop on the history of the church in England and surprised the students when she explained that many famous people were buried beneath the floor of the church. In the scientists’ corner we saw the resting place of Charles Darwin, and in the poets corner, Robert Browning’s and Tennyson’s to name two.


We saw the tombs of Kings and Queens, princes, knights, scholars, musicians, artists, and heads of parliament. The Abbey is a functioning church, and while we were there, prayers were offered. It was strange to be walking around, looking, talking, and listening and to then hear a call for silence toll throughout the cathedral and to have all present stop in their tracks and pause respectfully as the Priest intoned a prayer. As his “amen” faded, the talking and bustle quickly resumed and we finished our tour.

After Westminster Abbey we checked our luggage in at the Hotel Ibis London and then got back on the coaches to head over to St. Paul’s cathedral, one of architect Christopher Wren’s great achievements.


Once inside, we didn’t know where to look first. Our eyes flitted from the gilded alter to the glorious dome and then all about us as we took in the beautiful space.


We left the cathedral in search of dinner and were dropped at a busy outdoor shopping area and moved off in small groups to find a restaurant that might provide some great local food. Quite a few opted for the traditional fish and chips meal while others found Italian food to their liking.

After dinner it was back to the hotel and then a quick walk to St. Andrew’s Fulham Fields Church, where we would be leading in worship the next morning. We needed a chance to rehearse in the church and to get a standing order set up. We were met there by the Priest and were graciously allowed to practice from 7-8 pm. Walking back to the hotel, we were full of the excitement that a day of sightseeing brings, but were also ready for bed, having been up for more than 24 hours.

Falling to sleep proved to be hard for me... my body seemed to be floating on a bed that rode the same currents of air we'd traveled through the night before and images from the day flashed in my mind. Tomorrow we would lead in worship in an Anglican Church-- I fell asleep after a long while with the help of my ipod and a Key Life Podcast.