Dear Friends:

As I'm writing this update, it is Wednesday afternoon, and we're driving through the Cotswold countryside on our way from Stratford-upon-Avon to Bath. The rolling hills with their quaint villages are like picture postcards.

When I last wrote, we were preparing to see "Julius Caesar" at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford. It was an impressive production in the sparse (some would say ugly) theatre, with gallons of blood spilled during the course of the play! It was an interesting mix of old and modern, with strong overtones of Nazi/totalitarian influence in the portrayal of Caesar's Rome. The two-and-a-half hour production (with no intermission!) made for interesting conversation over the next couple of days, to say the least!

Our excursion to Coventry was a very powerful one, seeing the mixture of the new cathedral dedicated in 1962 right next to the bombed out ruin of the 14th century cathedral. We arrived about an hour before our concert, providing people with time to explore a bit on their own before our warm up and performance. As we prepared to process down the aisle, we were greeted with a surprise visit from Third Churchers, Jon and Kathy Schumacher, who had just arrived from the States for a short visit to the Cotswolds and the Lake Country! What a welcome sight to see some familiar faces in the audience! We also had the chance to meet Jeanette Olson's cousin (I believe her name was Jean Cleaver...) who was a delightful English lady, and a pleasure to visit with.

The informal concert was a half-hour program of pieces built around the theme of Unity, Peace and Reconciliation in keeping with the cathedral's mission of peace and reconciliation around the world. It consisted almost entirely of music by American and Canadian composers, and included three pieces by Cary Ratcliff from our own Rochester, NY. It was very special to sing those meaningful texts in that place. We stood on the steps at the front of the nave to sing - and as we we not given any rehearsal time in the space beforehand, it took a few minutes for us to find our voice and sound in the vastness of the room. It was certainly a more challenging place to sing, acoustically, than the Rochester Cathedral, but things came together, and it was a significant experience nonetheless.

Immediately after our concert we were led on guided tours of both the new and old cathedrals, and found that what had at first struck some of us as stark modernity in the new cathedral revealed a richness of symbolism and meaning that was evident in every facet of the building. It was interesting, too, to be in a cathedral with little evidence of the royal influence or even the influence of generations of the religious hierarchy. The absence of this really seemed to amplify the meaning of the symbolism there.

The afternoon saw a return to Stratford for a guided tour of the town, with all of its Shakespearen sites, and the wonderfully unique Tudor architecture. The evening was free for us to find dinner and explore the town further - some going on a dinner cruise on the Avon river in one of the narrow boats or barges; others exploring the shops and pubs; and some of us hanging out at the famous Black Swan (known to the locals as the Dirty Duck) pub just down from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre where actors are known to hang out regularly. (We spotted Brutus and Marc Anthony from the previous night's production with their entourages...)

This morning, before departing Stratford, we took an amazing side trip to Warwick Castle, one of the most fortress-like medieval castles in all of England. Most of it dates back to the 1300s, and it is complete with a real dungeon, a torture chamber, and a very complete collection of medieval armour, swords and other weapons. On the other hand, there were richly decorated state rooms and exhibits in the main house of the castle dating more from the 17th century. The Great Hall was particularly impressive (and more medieval than the rest of the house) with statues of full-size knights in armour astride horses completely outfitted with armour, as well. Wonderful views of the castle yard and the town of Warwick outside the castle walls were possible from the battlements and towers accessible by climbing 530 spiral steps in the various towers and walls!

We returned to Stratford for lunch before heading out through the Cotswolds...and that brings us pretty much up to date for now. We will tour Bath later today, and our hotel is right in the middle of town, affording us the opportunity for some self-guided exploration, too! Then tomorrow to Salisbury, with its glorious Gothic cathedral, and the opportunity to sing our last evensong of the tour....