Submitted by Elizabeth Dennis on the 2017 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Music…
There is much to do in London! One of the main areas to go sight-seeing is Westminster. Just to mention a few sites, Westminster has the iconic tower building containing Big Ben (the bell that rings on the hour), the London Eye, Parliament including the House of Commons and the House of Lords and Westminster Abbey. This past week, my class went on a tour of the Abbey to learn about the history of the church as well as to see the dignitaries and the people of importance that are buried within it.
As I walked from the Underground station up to the entrance of the church, I was gobsmacked. The sheer size of the Abbey as well as the intricate detail was absolutely amazing. Westminster Abbey is over 700 years old and to believe that it survived for so many years, through the Blitz of the Second World War, is quite astonishing.
I proceeded through the large wooden doors into the Abbey to receive an audio headset. The abbey is covered with marble statues depicting the person that is buried below. One of the people that stood out to me was Sir Issac Newton. He is buried by the lesser altar towards the middle back of the church. I continued to walk through the Abbey and the floor changed from stones commemorating those that are buried within the church to black and white checker tiles. I proceeded by the lesser altar, through the chorus section and up to the High altar. I felt like the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, walking down the aisle toward the altar. When I made it to the altar, I made sure to look at the floor of the High altar. The floor is Cosmati pavement and is a piece of art from medieval England.
I continued to tour the Abbey, seeing where the royals are crowned, where others are buried and through the gardens in the back. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to learn more about the Abbey, to enjoy the amazing Gothic architecture, to admire the sheer amount of detail in the marble & the wooded structures surrounding the altars, and to pray for the souls of those buried in the church.