A Moment's Respite
At lunch today, I discovered an airy, acoustically stunning, visually compelling oasis of quiet and reflection right here in the middle of Times Square. The doors were open; I went in, out of curiosity, and was rather stunned to have stumbled into a chanted mass at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin. I didn't stay, but the contrast between the bustle of the street and the calm of the church was really quite pleasing indeed. You can find anything in New York, if you just know where to look!
Note the vaulted ceiling, bestarred and lovely. (Picture courtesy http://www.stmvirgin.org.)
posted by Skay @ 4:06 PM
2 Comments:
Wow, thats fairly gorgeous.
Back in 1968 or '69 around noon on a bustling business day I was strolling down 5th Avenue somewhere south of the library. I passed a churchfront just as someone exited allowing soaring pipe organ chords to escape. Naturally I went in where I found the pews occupied with dozens of mostly business-attired folk restoring themselves. Naturally I stayed through the lunchtime concert. Occasionally thereafter, though I lived and worked some 30 blocks away, I'd make my way back to that church for its weekday lunch hour solo concerts. I don't recall which church it was-- it wasn't St. Patrick's, but stood on the west side and I seem to recall that it walled up to adjacent buildings on either side.
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