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San Diego Children's Choir, England/Wales Tour Please click on any thumbnail to view a larger image; see journal below |
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On our way to Southend and another round of homestays, we stopped at Stonehenge and Salisbury where we sang in the imposing Cathedral. Stonehenge is set upon a large flat plane, making this massive structure seem relatively small and unimposing. That is until you get near it. Each of the uprights is easily 15 feet tall (with nearly as much embedded in the ground) set in a circle with a diameter of 30 feet. The builders were very motivated to construct this monument since many of the stone were brought from miles away. The choir spent an hour and half touring the sight with audio guides, shopping in the gift shop and frolicking on the green celebrating the seasons. Less than an hour down the road is the picturesque town of Salisbury, which we informally toured as we walked from the coach park to the cathedral. Arches mark the entrance to the old section and a small brook runs along the path through town. Salisbury Cathedral is not particularly beautiful, but is very imposing. It is topped by a towering spire that was added centuries after the original construction. The new building caused the internal marble columns to buckle, so interior archers were added as support. By standing under the columns and looking up, you can see the curve caused by the weight. We sang during the midday prayer. Acoustically it was the best church yet and the choirs sounded very good. Lunch followed in the Red Lion Inn, an old carriage house and inn, where most of us enjoyed the turkey or pasta. Refreshed we ventured forth for the final leg of our journey - a four hour ride to Southend where we met our homestays at 7pm. Return to England/Wales Tour Itinerary |