7 Quick Takes of Pomp and Circumstance

Happy Friday! As always, head on over to Conversion Diary for more entries in today's 7 Quick Takes.

1. It's still Easter! I love how Church holidays stretch out into entire octaves. One of my favorite memories of this Easter was seeing my Dad gleefully realize he could figure out some of the verses to "O Filii et Filiae" on Sunday. "This is awesome!" he leaned over and whispered to me.



2. A friend from college composed and shared this reflection for Holy Saturday on Facebook, which was so lovely I had to share it.
It was a dark and purposeful Saturday. "Perfect for a harrowing," mused the Second Person, who lay still as death. Deep in his stony chamber, Satan wept.

3. Yes, I did watch the Royal Wedding today. Actually twice. Once in my jammies since I wanted to witness history in real time, then again at a brunch party with scones and mimosas. Everyone was lovely and charming - the happy couple, the hat-bedecked guests, the choir boys in livery, the flower girl covering her ears on the balconey, grinning Prince Harry "the good looking one," and the Queen in her yellow suit that matched the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop of London's sermon was excellent, all about self-giving love and how even the most loving spouse cannot fill the need for God in your heart. Huzzah!

4. Speaking of Rowan Williams, he gets an A+ for that cope with fantastic embroidered hood.  (Update: It was made by Watts and Co., which is pretty much the biggest English vestment company these days. Most of the churches in my thesis use some Watts vestments today. Watts based the design off an 1848 cope by Catholic convert A. W. N. Pugin. The original is at the V&A.)
Even though I wrote my thesis on Anglo/Episcopal vestments, I've never been to one of their services, shame on me. Thus the wedding was an interesting bit of research. I was surprised that they did the vows right away before the readings, and that there was not a full communion service.
I swear that was the gold communion set from Charles II's coronation behind them on the altar. When I was in London I saw the set displayed with the crown jewels in the Tower of London, but I can't find a reference anywhere. All I know is, if I were becoming a princess, I would want to receive the Blood of Christ from a 350 year old gold flagon.

5.  Damian Thompson had a great post about Anglican ritualism today. The Church may be rife with theological confusion, but "when it comes to state baptisms, weddings and funerals, Protestant austerity and Catholic flamboyance balance each other to perfection." Thompson argues that such ceremony is "what the Church of England is for." Patriotic and inspiring yes, but does that translate into everyday spiritual relevance to ordinary people?

6. One last royal wedding thing: it's not all formal ceremony. Here's a verger (sacristan) doing cartwheels down Westminster's aisle to celebrate a successful day.






7. Phew, now that's done, so it's time to switch my brain over to this weekend's other big event: the beatification of Pope John Paul II on Sunday! This all reminds me of the last time the Catholic Church and royal family double-booked each other, under more somber circumstances. Remember how Mother Teresa's funeral happened just a week after Princess Diana's? It will be interesting to see how the pomp and circumstance in St. Peter's compares to what just happened in Westminster Abbey.

A beatification AND Divine Mercy Sunday? Look out for extra graces.

A Wacky English Christmas

Source

I finally finished that history paper after working on it several hours a day for a solid week. It was an uphill battle. To keep sane during my last late night session, I rewatched About a Boy on Netflix while I worked.The movie definitely grew on me the second time around, especially because it shared my hatred for terrible Christmas songs. In case you didn't remember either, Hugh Grant's character Will is a selfish bum living off the royalties from his dad's hit song "Santa's Super Sleigh." The song haunts Will throughout the film, including in a grocery store where he thinks:

"It can't be. November the sodding 19th... Six weeks before Christmas and already they were playing the bloody thing." 

Griping about Christmas music is so much more fun with British words!  Here's my favorite cheeky holiday song from another Hugh Grant movie, Love Actually. Brilliant!

Modernist Monday - Shakespeare edition

I'm not opposed to a well done modern adaptation of Shakespeare plays; they can help you see the timeless language in a new light. This weekend I watched the 1995 film of Richard III starring Ian McKellen. It was amazing! The 1930s setting had great costumes and music, plus it gave Richard's tyranny a fascist feel. The best moment was Richard at the wheel of a stalled jeep shouting "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" If that weren't enough, this movie stars just about every British actor you've ever heard of, plus Robert Downey Jr. for good measure.

There were some great modernist buildings used as sets, particularly old power stations. The Tower of London was re-imagined as the Tate Modern gallery building, which is itself an adapted power station. Richard's office headquarters also had striking clean lines. There were even a few art deco touches, like a candy bowl with cobra handles.

What made this modernity even more effective was its contrast with older styles of buildings. I got really excited when I recognized some of our stops on the London trip! King Edward's last days were filmed at the rockin' Brighton Pavilion. Not gonna lie, the best part of the king's deathbed was the overhead shot of the lotus chandeliers. Other royal spaces featured a lot of Gothic revival elements - even the bathroom. Yes, at Horace Walpole's Strawberry Bank estate, there are urinals with Gothic borders. Crazy! Definitely check this movie out if you are interested in historical intrigue in dramatic settings.

Source for view of the Tate Modern

On England and Popery

In retrospect, it has taken me months to process my class trip to London this January. Now that the memories of stress and exhaustion have faded, I begin to appreciate the wonderful places I saw and feel a real fondness for the city. That has been most apparent this weekend as I've followed Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the United Kingdom. Not only is the Holy Father making historic speeches and appearances, he's doing so in places I've visited! Westminster Abbey? Been there. Mass in Westminster Cathedral? Done that too! It makes me feel a kinship with "Papa Benny" to know that we've both looked at the London Eye across the Thames.

The papal visit has also caused new reflection on my position as an historian and Anglophile who is also Catholic. When I study or visit England, I am always aware that this was a nation which, for centuries, would have killed or oppressed me for my beliefs. Nowhere did I feel that more keenly than at the Tower of London, where St. Thomas More spent his last days and is buried. He doesn't get a large shrine or elaborate casket, just a space beneath the chapel floorboards and a footnote after the saga of Anne Boleyn. Still, I could feel his presence as I toured the Tower. I wondered what he thought as he faced his death. We carried on a conversation of sorts as I asked his prayers for me and people I love.

Stories like Thomas More's are what make the Pope's UK visit so historic. Any 17th century English person would not believe what happened this weekend. The Pope stood in the place where Thomas More was condemned, addressing Parliament. Not far from the Tyburn, the Pope reflected on the Catholic and Anglican martyrs who died there. At Westminster Abbey, the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury prayed together. We've come a long way. Former rivals and even enemies find themselves allies and friends in the face of a secular culture.

Which brings me to my thesis. "Late nineteenth early twentieth century Episcopal church vestments." At times it seems so insignificant and pointless. Who really cares about some Catholic girl's bumbling about in Episcopal church history? Rich parishes had pretty vestments, ok moving on! But somehow I think the newly beatified John Henry Newman would care. He spent part of his life as an Anglican, then as a Catholic. He influenced the liturgy and spirituality of both Churches. Both contributed to the man he was.

Speaking of conversion, someone in Salem heard my thesis topic and asked if I was planning on converting to be an Anglo-Catholic Episcopalian. I laughed and answered "No, I really like the Pope, you know?" I do like the idea of a visible head of the Church. I also really like "Papa Benny" in his soft spoken, shy, scholarly demeanor. Under that gentleness is a razor sharp, encyclopedic mind and a good heart. I have been so darn proud this weekend as he bluntly spoke about important things: the horror of sex-abuse scandals, the need for public expressions of faith, the rationality of religion, and the desire for Christian unity.

Maybe my research is a tiny drop in the bucket of that Christian unity. If nothing else, I will understand my "separated brethren" better. I'm also learning more about liturgical history. If I can just tell an interesting story of Christians glorifying God through material culture, I will be happy. Blessed John Henry Newman, pray for me.

(Images are from the Daily Telegraph)

LoL

Omigosh you guys, British decorative arts history is now available at Target! Earlier this week a couple of us grad students ran over there at lunchtime to geek out over the Liberty of London line. Arthur Liberty's department store attracted members of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and later formed partnerships with Art Nouveau artists. The early store was especially known for its printed fabrics . When I was in London I visited the store near Oxford Circus, a fabulous 1924 Tudor revival building. Sadly, I could not afford the luxury accessories inside.
But I could afford the $5 pink floral coffee mug I bought on Thursday! Its bright colors make me smile and look forward to spring.

Spiritual food, at home and abroad

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone. I really do like this day, and not just because it falls near my birthday or because it's fun to see people get confused by the smudge on your forehead. Today is a day that reminds us of what is truly important, and urges us to leave the safe bubble of our personal mistakes and desires. This Lent I decided to join the crowd giving up Facebook. I'd realized that constantly monitoring acquaintances' lives was making me feel badly about my own. I think my life will be happier and less cluttered without it. Going to at least two weekday Masses is another Lent resolution that I think will help me be more content with the life God has given me.

Last April I attended my first Latin Mass according to the 1962 Missal, and I was less than pleased with it. I walked away feeling frustrated, ignorant, and ignored. I also was determined to figure out this "living history" of my Faith. If the Saints of past generations worshiped this way, I needed to learn how to do so too.

By happy accident, London gave me the chance to do so. The Brompton Oratory (next door to Vicky and Al's!) seemed like a convenient Sunday location, and the 9am Low Mass was the only one that fit my schedule. So I went, navigating the Tube alone for the first time. It was a lovely morning.
It was a lovely Mass too. Knowing what to expect this time helped. Throwing Novus Ordo sensibilities to the wind, I reveled in the priest's whispered Latin and reverently silent congregation. The stillness and mystery was such a nice break from our constantly hectic touring. I didn't need to analyze, think, take notes, or even fully listen. I just needed to be there. And by some spiritual force, my existence was tied up with that of my pew mates and all pew mates from the beginning of time. And most mystical of all, our presence was woven into that of God Himself.

It's true, the focus of the Tridentine Mass is not on "community" or "participation," which are good things too. The theme of Medieval/Renaissance liturgy is"son, you better recognize." Recognize that God is right there! In front of you! Looking like bread! Isn't that amazing?

That is something worth recognizing and appreciating. Like the Incarnation it reflects, the Eucharist is a mystery. We can try to wrap our brains around it and probe its meaning, but there will always be new things to understand. There is more than one liturgical way of approaching it. God will always find ways to surprise us. So I've decided that witnessing that mystery a few more times a week would be a good way to spend my Lent.

London: The Highlights

Thanks for all the welcome back wishes! Just to clarify, I did not sprain my ankle, my classmate did. She and I were partners in infirmity on our Friday day off, venturing out for lunch between naps. We ended up at a swanky organic food cafe in nearby Sloane Square. It was a little overpriced, and seemed to be a popular destination for affluent "yummy mummies" and their tots.

I won't bore you with every last place we saw, but here are a few museums I would recommend to anyone visiting London.

• Of course, the V&A. Not only is Vicky and Al's a mecca of decorative arts, it's free and bursting with all sorts of things. You can see jewels, gowns from the 18th century, the Great Bed of Ware, King James II's wedding suit, Persian rugs, Chinese sculpture, and the new enormous Medieval and Renaissance galleries.
  
• Sir John Soane's Museum is also free, but smaller and with a different approach. It's a Victorian townhouse full of one man's art and artifact collections. There are Roman busts, the sarcophagus of Pharoah Seti I, trap door paintings galleries, and a parlor where an imaginary monk lived.
  
• Brighton - I knew about it as the site of Lydia and Wickham's infamous elopement in Pride and Prejudice. Now I know that it's also famous for punk fashion, beach weekends, and of course the crazy-awesome Indian style pavilion Prince Regent George IV built there. It looks like a huge white alien ship in the middle of town, and the interior is even crazier. Dragons, gilding, palm tree columns, and stained glass are just the beginning.
• The Geffrye Museum has period rooms, but with more selective furnishings than Winterthur's. Also, their rooms span from the 1600s to the 1990s. That's right, you can now see VCRs and a CD player alongside Ikea in a museum display. The museum is a little off the beaten path, but this means there are deliciously inexpensive Vietnamese restaurants all along the street.
  

Of course I did touristy stuff too on my days off - Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, and shopping in Oxford Circus. The TopShop flagship store there was pretty overwhelming, but I made it out alive with a cute necklace. I had to laugh, though, at the section where candy was sold near hair extensions. Yup, that's all a teenage Londoner needs in life.

London Week 2: We survived!

London: It's over. It's so good to be back in the USA, but we had a great time squeezing every last drop of material culture out of London. In spite of: a 2 mile sprinting death march to make a lunch reservation, 3 horrid colds, 1 sprained ankle on the stairs at Hampton Court, 4 bone-chilling tours of unheated houses, and 20 inches of snow greeting us when we got home. We stayed a team to the very end, with a group effort to dig out the cars in the museum parking lot.

Well, actually, we didn't see it all. For every curatorial storage room or church nave I saw, there are three more galleriesI haven't seen yet. For now, I am thoroughly museum-ed-out. I even had to skip the Friday trip to Greenwich, I was so exhausted. In true introvert fashion, I will need time to myself to sort pictures and ponder everything I saw.

Jet lag hasn't been too bad. Despite a nap I am still pretty tired today - right now it's 1:30am in London! Last night I tried to keep myself awake with that all American spectacle, the SUPER BOWL!

I've been lucky to vicariously enjoy the thrill of the past two Super Bowl victories. Last year on e of my housemates was a lifelong Steelers fan, and by January she had us all literally singing Pittsburgh's praises. This year my NOLA native beau has been educating me about the religious and social significance of the Saints' phenomenal season. Who dat?

Hullo from London: Week 1

London: we're here! It has been a full week since we landed, and by now I feel quite acclimated to everything. This is my first trip to Europe, getting a stamp in my passport, yadda yadda yadaa, but what really strikes me is the sameness of it all. Modern human civilization is pretty universal. Everywhere I see moms with strollers, people on cell phones or drinking coffee in Starbucks, businessmen striding purposefully ahead with briefcases. The curators we meet have different accents, but their museum jobs require just as much research and maddening bureaucracy as careers here. And yes, standing around listening to wealthy collectors or well-known authors can still bore me silly. After a while my feet ache and I have this out of body listening experience where I can hear words, but they don't make sense. Perhaps I have chosen the wrong field? But then I see things like 1600s furniture, or late 1800s communion vessels, and I start smiling again.

London: I'm going!

Yes, you heard right, or perhaps read it on Facebook. I am going to London on Sunday. It's a two week, all expense paid class trip. Really, it's what sold me on my grad program. That and the Jane Austen references at interview weekend. If I only I had known that I would really be reading about furniture construction instead.

Of course, this will be a material culture trip, not your usual fun sightseeing. Our itinerary is long and detailed, exhausting just to read. There are dozens of museum tours, plus workshops on metal work, furniture construction, etc. We often will visit several sites in one day, sprinting from gallery to tube station to hotel. Oh yeah, we might eat lunch somewhere in there. Better pack a snack bar.

It's hard to get too excited yet. Right now I am mostly afraid of collapsing from exhaustion or dying of boredom in a ceramics warehouse. Getting our food allowances today did help. Look at how pretty their money is!!

I'm also learning that the Queen's English is ridiculous. They elide letters as badly as the French. Someone explain to me how:
Chiswick is prounounced "Chizzek" or Southwark = "Suthhuk."
Or how about the word "gimcrack" as in "The Hanoverian monarchs romped about their gimcrack palaces, creating scandalous gossip for the populace to enjoy." I do enjoy that there is a historian out there named Hermione Hobhouse, though.