I think God had a surprise for me today...

Well, I wasn't planning on updating my blog today, but I also wasn't expecting the kind of day I had today. I had an amazing afternoon. As I posted yesterday, my plan today was to go to St. Paul's. Quite honestly I was trying to think of other things to do that didn't cost money. However, I knew I wanted to see it, and I had financially planed all week to do so...so I went. Boy am I glad I didn't talk myself out of this one!

Once I arrived and bought my ticket, I heard music coming from the inside. I thought, "Cool. Is it a live group? Let see...why yes it is, and an orchestral group at that...wow, they sound really good I wonder If I can find out who it is? Oh look, a sign. I'll just go take a look." The sign said "Rehearsals in Progress for City of London Festival Concert. Symphony No 9 Bruckner. LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was all I could do to hold myself together! They were playing right there in front of me under the dome! I almost wept! I couldn't understand all the indifferent faces around me! Why were people just walking by and looking at other things?! I got as close as I was allowed, found the French horn section and stayed there for the next two hours until they finished rehearsing.

How did I get this awesome privilege to hear the London Symphony play Bruckner at St Paul's in London on my last day of site-seeing, for just the regular price of admission to see the church?! I hung on every note they played. Every time they would stop playing the sound would linger for several seconds in the acoustically perfect dome! I watched the conductor with wonder. How could he possibly hear anything to be improved upon? It was all liquid gold in my ears. To add to the beauty of the whole scene sometimes the sun would shine in just right through the side and dome windows and light up the violin section or the horn section. I hope and pray that I never forget those moments. I could have spent days in there listening to them under all those breathtaking Victorian mosaics.

The only sad part is that you have only my feeble words to experience the afternoon I had with the London Symphony and St. Paul's. No pictures were allowed inside, so I don't have a picture to share of the sparkling Victorian mosaics that decorate the ceiling above the choir and the high alter. Nor do I have any pictures of the orchestra, and it is impossible for me to recreate the sounds as I heard them today. I wish I could. It seems selfish to keep such an experience to myself.