Travel: York Minster -- York, Yorkshire, England -- Absolutely Nothing To Do With The Bakken

In today's Boston Globe there is a wonderful essay on York Minster in the "Travel" section.

While serving in the US Air Force, my family and I were stationed in England for three years. Some time later, near the end of my career, the Air Force sent me back to England -- I think because they knew I was tired of traveling by that time in my career. Smile. So, they sent me back over and over; I spent about nine months at a super-secret site (which all the Brits knew about) in Yorkshire, near the Scottish border over the course of two years or so. I was usually sent back for a month at a time.

Yorkshire had a lot in common with North Dakota: northern latitudes climate, seasons (although not nearly as cold as North Dakota); and daylight hours, summer and winter; rural setting; farming; reserved personalities; and, so forth.

I loved Yorkshire, and had plans to return there during retirement. Those plans are on hold for various reasons, not the least of which my 24/7 commitment to my granddaughters.

Today, I was able to think again about some of those Yorkshire memories having come across Patricia Harris' essay on York Minster.

Patricia had gone there to look at the architecture, the largest medieval Gothic cathedral in northern Europe.

It was nice to read her comments on the cathedral, but it was the last few paragraphs that were the best:

Retired clergyman Geoffrey Haysmore explained that “we want people to feel that this is a place of prayer and worship.’’ The announcements are made four times a day, he said, but “we try to keep them short.’’

Haysmore told me that people from all over York come to the Minster for Sunday services. Since I was visiting during the week, he suggested that I return in a couple of hours for Evensong, held in the choir where the monks would worship.

I had been planning to spend the early evening at Betty's, York’s famous tea room.

But as the afternoon wore on, I couldn’t get Haysmore’s invitation out of my mind. By 5:15 I found myself seated in the small, tightly packed choir with its amazing carved wooden stalls. As the chorus of adults in white robes and young children in red lifted their voices in song, I forgot about historical dates and square feet of stained glass - and listened to the sound of the congregation joined in their faith.

I had a similar experience. I have had tea at Betty's on at least one occasion; I remember it well. I remember that occasion so well I cannot remember if I ever visited more than once. There's more to Betty's than the tea, but that's another story, I suppose.

But it was the "Evensong" that jumped out at me. I visited York Minster on many occasions, both during the first tour of England with my family, and then during my frequent return visits to Yorkshire between 2002 and 2004. I don't recall attending Evensong at York Minster, but I do recall attending a most wonderful Arvo Pärt "concert" there one Sunday evening, long ago.

The so-called holy minimalists are represented by Arvo Pärt, whose Johannespassion and Magnificat have received regular performances; ....

That evening it was Te Deum by Arvo Pärt. 

I don't recall how I was introduced to Arvo Pärt but I had his CD collection long before I heard a live concert of his material.

But I digress.

So, as I was saying, I don't recall attending Evensong at York Minster, but I attended Evensong every chance I got at the Ripon Cathedral when I was sent back to Yorkshire by the USAF.

Sunday evenings can be a bit "slow" for a tourist in England; stores are closed; it's dark; it's cold; it can be lonely for the single traveler. I found Evensong a wonderful way to spend Sunday evenings in Yorkshire. It sounds like Patricia felt the same way.