You know me, not a big church-goer, but I do like me some gregorian type chanting in a cavernous cathedral from time to time. A hankering to listen to some singing got Stacey and I down to En Calcat yesterday on what just happened to be Palm Sunday. Around here people bring branches from home to be blessed, boxwood being the preferred branch type and olive a close second.
When I was a catholic school kid, the church provided palm fronds at the end of the mass that had been blessed during the service. The French country approach seemed more "grass roots" and participatory. The place was packed. We ended up in backstage seats, i.e. on the benches set up in the area back of the altar for the overflow crowd. Amazing for a catholic church out in the countryside.
The chanting was purt good, too.
wow.
ReplyDeleteI love the photo: the stalwart "permanence" of the Cathedral, the vulnerable backsides of all the people holding green branches, the Priests at the front of the crowd... just wish I could hear the music.
beautiful.