20 December - Music at the Abbey

When I first booked this sit, I started looking around for Christmas-y experiences.  Music was high on our list of things we wanted to do and we had a fabulous first experience at the Royal Albert Hall. Tonight we would be going to the Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey – how exciting! We decided to have an early dinner in town before the concert, but that proved more challenging than I expected. Most of the restaurants I looked at were fully booked; not surprising, I suppose, it being the holiday season.  I finally found one restaurant with availability, Chez Antoinette.  We arrived and were seated near the bar and kitchen area, so got a great view of all the goings on.  The staff was like something out of a sitcom.  There was the waiter who looked at everyone – staff and diners alike– with disdain.  He would have fit in perfectly in Paris.  Then there was the lovely, enthusiastic waiter named Mario, who spoke with a sibilant S, rather like Mooch, the cat, in the Mutts comic strip.  Shadly, that meant that shometimesh we couldn’t undershtand what he wash shaying. Rounding out the cast of characters was the manager, who was elegantly dressed in tweed trousers, a velvet blazer, and a string of pearls. He said that he just loved dressing up for the holidays. We had cocktails, a Belgian IPA for Bruce and the worst French 75 I’ve ever had. (I had tried to order an old fashioned, but was told by Monsieur Disdain that only the cocktails on the menu were available.)

Bruce started with French onion soup, which was good, and I opted for what turned out to be the best dish of the evening, Foie Gras Crème Brulee, which consisted of a foie gras mousse with a sugar crust, served with brioche.  It sounds a bit odd but was gorgeous. 

For my main I ordered a vegetable tarte tatin, which was not really a tarte tatin at all, but a vegetable tart with a flat base and very little flavor.  What flavor there was came from the sweet pea shoots that topped it and the accompanying beetroot crisps.

Bruce ordered Bourguignon Ox Cheeks which were melt-in-your-mouth tender, but entirely lacking in flavor. 

Perhaps this is why there were reservations available.  No matter, this wasn’t our reason for taking the train in to London. 

After dinner, we made the short walk to Westminster Abbey.

We joined the very long queue, passed the beautiful shop windows and entered.

I tried to take a photo in the Abbey, but was told that no photos or video were allowed; they might be allowed after the show. These pix are ones that sneaky Bruce managed to snap on the way to the loo.

This was my contribution, shot after the concert, I promise.

We were directed to our seats and handed a lyric sheet for the sing-along parts.  We were told (I think in jest) that singing was required.

By the time we knew we were going to London most events were close to sold out, so I was lucky to get tickets. Our seats were close to the alter and at the beginning of the service the choir was on risers mere feet from our seats.  I thought, wow, I really scored.  After that first song, they filed down the aisle, never to be seen again. We watched the rest of the concert on a large TV hanging nearby.  Because the choir was on the other side of the church it was like listening to a show from backstage.  The choir of Westminster is primarily made up of boys aged 8 to 13, supplemented by adult choristers to add the tenor and baritone parts. Harpist Anne Denholm accompanied several songs; the rest were either a capella or accompanied by the organ. There were many songs with which I was unfamiliar and two that have become favorites of mine, Sussex Carol and What Sweeter Music. When it was all over, we exited through the Dean’s yard onto my road.

On the way to Victoria we passed a beautiful, modern statue of Henry Purcell, more lovely lights and a leftover from 2022's Corgi Trail.