Oxford

Say the name Oxford and most people think of the prestigious university. Ture enough, but there has been a settlement here since Saxon times (circa 911). Its original importance was strategic due to its location on the Thames at the junction with the River Cherwell. The town was greatly effected by the dissolution of the monasteries and it, and much of Oxfordshire, played a significant role in the English Civil War.

We're staying nearby in Bicester so a trip or two into Oxford is a must. My first stop was at University Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

It's not tremendously ornate on the inside, but there has been a church on this site since the 11th century and St. Mary's has been the official church of the University of Oxford since the 1200s.

The church is known as the home of the Oxford Martyrs. Archbishop Cranmer and Bishops Ridley and Latimer were twice tried for heresy in St, Mary's church during Catholic Queen Mary's attempt to reverse the Reformation. Ridley and Latimer were burned at the stake in 1555. Archbishop Cranmer recanted and was brought to St. Mary's in 1556 where he was to make his submission. At the last moment, he withdrew his recantation. He walked to the awaiting fire with "a firm step and smiling countenance" putting first into the flame the hand with which he had sworn his recantation.

They weren't the only martyrs associated with St. Mary's, as this plaque to the memory of those killed in association with the Reformation attests.

There are two books about contemporary martyrs in the church as well. Included in the books are Oscar Romero, a priest in El Salvador who was an outspoken critic of the violent activities of government forces, right-wing groups and leftist guerillas and who was assassinated in San Salvador in 1980, Martin Luther King, Jr., and William Temple, an English Anglican priest who served as the Bishop of Manchester, Archbishop of York, then Archbishop of Canterbury. As a Christian Socialist he consistently supported the disenfranchised and underprivileged and his ideas had a strong influence on the creation of the National Health Service. The contemporary style of the graphics in the book are, I think, meant to appeal to a younger audience. I found the thoughts expressed memorable and compelling, especially in the context of what's going on in the US at the moment..

Oxford is a stunning city and, because I'm such a fan, always makes me think of Inspector Morse, Inspector Lewis, and Endeavor. There's actually an Inspector Morse walking tour. I'll have to do that some day.

The lovely building below is the Sheldonian Theatre, described as "an architectural jewel in the Oxford skyline" and the ceremonial home of the University of Oxford. When I was here a couple of years ago, the guide of my walking tour said that it's breathtaking on the inside and has perfect acoustics. Happily, I was able to attest to both of these things when attending a concert of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra.

What a ceiling!

The program was "Spanish Nights" featuring music by Massenet, Rodrigo, Bizet, de Falla, and Rimsky-Korsakov. I particularly liked the Le Cid Suite by Massenet. Originally the ballet part of the opera Le Cid, Massenet lifted the suite of dances representing different regions of Spain, for a concert suite. Brazilian guitarist Plinio Fernandes was the guest soloist for Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. He was wonderful, but I found myself wishing that the microphone meant to pick up the sounds of his guitar had been a bit hotter. The pieces by Manuel de Falla and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov were a bit bombastic, but the Carmen Suite by Georges Bizet was spot on. Such a lovely evening!