By Joe Fiechtl
July 12, 2014
Today my daughter Adrienne and I took a tour of the Wells Cathedral Chained Library. It was incredible getting to see books older than Trinity Church! We got to see an illuminated manuscript, the only book in the collection that survived the Reformation, and a book owned by Thomas Cranmer (the first Bishop of the Church of England).
We also met Marvin and Pam who “were up from Southampton for the chained library tour and the evensong with the special choir.” They had seen the other two chained libraries in England from the 15th century. Marvin described his small parish church as he showed me pictures of it. The baptismal font was from Saxon times and they “follow the 1662 Book of Common Prayer without any of that modern rubbish,” he said. Adrienne and I both told them they were in for a treat at the evensong and that the choir would be amazing.
After the tour we parted ways, and when we got to the evensong, I saw Marvin and Pam sitting over on the side of the quire. I glanced at them several times during the service and they seemed to be appreciating it. After the recessional and organ postlude, Marvin came up to me and energetically said, “You didn’t compliment them nearly enough!” Adrienne went over to say hi to Pam and commented that “tonight’s evensong would be a hard act to follow when they sing tomorrow.” To which Pam replied “That will be a hard act to follow period! That is the best choir we have heard!” We chatted a few minutes more, then said our goodbyes.
Adrienne and I went off to dinner with the Senior Choristers, and Marvin and Pam went off to drive home. Our paths crossed for just an afternoon and evening, but Adrienne and I are sure we will remember them for quite a while!
