 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
The church: Ascension & St Agnes, Washington DC, USA.
Denomination: Episcopal.
The neighbourhood: Thomas Circle, nearby Logan Circle and the area north on 14th Street are developing nicely with the addition of new shops. The area is still lacking in decent after-church brunch spots, but there are enough nearby on K Street.
The cast: The Rev. Fr Lane Davenport, rector, was celebrant and homilist. The regular organist choirmaster Dr Haig Mardirosian was away, so a member of the choir was substitute organist.
Asperges, high mass & sermon (at 10.00am).
How full was the building?
It was decently populated; about one-quarter full, but spread relatively evenly.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Ushers opened the door to welcome my travelling companion (TC) and I, before handing me the service leaflet.
Was your pew comfortable?
It was acceptable. The kneelers were those typically found in churches where a lot of kneeling is done. The gentleman who shared our pew was very unfriendly; I felt as though he believed he owned this pew and we were trespassing.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
We arrived on the hour, only to hear the final strains of the prelude. It appeared to be reverential. We were not the only ones to arrive as the service began. Why doesn't anyone ring the tower bells anymore?
What were the exact opening words of the service?
The first words were sung by the cantor (a soprano from the choir located in the west gallery): the plainsong "Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo" but in English.
What books did the congregation use during the service?
No books were used as everything one needed was in the 24 page service leaflet. There was a direction to use the 1940 Hymnal to chant the credo however.
What musical instruments were played?
There was only an organ.
Did anything distract you?
In generally, the poor quality of the music (I am a church musician) distracted me from participating or enjoying the service. The cantor was about a beat behind at times, and, at one point, a reedy buzz was accompanying the hymn. It was either 1) a very nasally singer, 2) a very bad reed stop on the organ, or 3) a child playing a kazoo: I am not kidding!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
It was very stiff-upper-lip, with lots of smells and bells and chanting. Priests entered wearing black birettas.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
10 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 – Read from a printed copy of the sermon, sometimes stumbling over words. Not his day for sermonizing, I would surmise.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
Christian joy (beatitude – the state of utter bliss), with copious quotations from G.K.Chesterton and one from G.B.Shaw.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
Not the singing, the music, the preaching, the vestments or frontals, that's for sure. However, the incensing of the altar was wonderful.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Most of the rest of the service, unfortunately.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
After the service, the rector greeted departing people and was quite chatty. An usher asked us to sign the visitors book (which we did). A very nice woman, who sat in the pew in front of me, stopped us to say how much she enjoyed our singing (I'm a bass, TC is a tenor). She introduced herself and invited us to coffee.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
We did not attend, as we were too depressed by the music, and needed to repair to brunch and a bloody Mary.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
3.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes, glad to be a Christian who has had the joy of attending services at, say, St. Thomas on 5th Avenue.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
How disappointed I was in the music! The substitute organist played Bach's Schubler Chorales at various intervals with uninteresting registrations, tempi and phrasing. She rarely added a mixture during the hymns and when she did add a reed on the last verse of the last hymn, she was so overcome that she totally botched the pedal line. Furthermore, the hymns (including two from the 1940 hymnal) were abysmal both in the selection and in the playing.
| The Mystery Worshipper is sponsored by surefish.co.uk, the internet service provider from Christian Aid. By offering email services, special offers with companies such as amazon.co.uk and smile.co.uk, surefish raises more than £300,000 a year for Christian Aid's work around the world. Click here to find out how to become a Mystery Worshipper. And click here if you would like to reproduce this report in your church magazine or website. Top | Other Reports | Become a Mystery Worshipper! © Ship of Fools 2002 |
|
 |