It might as well be spring

Spring is here! It has been pending for a while, but today New York seemed to blossom with it. We hit temperatures of 23 degrees centigrade, and I had a wonderful time sitting on my balcony feeling the sun on my arms and legs. The daffodils are in full bloom, as are the magnolias, and I'm skipping around and singing like a character in a 1940s musical.

Happy Easter

New York is in the grip of winter's last stand, with snow flurries, temperatures around freezing, and an icy wind roaring down the avenues, stealing hats and scarves, and anything not securely fastened to my person. But the city is so beautiful with spring flowers peeping out of the winter-bare soil and the leafless branches of trees covered in pink and white blossoms, that it is hard to think of it as anything other than spring. I drank my now customary cup of hot cider in Union Square this afternoon, and watched a man feeding the few skittish squirrels who were bold enough to get within peanut-tossing distance of him, while a team of gardeners spread fine straw over the daffodil studded lawns. Such a beautiful way to spend an hour in New York city.

This evening was the great easter vigil, and as tends to happen, I had more places to be than I could manage. I started out at one church in the village, where a friend of mine was being confirmed, and then slipped out just after his confirmation and dashed up town to make it to my usual church in time for the big service. It was a particularly special service, as the Presiding Bishop of the United States was officiating for the evening, and so the church filled up quickly. I have been to easter vigils before, and even sang in one at St. Mary's cathedral in Johannesburg when I was in highschool, but I have never been to one quite as big and dramatic as the one tonight. The service began with a completely dark church, but was soon illuminated by a huge number of candles lit one at a time as the procession entered the church. The standard selections of readings and chants followed, with baptisms, confirmations and renewals of baptismal vows in the middle of the service, and then the dramatic climax as all but the main candle were extinguised, and the main church lights were brought up as the opening hymn of the Eucharist was sung. It was all very spectacular, not least because of the enormous number of flowers all over the church.

In South Africa, Easter has, for good reasons, always felt distinctly autumnal to me, with the weather at its mellow best, and the air infused with the scent of pine and veld fires, and various shades of orange, yellow and gold. But I can understand how important the theme of renewal is during a northern hemisphere spring, like this. The effect is different. It was very lovely. Happy Easter, everyone.

Spring and music are in the air

New York is so beautiful at the moment that it is an absolute tragedy that I had to spend the whole day in front of my computer. The weather has warmed up just enough that I don't need to wear a coat, or even a jersey (a thin little jacket is enough), but it hasn't become so hot that walking is uncomfortable. The sun is shining, and the spring bulbs are pushing through the soil in parks, pots and window boxes all over the city. In no time at all, the trees will be blooming, and I will be blogging my first encounter with cherry blossoms in Washington Square. In the mean time, though, the conference T and I are attending in Williamsburg this weekend beckons, and I must keep my nose to the grindstone. With one little exception. I walked down to church a little after eight this evening to sing the last compline service of the season. All this lent Gus (our organist) and I, and a mixture of other people (different ones most weeks) have been singing a compline service in a candle-lit church on fifth avenue. The service is really short (less thank 15 minutes), but the music and the atmosphere are beautiful, and just the thing to make me feel that all is right with the world. Lent is coming to and end this week, with holy week starting on Sunday (palm sunday), and then we are into easter, and the end of semester maddness. I hope we will be able to sing more of these services, though. Singing really makes me happy, and in such a beautiful, peaceful setting, all the more so.