NYC photos: St. John's Cathedral

[fitfool]

For a couple of years now, B had been telling me of the Vertical Tour he had taken several years ago at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Whenever we were down there, we kept missing the tours (only given on Saturdays at noon and 2pm, $15/person). But this time, we finally managed to go. We climbed 12 stories all the way up to where the arrow is pointing. (But just a little bit at a time so the climbing wasn't too strenuous)

	Here's the main front of the church. There were menorahs on either side of the front. I was a little confused by why they're there. The organist was practicing while we were there so we got to hear the 8000+ pipes going. Why do organs have so many pipes?
	Looking at the stained glass windows and carvings, you kept seeing more contemporary references. This window was dedicated to Communications and included a depiction of tv/radio broadcasting.
	Can you identify everyone in this carving?
	I never realized that at the very top, there's a gap like an attic or crawlspace between the ceiling and the actual roof. In the background, there's a catwalk with a bunch of weights on it to apply pressure to the top of the arch below it to keep everything held together.
	Looking down from where we had climbed up to, we could see the little park where we had eaten lunch. Several of our lunches and snacks were a hunk of cheese with bread. Fairway's had such a great cheese selection that it made for a lot of memorable yet simple lunches.
	While we were munching in that little park, we met this family having a mini-reunion in the park. I asked one of them why he would ever leave NYC for Georgia and he replied, "We have 11 months of WARM." Good point. The grandfather in the wheelchair told us about taking piano lessons when he was 8 years old (I think..) in a building on 125th St in Harlem, across from the Apollo Theater. All these greats would come through there...Count Basie, Duke Ellington... and he'd be straining to eavesdrop on their conversations. His piano teacher eventually told his parents that he was too easily distracted so that was the end of piano lessons for him. But c'mon, who wouldn't be distracted by Basie and Ellington? I wish I'd asked him more about the jazz scene.
	Also in that little park, there was a piano that was painted and invited people to just sit down and play. I guess there are several of them scattered throughout the city. Saw another one by the Lincoln Center too.

Comments

[canyoncat.livejournal.com]

I love photographs of stained glass.

I can only identify MLK and Gandhi for sure. The one next to MLK could be Einstein? No idea about the other one.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure of the last two either, but I think they're Einstein and Susan B Anthony.

[lather2002.livejournal.com]

I have not been there for a photo safari since they put in the underground parking garage. Gotta get back there soon me thinks.

By the way, did you visit the underground tombs of Vampires when you were there ? You do have to get special permission to do such. But it is worth it.

[mlr.livejournal.com]

n the 90s, the organist at St. John the Divine was Dorothy Papadakos. She was a wonderfully gifted musician whose background was in jazz. She has been an occasional member of the Paul Winter Consort for years. She made several recordings there. The one I like best and can definitely recommend is "Dorothy Over the Rainbow". The only one I've never heard is "Café S. John" - which I just noticed is available as a download. I once heard her play a 25 minute improvisation that was breathtaking - it included everything from Gregorian Chant to "New York, New York". I wish she was still there.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Thanks for telling me about Dorothy Papadakos. It must've been neat to hear such a broad-ranging improvisation.

8,000 pipes

[carmy-w.livejournal.com]

All those pipes in an organ is because the organ can replicate darn near any instrument that you blow air through to create sound. So you have to have a middle C for a flute, sax, trumpet, oboe, accordion, etc. They can also approximate stringed instruments, although they don't quite sound the same.

Re: 8,000 pipes

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation! That had been one of my guesses but I didn't really know.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

The more pipes an organ has the more varied the sounds you get from it.
Lovely church with a mix of old-style and new elements.
We've been up to the dome in St. Paul's Cathedral in London and that was a climb and a half. Now, with my bad leg I couldn't do that.
Sigh.
I do love views from the top.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

You've taken me on so many tours of cool places through your photos. I hope your leg keeps healing!

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Even if I never climb well again I'm not going to stop traveling!
So, you will be bored by many more virtual tours in the future.
:)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Saint John's! Oh! *feels all nostalgic*

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

oh yeah? Did you used to go to St John's?

[john-j-enright.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Brought back memories. I haven't been in that church since 1972.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

I always find it an odd sensation to visit somewhere and think that this might be the last time I see it for decades (if ever).

[laviemoderne.livejournal.com]

churches are amazing. i've seen several that i'd like to live in.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

I had that same thought in this church! As I was walking around, I was a little jealous of the staff who would've been able to explore the whole place to their heart's content and wondered if anyone had ever lived there.

I only rented an apartment that looked like it had been a converted chapel of some sort. Huge penthouse with high ceilings and a raised stage-like area that looked like it could've held the pulpit.

[laviemoderne.livejournal.com]

I actually saw a church for sale in Hopedale, MA once and another time there was one (not sure if it was the same one) in a real estate newspaper.

[smoochie.livejournal.com]

for some reason i thought i remembered that sadly lost you husband? am i correct? perhaps you don't want to talk about it....but i have an LJ and FB friend who just lost her husband. i don't think he was even 30 years old....i wasn't following along until recently so i'm not sure if i'm right, but i think he may have had a terminal illness (cancer-lukemia, i think)....would you be interested in meeting her/supporting her with your story?

if not it's okay....i was just curious. <3

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Yes, you remember the overall story. 4.5 years ago, my fiance was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer and died a month later. :(

My condolences to your LJ/FB friend. That's devastating at any age but seems even more shocking when cancer claims someone so young. Feel free to pass along my LJ username if she's looking to talk to others who have been through the experience.

[smoochie.livejournal.com]

thank you! my condolences to you as well...it's got to be hard at ANY age to lose someone you love and adore...i catch my breath at the thought of it.

are you also on facebook? just curious.... <3

[smoochie.livejournal.com]

sorry, i forgot to give you her info :

http://www.facebook.com/kristenszanto?ref=ts

http://paperpearl.livejournal.com/profile

if she doesn't contact you in a few weeks....maybe you could take the first step. i've sent her a message to let her know about you.

thank you, sweet friend! she is, to say the least....devastated. she can hardly catch her breath....it just happened last week, so it may take some time....i told her to contact you on her own pace, saying, "it doesn't have to be today, tomorrow or 10 tomorrows...."

thank you! <3