The fortieth day after Easter, always a Thursday, is called Ascension Day, when Christ ascended directly into Heaven. In the Anglican Church, this is celebrated with special traditions, especially musical ones.
At Keble College, on the eve of Ascension Day, we held a special Evensong service in which we sang the famous anthem ‘God is Gone Up’ by the English composer Gerald Finzi. This is a very bright and rousing piece of choral music written to celebrate the Ascension. The following morning was an early Matins service at 8:15am, which we sang from the top of the college chapel. We climbed some rather perilous stairs to get to the roof, and were never quite sure if the people below could hear us, but it was a fantastic experience. We sang another well-known piece called ‘Coelos ascendit hodie’ (Today he is ascended to the heavens) by Charles Villiers Stanford. In the evening there was a special Eucharist and then a Compline service later that night, so there were three services to mark this special day. Normally we have no more than one!
‘God is Gone Up’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI4YQJRcUS0
It’s nearing the end of the year here in Oxford; the weather is much sunnier and there are far more tourists about. It’s strange to think that last summer I was one of those tourists! Currently students are taking exams (as a visiting student I am not required, but my extended essays this term do count and are important for my grade), and there is another wonderful tradition for finalists. To take your exams, it is a rule in Oxford that you have to wear sub fusc, which is the formal academic wear in Oxford: I would go to my exam in white tie with my academic gown, a black robe that identifies which year you are in or if you have a scholarship. I have what is called a scholar’s gown because I am a choral exhibitioner in a chapel choir. When students have finished their exams and before they have had a chance to change out of sub fusc, their friends ambush them outside the examination hall with silly string and champagne, absolutely covering them to celebrate the end of their work. It’s a great tradition that even has security guards posted on the roads because of the amount of tourists that could mix with students!
I have two more weeks left of term; the time has gone by unbelievably fast. My responsibilities left this year are essentially finishing the year’s services at Keble and completing the two extended research essays I started back in April. Here’s to a solid and satisfactory end of the year!
