Consecration -- Highlights are now online

You can get a taste of the wonderful Consecration service on September 19th at the Tilles Center by going to this site and scrolling down.

Highlights

Punkin tossin'

Employes at Lewins Farms on Sound Avenue move pumpkins from the large containers to a tidy display on the ground. They seem overdressed for this hot day (Thursday). They must have started in the cool of the morning.

The music at the Consecration

Cursillo musicians: audience singalong

Prelude: two steel bands

Hymns at the Procession
"Christ is made the sure foundation"
"Siyahamba (We are marching in the light of God)"
Solo: "Simple Song" from the Mass by Leonard Bernstein
"I bind unto myself today" (St Patrick's Breastplate)

At the Gradual
The Old Hundredth Psalm ("All people that on earth do dwell")

After the Second Lesson
"Alleluia" (Caribbean traditional)

After the Sermon
"All are Welcome" ("Let us build a house where love can dwell")

At the Consecration
"Veni sancte spiritus" with verses by cantor (Taize)

Hymn at the Offertory
"All Creatures of our God and King"

Sanctus and Benedictus:
"Holy, holy, holy" (from A Mass for a Soulful People by G.W. Brown)

Fraction Anthem
"Jesus, Lamb of God" (Schubert)

Communion Anthem
The Glory of Christ ("You, living Christ, our eyes behold")

Hymns at the Communion
Sheng En ("O Bread of life, for sinners broken") by T.T.F. Lew
Mary Alexandra ("Will you come and follow me")
"Sweet, sweet spirit" by Doris Akers
"Ubi caritas" with verses by cantor and small mixed choir (Taize)

Postcommunion Hymn
"All my hope on God is founded"

Postlude/Hymn
"Hallelujah! We sing your praises" (South African)

At the reception: Another steel band

Gregory Eaton, music director, and Mother Tillman did a phenomenal job with the choir.

The Presiding Bishop

The Episcopal Church in 2006 elected a woman as Presiding Bishop. Who'd have thought that could ever happen? Here is an article about her:

Katherine Jefferts Schori

The Consecration service

The booklet for the service. My purple admission bracelet holds down the 48-page booklet so I could take these selected pictures.

The Opening Acclamation and the Presentation

The Litany for Ordinations

The Holy Gospel, read in English

The First Lesson was read in Chinese and the Second Lesson in Spanish, reflecting the diversity of this diocese.

The Examination of the bishop-elect

The Creed led by the bishop-elect

The Consecration of the Bishop. The choir sang "Veni sancte spiritus" about a hundred times as all the bishops and the PB gathered around Fr. Provenzano and laid hands on him. The central moment. Very moving.

The new bishop was vested. The Peace. The new bishop then celebrated communion, which several thousand people received. Then the Retiring Procession. All of these elements of the service were accompanied by or engulfed in music, which will be the subject of another post.

The Entrance Procession

The Pectoral Cross

P.S. I hope someone will put the whole booklet online.

The Consecration of Bishop Provenzano

It was a wonderful, wonderful 3-hour service on Saturday! I'm going to post a bit about it soon, but in the mean time here are some pictures taken by a good photographer:

86 photos of the Consecration

Rehearsal at the Cathedral

I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to be part of the Diocesan Choir for tomorrow's Consecration of the new Episcopal Bishop of Long Island. One hundred and ninety-two choristers will participate in this great event to be held at the Tilles Center at LIU. We've had three good rehearsals so far, in Brooklyn, in Bay Shore on the 4th and the third last Saturday at the Cathedral in Garden City. It was a pleasure to rehearse with that large a group. The sound was wonderful. I took a few pictures. Apologies for their poor quality.

Gregory Eaton, Director

Misc. pics from the Met last week

Yes, some people still do draw

Tiffany glass

Blurry (argh)

We trotted by the arms and armor department

and were waylaid by the Greek vases

The courtyard of the New American Wing, reopened a few months ago


where you can lunch in the cafe, restore your strength and keep on looking at the art

Best cafe design ever, in my opinion.

And you're even watched over by bears

The Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan was a fascinating exhibit, but photos were banned, so to appreciate it I urge you to follow this link and gaze on some of these ancient wonders.

Adoring crowds

Just happened to be driving south on Fifth Avenue yesterday about 4:00; saw hundreds of people on the sidewalk taking pictures of something on the other side where a large light panel and much movie equipment in front of Bergdorf Goodman indicated Presence of Stars. Unfortunately we had green lights and had to move along so I couldn't get a pic of the star(s).

Wondering what was going on I did some searching on the Internet last night and this is what I think it was:

Filming on Fifth Avenue

And this

Here's a pic of the Plaza just before the Sighting. Yes, they were at the Plaza too.

P.S. I'll post some pix of our visit to Metropolitan Museum tomorrow.

Chicory

Just give it a few grains of soil...anywhere

Four more of Mary's pictures

Looking upward from the 86th floor observation deck. This is the part with the colored lights.

Looking West. New Jersey (ain't she beautiful?) across the river.

Uptown

Taxi and Flatiron Building. On the left is Madison Square Park.

Here are some pictures of the Flatiron Building including some very old ones.

Changing the tone ...

And now for something completely different:


The Doo-Wop Equestrians

(Click on each one to turn on or off)

ESB, etc. --Mary's photos

Flatiron Building

Mary was snapping pictures, too, and I must say hers are much better than mine. She gave me permission to post them here.

Mary (I took this one)

Hudson River

Facade of the ESB

Marble Collegiate Church with ESB in background

Downward view

Downtown. Tall buildings right rear are where World Trade Center used to be.

Lobby

Madison Square Park (guy-watching)

Madison Square Park

Narcissistic pigeon at MS Park