My Canterbury Tales - The End

Canterbury after five in the evening began to close down as tourist traffic thinned down to almost nothing, boarding their buses parked in the large lot along the Riverwalk. One evening as we walked past the entrance to the Cathedral grounds we realized the gate was open and we were free to enter the grounds and walk around. We strolled through the courtyard and up to one of the doors which had a notice posted on it. The notice was actually an announcement for an organ recital to take place the last night of our stay. How exciting! An opportunity to get inside without having to take the tour that we'd already taken on a previous trip and a chance to hear the organ in the grand cathedral.

After our trip to Leeds Castle, we refreshed at our B&B and then took off to find an early dinner so that we could catch the 7:30 p.m. recital. We arrived a bit early at the Cathedral after dinner and waited around to see if the main door was going to open. Since we hadn't seen the recital advertised anywhere else we were a little concerned that maybe we had been mistaken about it.

While we waited, we had time to reflect on the history we had learned about the Cathedral on our first visit. The tale of the murder of Thomas Becket is quite interesting and the pilgrimages that began afterward reflected in the writing of the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer.

Eventually, we saw a few people entering the Cathedral by a small side door. When we inquired and found that indeed that was the entry door for the recital. We followed another couple in and stopped at a table set up for tickets. In England rather than saying senior discount, they ask if you want a concession. Being a senior has its perks in lots of countries.

We were instructed to sit in the area where the choir sits. Unsure of the best place to plant ourselves, we asked a couple who seated themselves in an area just past the choir seats. They were regulars for the recitals that are held every six weeks or so. We joined them and struck up a conversation. They spoke of past recitals and the unfortunate lack of publicity for them.

It truly is a shame that they are not better advertised because it was a wonderful opportunity to hear the huge organ fill the Cathedral to the rafters with its wonderful sounds. While we were not entirely familiar with the pieces that the organist performed, we sat mesmerized by the sweet soft melody that wound around and through the huge arches above our heads and then crescendoed to rich full tones that reverberated and filled the entire massive space of the Cathedral. It was amazing.

When it was over, we strolled back to our B&B in the dusky evening light hand in hand, grateful for the opportunity to once again experience the history and ambiance of the English town of Canterbury.