Music for Late Afternoon

Stained glass, candlelight, and angelic voices

----New York for Kids Part 5 ----

If you plan to take a young child, you may want to sit in the rear of the Cathedral. Then, if he/she becomes restless, you can quietly slip away.

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Dear Postcards from New York Reader,

Walk into St. Thomas Church at 53rd and Fifth Avenue any Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoon around 5:30 PM, and Sunday at 4 PM, and you will be pleasantly surprised to find a centuries old English choral tradition very much alive and flourishing.

The vaulted stone Cathedral is the perfect acoustic backdrop for the extraordinary music you will shortly hear; the songs are sung by a world famous choir of boys and young men, crisp and handsomely attired in cassocks, gowns and robes. When the choristers begin to sing the traditional hymns accompanied by organ and orchestra, you will know you have stumbled upon something very special. Sit back and breathe in the music.

Evensong, a short 45 minute service of glorious music, is a painless way to introduce youngsters to classical masterpieces performed by talented young boys close to their own age (ages 8-13).

These boys attend Saint Thomas Choir School, one of only four such schools still in existence in the world. They perform year-round at Saint Thomas as well as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and for audiences around the world.

The Choir School is committed to training and educating gifted young musicians; so if your son has a passion for music and a beautiful voice, encourage him to audition and apply. Visit the School's website at http://www.choirschool.org/.

Whether you have children or not, this is a wonderful uplifting way to end a hectic work day or just find a moment's reprieve from the city's relentless pace.

Jacqueline Cable
For Postcards from New York

Address to Remember: Saint Thomas Church, One West 53rd Street, New York, NY, 212-757-7013. http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/. A wide selection of choral music is available on CD, click here to listen and order.

Directions: From Times Square walk one block to Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), take uptown MTA B, D, F, V to 50th Street and Rockefeller Center. Walk a few short blocks to Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street.

Photo courtesy of the Westiminster Choir

©Copyright 2008 The Cable Group

Happy Birthday Postcards from New York!

A 1962 Postcard from New York

Dear Postcards from New York Reader,

I cannot believe we have come so quickly to "Postcards from New York's" (PCFNY) first anniversary thanks to our loyal readers.

We set out a year ago to create a photo/newsletter three to four times a month, which, just like a "Postcard," would be a momentary diversion from our much too busy work/life schedules, and the deluge of email in our in-boxes. These short snippets of stories were about things to do, see, taste and explore among the overwhelming feast of choices New York so abundantly offers every day, every time of year.

PCFNY takes a minute to focus on "little" things that capture New York's many flavors; an unpretentious newsstand to enjoy a terrific egg cream soda along with a childhood memory, a quiet afternoon in a small museum, an unforgettable view, a winter walk through an ancient forest, an Upper East Side street corner to stand and listen to the Angelus ring from a nearby bell tower at dusk, or an only-known-to-the-locals restaurant for an intimate dinner for two.

Thank you for your many enthusiastic emails, words of support and helpful suggestions. I'd love to hear a round of applause for our photographer, Joseph Knight, who is celebrating his birthday as well. His fantastic eye and relentless efforts to capture just the "right" shot have been the finishing touch to our picturesque stories.

Finally, thank you to everyone who contributed stories about unique experiences and special places. I've lived in this area most of my life, but as a bridge-and-tunnel person growing up in New Jersey I was unaware of "The Little Red Lighthouse" until Hank Waxman "enlightened" me, first with great photographs and then his story.

To kick off our second year let me begin with an appeal. Please! Send us "Postcards" from New York you have received from friends and family, and share your memorable stories about what makes New York so special to you. We'd love to discover "your" New York and possibly include it in a PCFNY Book about "Our Town."

As we continue our quest to make PCFNY a valuable resource and a different-kind-of-guide, we want to hear from you about what you would like to see and hear more, or less of. What were your favorite stories? We heard that many of you download and collect PCFNY to share with family, friends, and business associates when they visit.

Would you like to see Postcards compiled in a book? How about a coffee-table book of beautiful photographs of our magnificent parks, botanical gardens and unforgettable views? Or, a special subject book like a sweet tooth tour, terrific things to do with kids, a "dessert lover's" or "chocolate lover's" companion. No time to read Postcards, how about listening to them on a CD?

We value your thoughts, so please take a moment right now to email your suggestions before you forget to: postcardsfromnewyork@yahoo.com. If you are on the webpage just scroll down and leave your suggestions in Comments.

Again, many thanks!

Jacqueline Cable
For Postcards from New York



Original Postcard from the collection of Joseph Knight


© The Cable Group 2008

A Special Way to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

Bagpipers on Fifth Avenue
----Please Note----

Since St. Patrick's Day falls during Holy Week this year the official liturgical Mass will be held this Friday March 14. However, St. Agnes will celebrate Mass in Gaelic on March 17 at 9:30 AM.

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Dear Postcards from New York Reader,

On Monday, the sounds of bagpipes will usher in one of the city's most festive Holiday celebrations. Wear something green and claim Irish heritage for a day.

Mayor Bloomberg and Cardinal Egan will kick things off as thousands line Fifth Avenue from 42nd to 86th Street to watch the parade. Long before it ends, every bar and pub in the city will be packed with lines of people trailing out the door as the Guinness flows freely.

Amidst the spirited revelry, gaiety and leprechaun hats, it’s easy to forget the reason for celebration, the Patron Saint of Ireland’s feast day. Look closely at the cumbersome pipes carried proudly by men in colorful kilts, the tartans of their clans. Those pipes have witnessed three thousand years of Celtic History. Their shrill haunting music mirror not only the lush beauty of the land from which they come but the lilting rhythm and cadence of the Gaelic language.

Make this St. Patrick’s Day a special memory. Unless you visit the far reaches of the Irish Isles or Scotland’s Outer Hebridian Islands, you will not get to hear this live. Experience the rare beauty of the Celtic language first hand at a Mass sung in Gaelic at St. Agnes Church steps from where the parade begins. The tiny Church, tucked away on 43rd Street off Lexington Avenue, is a beautiful setting for the Service. Get there early, this promises to be a standing room only affair.

A few words on Ireland’s Patron Saint.

Born on the West Coast of Britain, present-day Wales, around 385, as a boy, Patrick narrowly escaped death when Celtic pirates raided his village. Abducted, taken to Ireland, then sold into slavery, he spent several years of privation and hardship among pagans whose language he struggled to learn in order to survive. As a young man, he risked his life to escape his captors, negotiated passage on a ship sailing to Gaul (France) and eventually found his way back to his family. Years later, in 432, he returned to Ireland as a priest determined to bring Christianity to the people who had enslaved him. His feast day and the soaring gothic Cathedral built to honor his memory celebrate his success at turning a bad experience into something wonderful.

Happy Saint Patty’s Day.

Jacqueline Cable
For Postcards from New York

Address to remember: St. Agnes Church, 141 East 43rd Street, between Lexington and 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017, 212 682-5722.

St. Agnes also offers Latin Mass in Gregorian Chant every Sunday at 11 AM.

Directions: From Times Square MTA S (Shuttle) to Grand Central Station, walk one block.
Bus M42 or M104 to 42nd Street and 3rd Avenue, walk one block.


Photo courtesy of nymag.com


© Copyright 2008 The Cable Group