St Salvator’s Chapel from all sides but inside’
Good morning,
Many people are missing being in their usual places of worship at this time, not least Muslims during Ramadan. I haven’t been in either St Leonard’s or St Salvator’s Chapel since the buildings were closed by the University. While our zoom services have been an adventure, offering genuine occasions of worship, prayer and reflection, and have allowed graduates and others far from St Andrews to take part, we are missing the dimensions offered by these historic, sacred spaces – the sound of the music in the lovely acoustic, the changing light through the stained glass, the feel of the oak pews, the flickering, warming candles.
The next University Service scheduled for either chapel is on Sunday 6 September at 11 am in St Salvator’s Chapel, the service of welcome for students and their supporters recently arrived or returned to St Andrews. I hope very much to be there in person for that occasion, and perhaps see you there. Yesterday, Claire and I took part in a meeting to explore making services in St Salvator’s Chapel accessible to people who cannot be there. With colleagues we discussed cameras, microphones, software and formats, to live-stream and post recordings on the University website. It was exciting to realise that services, weddings, memorial services and graduation thanksgivings could be seen by people who’d love to be there in person but can’t be. We hope that while people at home may not feel the warmth of the candles or the smoothness of the wood, they will hear that acoustic and see the play of light.
In the meantime, we continue our services as a zoomunity until the end of the semester (meaning the final service will be on Sunday 24 May), and we can look on St Salvator’s Chapel from near or far, hoping and longing to be able, once again, to enter. Here are some pictures I’ve taken of the chapel and tower over recent weeks, a landmark from all sides. A second Companionship email today will have some more…
And here is the invitation to tomorrow’s Compline:
Donald MacEwan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Compline Online
Time: May 14, 2020 09:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91167455741?pwd=SUtWcmNtRFdCNkpySHNVOHE1MTFIZz09
Meeting ID: 911 6745 5741
Password: 9zx5ij
Yours,
Donald.