Glorious Music

What is it about music?  That transcendent quality that can transport the listener to another place and another time.

At 1pm today, I was lucky enough to be transported.  I was listening to a church organ that was originally played by Henry Purcell in 1684, in the church where William Boyce was the Director of Music.  The organ sits in St Michael's Cornhill, a short walk from Bank station.  

A church has been on this site for perhaps 1000 years, a few hundred yards from the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange in the middle of the City of London.  The current church, like many in the City of London, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London around 1670.

And the music?  I'm a sucker for Bach and the two preludes and fugues were as wonderful as you would expect.  The other music, pieces by Reger, Gigout and Elgar, were also excellent.

But perhaps it is the sense of history, listening to an organ that predates American independence, in a church that sits incongruously in the middle of London's financial district, that makes the experience so special.

If you're in the City on a Monday lunchtime, like music, and have a little time to spare, you might want to think about going.  It certainly beats a sandwich eaten crouched over a computer keyboard.