Music has always held a particular healing quality for me, which I believe is true of most people. I am grateful therefore, to be in a place where beautiful music is both abundant and accessible after experiencing loss this past week.
I mentioned Evensong, earlier, which I have attended once more since then. Evensong is held at Christchurch Cathedral, featuring a lovely liturgy of hymns and songs, sung prayers, and choral anthems. The service is reverent, sacred and majestic, not only focusing the soul heavenward, but on a personal reminder serves as a comforting reminder of my church and choir back home. Here is the exterior of Christchurch:
Then on Saturday, a fellow student and I went to the University Church to see the Oxford Chamber Orchestra play pieces by Beethoven, Schumann, and Dvorak. I am pretty sure I saw the words “New World Symphony” walking from the airport bus to the college the first day, and immediately decided to go. That symphony live is transcendent, but particularly so seeing it in this venue:
I was a little bit obsessed with this starry, starry ceiling. 
There are many more concerts on the books for the next few weeks, and certainly more Evensongs, but this week I am thankful for the strengthening and encouraging power that music has to offer.
PS. This is a Stradivarius!
I stumbled upon it at the Ashmolean, and gave up thinking of a proper segue in this post.
Pencil & Uke 