Prompt #8: Tour and Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral

 (01.10.2025)

    As soon as I stepped into St. Paul’s Cathedral, it was the most stunning and ethereal place I’d ever seen. The entire week, I’d been amazed just by the outside of it, so getting to go inside and take a self-guided audio tour was so exciting! It felt like visiting an art museum. I was fascinated by the statues, paintings, mosaics, and metal/woodwork. I explored almost every nook and cranny. I even climbed my way to the stone gallery, where I could see a 360 view of London from the top of the Cathedral! Due to the sacredness of the building, certain spaces do not allow photography. They also do not allow photos during services or past 4:30 p.m., so I took as many as I could before then. Here are four of my favorite shots!

Outside of St. Paul’s (featuring the iconic dome).

Looking up at the quire.

Looking up from the bottom of the dome.

View of London from the Stone Gallery.

    Later in the day, my class attended an Evensong, a traditional Anglican church service. The service is performed by a choir, with almost every part being sung. It was very serene and beautiful. I sat in the quire stalls, which set me a little bit closer to the choir. The singers, all male (adults and children), were so impressive. They were very formal and polished. Their voices blended perfectly, their harmonies flawless. The quire and dome carried their voices throughout the entire space, creating a rich, yet still light, sound. I could sense the emotions that it evoked in the people around me, especially those who were Christian.

The quire stalls.

Nativity scene in front of the quire.

    It was interesting going into this experience as a complete outsider, as I have not grown up immersed in the Christian faith like many of my peers. It was definitely harder at times for me to follow along with the service. I felt that I could understand the general meaning, but did not pick up on specific details. As someone who is not religious, the tour and service were both very informative and left me with a deeper appreciation of the artistry and creativity that goes into worship and spirituality. Art and religion are constantly going hand-in-hand. In fact, it is nearly impossible to find one without the other.

    To see more of St. Paul’s from home, I found these virtual tours on the official website! While it may not be as exciting as seeing it in person, it’s definitely worth checking out!

    Virtual tour link: https://www.stpauls.co.uk/explore

- Gillian