There are plenty of other blogs out there that are gushing about Kate's dress, and Wills' handsomeness, so I'm not going to do that. What I'm going to do is share with you my three, albeit very faint, connections to the Royal Wedding.
1. Westminster Abbey. Ok, so I know that it's been there for a thousand years, so plenty of people have a connection via Westminster Abbey, but not all of them like mine. I'm one of the relatively few people through the ages who have actually attended regular services there. I had my own seat in the choir at the weekday 5pm Evensong services, and everything. And man, would I feel smug, walking up on Sunday afternoons at 2:45, breezing past all the American tourists, and having the Priest recognize me, and move aside to let me in. Then I'd, you know, look at the chair where all the monarchs since William the Conquerer had been crowned, and I wouldn't feel quite so smug anymore.
2. Grace, the Ear-Covering Bridesmaid: So my friend Anna Louisa posted on Facebook that she went to school with Grace's mom, and was saluting her for raising such a self-expressed daughter. Therefore, by my calculation, I'm like 3 degrees away from Prince William. Anna Louisa - Grace's mom - Prince William (who is Grace's Godfather).
3. John Rutter (who composed the Anthem that the Abbey Dean commissioned for the wedding, This is the Day): In case you've never heard of him before now, he's a brilliant choral composer, based in Cambridge, I think. I'm pretty sure I've posted music of his before, because I just adore him. And I got the chance to be a groupie to him in 2001 when I went to the Association of British Choral Director's annual meeting (three days of singing and conducting! Be still my heart!). He was going to be doing a clinic, and I ran into him in a hallway. Literally. I had my head down in the program, trying to figure out where I was going, and I think he had his head down, probably composing something. I was groupie-speechless and managed a quick, "I love your work" before scurrying along, kicking myself for not thinking of anything more clever to say.
On the topic of John Rutter, you've gotta check out his Requiem. It's all on youtube in parts, posted by @MonteverdiChor. I'm posting the Angus Dei and The Lord is My Shepherd here. It's juicy. Me likey.
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