Weekend self-care open thread: Carols from King's

When King Henry VIII of England, his wife Catherine of Aragon being unable to bear him a son and heir, broke with the Papacy because the Pope refused to annul his marriage to a woman who happened to be the niece of Emperor Charles V, who, sadly for Henry, had the distinction of being the most powerful monarch in Europe with troops ready at a moment's notice to march on Rome, much was lost. Monasteries which had dominated the landscape, economy, and culture of England for a thousand years were demolished within a generation. Glorious church art was white-washed away. Rhythms of life which had obtained since St. Augustine made his missionary journeys to the heathen Angles, Saxons, and Jutes were swept out like so much rubbish. In many ways Henry's break with Rome was a cultural revolution, and a catastrophe.

But while Church art and the cults of the saints were seen as so much blasphemy, the English fell back on the glory of their civilization: their language. And one thing which wasn't washed with the flotsam and jetsam of an old order was English choral music. Boys' choirs both at court and at the great churches and universities not only survived, but thrived. And the apogee of their year was Christmastime.

For the past few years it's been my Christmas tradition to watch the annual celebration of the holiday by the Choir of King's College of Cambridge University. For me, no one in the West carries on the ancient tradition of choiristry as does this group of boys and young men. At least not as visibly. (If you have any counter-examples, please post them in the comments.) It's simply wonderful; for me, it wrenches me from the mundanity of existence and calls to mind the sublime. 

So for this weekend's self-care we continue our seasonal rest, and watch this year's celebration.

Be of good cheer. A new year is upon us. Another year to right the things we got wrong in the last.

As always, dear friends, be ever kind, gentle, and joyful with yourselves and those around you.