Lots of Saints, but not "All" - Sunday, 7 November

The American Church in Paris (my favorite Sunday haunt - for info about the place see my 11/15/09 post on this blog or surf to http://acparis.org/) was just about full this morning - I'd guess about 350-400 people.  But to my great disappointment, they weren't celebrating All Saints' Day and therefore I didn't get a chance to bellow on "For all the saints, who from their labors rest" (the only way to sing that hymn is enthusiastically!).  The service was still good, and the opportunity to worship with people of many races from across the globe was wonderful, and the coffee after the service was as tasty as ever, but I really had my heart set on "For all the saints."  Sigh.....

The choir did give a nod to All Saints' Day by singing the lovely Agnus Dei of Cherubini's "Requiem."  I don't remember hearing this piece before, but now that I've had a taste, I'll have to seek out the whole Requiem (but with orchestral accompaniment - they used a piano, which was a bit weak against the full choir).  The piece finishes in a long diminuendo, as if drifting off into heaven...just beautiful.