File under: free recurring event that you might not know about even if you’ve lived here for a while —
The Compline men’s choir sings at the beginning of the church service every Sunday at 9:30 PM at St. Mark’s Cathedral. In the ’60s they noticed that a lot of non-religious people would show up just to listen to the singing and then would leave respectfully once the actual church service started, so now they just embrace it and pause for a bit to let people leave if they want.
(If you’re turned off by the idea of going to a church, they do start the choir performance with a land acknowledgement, so they’re probably one of the good ones.)
The best way to experience it is to bring a mat or blanket and lie on it looking up at the ceiling. When you enter the room, the designated lying-down area is on the left. There is a spot in the center of the left wall where there is a carpet for people to lie down, but the carpet was almost full by the time the singing started, so it’s easier to bring your own blanket and pillow and get a spot somewhere else against the left wall. (Or else just sit in a chair.)
Photos and videos are prohibited during the service, otherwise I would have made one and posted it. But they livestream every performance and you can view tonight’s performance on their archive (bookmarked at the point where the singing starts).
They usually go for about 35 minutes but I usually leave after about 20. There is a donation box on the way out.
Parking is free in the St. Mark’s lot, but I figure it’s good manners to leave the parking spots for the people who are attending the whole service, so you can also use the free street parking across the street on 10th.
submitted by /u/bennetthaselton
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