A cultural banquet

     More culture to report. It's hard to get away from it, isn't it, when you're in the cultural center of the known universe?

     Wednesday's adventure involved a foray into industrial Manchester, England's third largest city. The occasion was Manchester's Dig the City Festival, part environmental movement and part flower show, "returning the heart of the Medieval quarter to nature." It was also part of the city's celebration of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee. At the center of the activities were a flower exhibition and choral concert at Manchester Cathedral.

    The cathedral and adjoining music school were established in 1421 by King Henry V. These institutions have always centered on music. For this current festival, 50 floral venders, local churches and garden societies had created designs carrying out musical themes to be placed throughout the cathedral. The organizers claim 30,000 blossoms were used, and I'd believe it.

     Let me just say it was a banquet for the senses!

    Upon entering, one was hit by the scent immediately. It smelled like a politician's funeral -- but in a good way. Flowers filled every nook and cranny, and were even hanging from the ceiling. Above the nave was an explosion of orb-shaped arrangements of roses, carnations and mums with spikes -- puzzling at first, until you found that the installation depicted Handels's "Royal Fireworks Music"! Of course!

     I've been to competitive flower shows all over England, so I knew I'd be in for a visual treat. The Brits are evermore creative with their flowers; there's just nothing quite like these events in the U.S. Give 'em a theme, some fresh flowers and they run with it. And how better to exercise their imaginations than to interpret music in flowers?

    One of the side chapels was devoted to the Beatles. In another chapel was Eliza Doolittle with her flower stand in "My Fair Lady." The area in the church known as the Fire Chapel, which was destroyed by German bombs in the Second World War, was filled with red, orange and gold arrangements complementing the new stained-glass window in that same color scheme. The exhibit was called "Walk Through the Fire."

     Over here, arrangements of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." Other classical nods to "Rigoletto" and "Swan Lake." Installations saluting "Saturday Night Fever" and "Dancing Queen." Gaily colored umbrellas mingled with masses of flowers for "Singin' in the Rain," and a masked phantom guarding the Paris Opera House. Floral interpretations of sacred pieces like "Hallelujah Chorus." A riot of delphiniums that practically vibrated "Rhapsody in Blue."

    After the audience were saturated with the floral displays, the 15-voice Manchester Baroque ensemble added the final dimension of sound. Acoustically, the cathedral is first-rate, and the excellent singers -- all paid professional musicians -- rose to the occasion to match the brilliant visual show above and around us. For my money, the only thing that can rival the Brits' way with flowers is their choral music.

     There were simply too many "WOW!" moments to mention them all, but for me, the highlights were easily Hubert Parry's magnificent, stately anthem, "I Was Glad," and the final piece of the evening, Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!" Even though most of the choir's program had been a cappella, on these songs the organ majestically held forth in accompaniment. I know these pieces well, and it was all I could do to sit mum and not put in my own two feeble cents' worth!

     I'm not sure why we Americans can't get our collective artistic acts together to organize something similar to this festival. I mean, we have the talent and the resources in spades, surely. But it's the Brits who actually do it, and I thank all the cultural gods above for the privilege of being able to experience the result of their efforts!