This is my personal, loving appreciation for the University of King’s College Chapel in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You can learn more from the official King’s website, which has a link to the student-run site as well.
The windows above the altar in the King’s Chapel, the centre image coming from the gospel anecdote of the boy Jesus at the temple; Luke 2:41-50 ~ æssmith photo
During the intense study required for a four-year honours undergraduate degree, the Chapel was my source of spiritual growth, solace, and community. Although its liturgy comes from the sixteenth century Anglican Book of Common Prayer, its appeal transcends time and its welcome is wholly ecumenical.
In the words of the Rev. Dr. Gary Thorne, dear friend and teacher, who was Chaplain during my time at King’s, “this Liturgy is experienced by contemporary students as true to the re-discovery of the transcendent, the sacred and the holy in the radically secular 21st century.” Many are glad to immerse themselves in the Chapel’s uniquely embracing atmosphere, being nourished without any loss to their own beliefs or faith traditions. It is the place where I experienced one of the most profound mystical encounters of my life.
It is always a joy when I am invited to read from Scripture as part of the liturgy ~ æssmith photo
Chapel worship takes many forms, from the Daily Office to the Christian Sacraments, from private prayer to the astonishing Easter Vigil, which seems to encompass the whole trajectory of Christianity from ancient times to the present. It was the anchor of my quest during university, and fed my soul in the process. In the holy light which is always somewhere present there, I learned and grew in faith and love. Whenever I am in Halifax, I try to attend the Solemn Eucharist, which is the main service of the week, or part of the Daily Office if that’s not possible.
About the Chapel Music Program
The voices of the Chapel Choir members who were there during my time at King’s are at the heart of my interior musical sound track. The gifted and tireless Paul Halley has been the choir’s director for a dozen years, but his aspirations go well beyond simply developing high performance standards for the group. He aims as well to foster “spiritual and academic growth” in his charges.
I love this simple wooden cross over the entrance to the Chapel nave ~ æssmith photo
As he notes in his latest letter to choir supporters, “A direct encounter with the beautiful and the deep has enabled each student passing through the choir’s ranks to be more discerning, more attentive, and more hopeful. It has nurtured a latent hunger for what is lasting and true, [and] has generated a healthy skepticism for the ephemeral and sensational.”
Developing an appreciation for all that is beautiful in music and the other arts is part of the living and growing that the quest demands. With it comes a myriad new openings to the sacred, often closer than we can imagine once we learn to remove ourselves from the world’s shallow and distracting noise. You can hear the Chapel Choir singers here on YouTube, as they were recorded at the Anglican Cathedral Church of All Saints in Halifax, although I love the experience of hearing them in the more intimate setting of the Chapel itself.
Yet as integral as it is, music is just one of the aspects of Chapel life, which includes awe-inspiring retreats, worship silent and spoken, mission and outreach. Many lives have been changed in powerful ways through Chapel ministries, both by current students and an extended community in the wider world.