Hymns & Recitals - Boston, MA
Boston, MA
On their first day in Boston (Sunday, May 8, 1887), Queen Kapi'olani was feeling somewhat fatigued from the journey so she chose to stay in that morning. Princess Lili’uokalani, however, decided to attend the morning services at Park Street Church since this was the church that sent the American missionaries to Hawai’i. When Queen Kapi’olani visited Park Street Church on Tuesday, May 10, 1887, she first saw the vestry "then passed through the upper portion of the church, where the Queen sat in the pew which was occupied by her husband, the King, on his visit to Boston" (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, June 16, 1887).
We visited the Park Street Church, but could only take photos from the outside, as they are only open for visitors in the summer when tourists are exploring the Boston Freedom Trail. On a plaque outside the church’s main entrance it lists a number of accomplishments of their congregation, including: “Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) Church Founded 1819.” The seven missionary couples who left Boston on October 23, 1819 aboard the Thaddeus for the 18,000-mile journey down the coast of South America, around the treacherous Cape Horn, then up to Hawai’i would arrive in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i on March 30, 1820. During that five-month journey two important changes had taken place in Hawai’i; when they landed they learned that Kamehameha had died and the kapu (religious system) had been overthrown. Needless to say, there was a spiritual vacuum in Hawai’i at the time of their arrival, which definitely aided their conversion efforts.
After resting a bit in the morning of that first day, the queen received Mayor O’Brien and his wife around noon, and attended afternoon services at Trinity Church. They met the rector, Dr. Phillips Brooks, one of the most renowned preachers of the 19th Century, prior to the service. He preached a sermon on John 17:1, and both the queen and princess “seemed greatly interested” (Boston Post, May 9, 1887). The queen had originally intended to attend “The Golden Legend” at the Music Hall that evening, but did not go as she was having trouble with her foot and “decided to obtain needed rest for the round of official courtesies yet to come” (Boston Post, May 9, 1887). Lili’uokalani, Dominis, Boyd, and Bond did attend and greatly enjoyed the singing.
We visited Trinity Church two days ago. It is located in the Back Bay area where we are staying and within walking distance. They welcome visitors for a nominal fee and provide a helpful self-guided tour brochure. While the outside is impressive, it doesn’t compare to the inside. Walking into this church was simply breathtaking. My eyes were immediately drawn toward the high vaulted ceilings made with wooden ribs, and I noticed the colorful murals of St. Peter and St. Paul. Next to catch my attention was the white altar with a gold cross above it which was surrounded by gorgeous stained glass windows and a golden wall. Completed in 1877, Trinity Church was only 10 years old when Queen Kapi’olani attended services there. As I looked at the large elevated pulpit where Phillips Brooks preached, I imagined the queen and princess sitting in a pew enraptured by his charismatic delivery. This church definitely encourages a prayerful and reflective mindset. I wanted to simply sit there and take it all in.
Today we chose to attend Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. It was just a 15-minute walk from where we are staying in the Copley neighborhood. Along the way, we visited Franklin Square to see the building that once housed the New England Conservatory of Music. The facade of this building became famous when it was used in the television drama St. Elsewhere. In the evening of the queen’s final event-packed day in the city (Friday, May 13, 1887), she attended two musical performances. The first was a concert in aid of the Kindergarten of the Blind given by the Orpheus Musical Society at Berkeley Hall. They were escorted upstairs to a row of seats reserved for them. By the time they arrived the performance was half over, and they only stayed about 30 minutes, but they listened with pleasure to the singing, which was of an “exceptionally high order” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser, June 21, 1887). They left Berkeley Hall about 9:15 to ride to the New England Conservatory of Music at Franklin Square. McGuire writes of their visit: “there are about 1000 young ladies. It is a grand house handsomely finished & furnished elegantly. We were taken to the receiving room & after we had been introduced to the principle & teachers were taken into the school room & there we heard some fine singing & violin playing & also a piano Duett [sic] by young ladies of the school. We spent an hour there & enjoyed the evenings entertainment…All well but tired out.”
Today, as I took pictures of the building that had once been the New England Conservatory of Music, I was struck by the beauty of the place. Franklin Square, a park directly across from the building, dates back to 1849. The ornate building was completed in 1865, and served for its first 14 years as Boston’s Grand Hotel, and even hosted a couple of presidents. The conservatory used it from 1879 to 1902. It was then converted into dormitories for young working women, and since about the 1980s its nearly 200 units have become affordable housing for senior citizens. It seems, to me, to be a lovely place to live.
From there we walked just a couple of blocks to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. They are currently involved in a major maintenance project so there was a cherry-picker near the front entrance, scaffolding on two of the outside walls and some in the interior to the left of the altar, right next to the door of mercy. This is now the second door of mercy we’ve walked through in a week. Despite the scaffolding, Holy Cross is impressive. Consecrated in 1875, this cathedral was in this location when the queen visited the nearby conservatory, so I’m guessing she must have seen it since it would be hard to miss. The altar has all the typical flourishes and details of the older Catholic Churches; not like the simplistic practical designs of the late 20th century. The stained glass windows above the altar and along both sides of the church must be experienced in person. Pictures just don’t do it justice; in fact, the light streaming in often creates a glare that doesn’t capture the full effect in a photo. Attending Mass in this cathedral elevates the soul. Just like Trinity Church, it helps me to focus on things not of this world, and to prayerfully reflect on the generations who came before me who created these beautiful worship spaces for generations after them to enjoy.