Queen's Jubilee

Britannia Rules
The English Beat

(Paine Proffitt - For The Washington Post)

By Martha Hopkins
Friday, May 31, 2002; Page WE29

"All places, all airs make unto me one country; I am in England, everywhere and under any meridian." -- Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682) physician, philosopher and author
Right now, our British friends across the pond are enjoying a four-day Jubilee Weekend in honor of the 50th anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The celebrations culminate on Tuesday, when Her Majesty attends a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral, drops in on festivities at London's Mall and makes a ceremonial appearance on Buckingham Palace's balcony. Any true Anglophile would love to be there, but what if you don't have the money for a last-minute trip to London, or your mean, nasty boss has virtually chained you to your desk? Fortunately, you don't have to leave Washington to celebrate the queen's jubilee or to enjoy a dose of British culture. Locally there are enough British connections to keep American-born Anglophiles and homesick Brits busy over Jubilee Weekend and beyond.
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As an Anglican (Episcopal) church, the cathedral hosts activities mirroring those at its British counterparts. On Sundays, English change bell-ringing is performed by a group based at the Old Post Office. "Bell ringing is the poetry of steeples," said Shakespeare contemporary and playwright Ben Johnson. English change bell-ringing, a complex mathematical art form based on ringing tuned bells in such a way as to ring all possible permutations, can also be heard in the vicinity of the tower of the Old Post Office building at the corner of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, during practice sessions. The Old Post Office tower bells are identical to the ones at Westminister Abbey, having the same tones, pitch and weight, and being cast by the same foundry, which also made the Liberty Bell. They were a Bicentennial gift to Congress from Britain's Ditchley Foundation. The bells are rung on federal holidays and other special occasions, such as the recent funeral of the Queen Mother, and a ringing in honor of the Golden Jubilee is planned, but no date has been set. Practice sessions are on Thursdays between 7 and 9 p.m.