A COLLECTION OF CHURCHES & THEIR INTERIORS

 

These folks in their automobile appear to be nicely dressed so I wonder – are they early for church services, or, having mingled with others of the congregation after services, are they now on their way home?  Either way, the church behind them is very handsome – at least I’m assuming it’s a church?  Let’s go with that!

  St. Jerome Catholic Church on Carmel Ave. in El Cerrito, Calif. half a block up the street from where I grew up.

When I was a little girl my friends and I used to sit on the curb diagonally across from the church on Saturdays to watch the beautiful brides getting married here after which we’d go home and play “getting married”. J

Interior of St. Jerome Catholic Church

Years later I sang for a friend’s wedding in St. Jerome - not the one pictured here, but I can tell this photo was taken from the rear balcony because I sang from that balcony for her wedding.  Wonderful acoustics. .

Funny.  I never thought about it until now, but I never got to be a bridesmaid for either my good friends’ or relatives’ weddings because they always wanted me to sing for their weddings and I couldn’t do both, so ne’er a bridesmaid was I.  Shucks.

Northbrae Community Church in Berkeley, Calif. as it looked when my Aunt Ruth, and also my Mom & Dad were married – both in 1939.  Mom & Dad were married in June, Aunt Ruth & Uncle Charles that same year in December.  Ruth and my Dad were sister and brother.  The family was busy that year!

The church also looked like this when I was active in it from the time I was a little girl attending Sunday school until I was in my early teens and switched to a church closer to home attended by many of my school friends.  I believe it was in the late 1950s an 'A' frame addition was added behind the church in the photo which became the main worship room.

Inside Northbrae Community Church in 1939 the bride, my Aunt Ruth, poses with her sisters, my Aunt Frances, who was her Maid of Honor, on the left, and my Aunt Harriet on the right.  Harriet was married and back then it was considered inappropriate for a married woman to be in the wedding party. Too bad.  Today that wouldn’t matter to most.

A drawing of Northminster Presbyterian Church in El Cerrito, Calif. – the church I switched to from Northbrae. That dark blotch on the far left of the building is meant to represent a stained glass window. 

The interior of Northminster Presbyterian Church.  My husband and I were married here on July 27, 1968.

 “You may kiss the bride.”

J

Arlington Community Church in Kensington, Calif.

The interior of Arlington Community Church where my youngest sister was married in 1972 and I sang for her wedding. 

Sonora United Methodist Church where our youngest daughter was married in 1998.  Note the large cathedral window.

Her older sister and Maid of Honor preceded her down the aisle in front of a beautiful stained glass window that, unfortunately, didn’t show up well in this photograph.

The stained glass window in good light.  And yes, I sang for my daughter's wedding.  I also sang for my son's wedding two years earlier.

Shying away from weddings now, this is the United Methodist Church in Crescent City, Calif. which I attended when we lived in Gasquet, 18 miles northeast in the redwoods.  I drove those 18 miles twice a week to sing with the choir here – Thursday night rehearsals and Sunday morning performances.

Interior of Crescent City United Methodist Church with beautiful stained glass windows.

The Oakhurst Community Church.  We lived in Oakhurst from 1976 – 1981.  It is now the New United Methodist Church.  The exterior still looks very much the same, but the interior has changed!

Obviously, this photo was taken at Christmas time, hence the Christmas tree and manger scene.  But we didn’t have high mounted speakers or TV screens back when I was there.  The outlined alcove was the choir loft when I sang in the choir there.

The choir loft in Oakhurst Community Church in December 1979 – the church’s choir-plus in rehearsal for their upcoming presentation of Handel’s “Messiah”.  I’m in the 3rd row, 5th in from the right. 

The old Oakhurst Community Church founded and ran a thrift shop on the property and apparently the new church family continues to support it which I’m happy to see because it was and looks like it still is a great thrift shop with all kinds of good stuff.

Closer to home in Sonora, Calif. where I live now is the iconic “Red Church” sitting at the top of North Washington Street.

The interior of the “Red Church” aka St, James Episcopal Church.  I performed two solo concerts here.  The acoustics with that high ceiling are fantastic.

St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish Church in Sonora, Calif.

Interior of St. Patrick’s Church in Sonora features beautiful stained glass windows along the side walls.

North of Sonora in Columbia, Calif. is First Presbyterian Church of the 49ers.

Christmas Eve service in the First Presbyterian Church of the 49ers.

South of Sonora is the Gateway Community Church in Groveland, Calif.   This is the church where the Pine Cone Singers, of which I am a member, perform their spring and winter concerts.  I’ve sung many a choral number and solo in this church.  Actually, I’ve sung in choirs and/or soloed in all of the churches in this post.

Pine Cone Singers performing a Christmas concert in Gateway Community Church.  I’m in the first row, on the far left.

Groveland’s Gateway Community Church interior with the audience singing holiday carols led by the Pine Cone Singers during a sing-a-long portion of a winter concert. 

132 miles west of Sonora in San Francisco is a grand church I don’t think I ever knew the name of, unfortunately.  Several members of the Columbia College Community Chorus in Columbia, Calif. came here on a field trip in 1998 to sing in this marvelous place for fun and also, later, in San Francisco City Hall.

Columbia College Community Chorus members singing in the unnamed San Francisco church.  I’m in the 2nd row, 3rd in from the left.

Singing in San Francisco City Hall.

What a great day that was – singing in a beautiful old church and City Hall, having lunch together near Union Square, and strolling around Fisherman’s Wharf.  For me it was extra special because years prior I had worked in the city and crossed the Bay Bridge on a bus every work day so this trip had me revisiting a host of great memories.

:->

La Nightingail 

And for you choir or chorus members, here’s something to make you chuckle:

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