The Royal Wedding- The best bits

I was away from home for the Royal Wedding on April 29th and haven't, until now, felt the need to remark on it. The whole event, apart from being a celebration of the wedding itself, an occasion that lifted the mood of the whole nation, I am compelled to mention two scenes that caught my attention for different reasons.

In recent years, the country has been riven over the question of immigration and the need to integrate the newcomers more into British society; to make them more aware of British history and culture, thereby allowing them to better enjoy what the country offers. One of the institutions that gives the country some identity is the Monarchy. Spearheaded by the Queen, who has reigned with great dignity and majesty, the Royal Family has been a source of great joy and inspiration to huge numbers of citizens who understand the pivotal role it plays in the constitution of the United Kingdom. It was therefore so nice to see on television a group of Phillipino women, waving their Union Jacks and messages of goodwill to the Royal Couple. It was if in embracing the occasion, they were also embracing the shared joy the majority of the population have in the Royal Family. How much better than those who took the opportunity to chant treacherous slogans, decrying everything the West stands for and backing the creation of an Islamic republic.

The second moment was a few minutes of  pure joy when the heart was uplifted to a level of such great emotion it brought tears to my eyes. I talk of the few minutes when art brought to the occasion a dimension that was both spiritual and beautiful. The televisual pictures and music that captured the procession of the bride, on her father's arm, to the alter for her marriage to the Prince William, did just that.
If the pictures, in full colour, brought to the world's attention, the scenes of that triumph, it was the anthem of Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry,  choreographed with typical British mitary precision, 'I Was Glad', that transported one to a paradisiacal plane. I could watch it time and time again as one of the most beautiful moments I can ever remember. Particularly spectacular was the finale with the crescendo and roof top shots-pure magic.
Congratulations to the Choirs of the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey.

Watch it again at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Nh9y7Igio