Monday, March 26, 2007

Dwarfed


St Stephens Uniting Church on Macquarie Street, or religion dwarfed by big business! It claims to be "the Uniting Church’s Flagship for intelligent, traditional Christian worship" and offers a oasis of peace in the heart of the bustling CBD. I discovered from their website that they have a programme of free Friday afternoon concerts; I'd love to go. Missed last week's, must put the next one in my agenda; I'd have to extend my lunchtime a bit... See beautiful inside shots here.

L'église de St Stephens, ou le pouvoir spirituel écrasé par le pouvoir temporel ! Située sur Macquarie Street, elle se veut "la paroisse des anglicans traditionnels intelligents" et propose une oasis de calme et de paix au coeur du centre ville. J'ai découvert en consultant leur site internet qu'ils ont des concerts gratuits le vendredi à 13h15 auxquels je ne suis jamais allée, mais qui me font bien envie. J'ai raté celui de vendredi dernier, noter le prochain dans mon agenda... en tirant un peu sur mon heure de déjeuner, ça devrait passer. De belles photos de l'intérieur ici.


24 comments:

Gaëlle said...

Excellent le contraste entre cette vieille église et les bâtiments vitrés autour.
A Birmingham (UK) où j'ai habité pdt un moment, il y a une juxtaposition de ce genre aussi. Une église très ancienne et un centre commercial tout en verre et métal juste à côté.

Bobby D. said...

This blog is filled with great pics!

kuanyin333 said...

I like the story this photo tells of the old and the new. Great shot!

Pod said...

peut-etre we can go together sometime??

Cergie said...

L'église st Stephen... Etienne le prénom de mon père que j'ai donné à l'aîné de mes fils... Stephen, Stephane en alsacien. Esteban en espagnol. Un prénom peu donné et pourtant autrefois si prégnant (la cathédrale de vienne en autriche, celle de limoges, de toul etc...)

Les concerts gratuits sont une bénédiction pour les personnes peu fortunées telles que les jeunes ou les chômeurs ou... les mères de famille ayant élevé leurs enfants

Le musée Pissaro de Pontoise est gratuit aussi, j'y suis allée avec ma cousine Michèle...

edwin s said...

Religion IS a big business nowadays. I think this shot is a perfect representation of that.

So, you going on a date with Poddy this Friday? Do tell me all about it.

Kerry-Anne said...

Amazing - I think I have almost exactly the same shot on a DVD somewhere; I took it on my trip to Sydney in 2004. Will have to dig it out and check. We were in a bit of a hurry that day (our last day in the city), so I didn't pay attention to what building I was actually photographing, but I know it was an old building between two modern buildings, and I shot it from the same perspective (and I think it was on Macquarie Street) - I guess great minds think alike. :)

Kate said...

Natalie, I wonder what the acoustics are like. Take some photos of the musicians when you attend and tell us about it. It is indeed a massive structure, and thanks for the link so that we could see the inside. I'll think of you Friday as you are enjoying the concert.

Olivier said...

superbe perspective et merci pour le lien des photos de l'interieures, tres belles.


superb prospect and thank you for the bond for the photographs interior, the very beautiful ones.

Anonymous said...

A beauty, Nathalie, and the story is good too. You have an eye for beautiful things that all seem to fit, perfectly, your Frenchness. I like it all. Old and New. Where you are now and where you were then. It is all of us.
720 pixels

M.Benaut said...

It is a shame to see lovely old buildings being dwarfed by glazed structures, even though the building to the right is a Sir Norman Foster building.
He was the Architect who designed Le Viaduc Millau, which is, I think, one of the World's must-see land marks of the 21st century.
Merci de nous guider à la Macquarie Street.

angela said...

Great contrasts. You really look at places from all directions. I would have missed that, i'm sure.
Angela

Anonymous said...

Concert + Free Oh I sure hope it is good and that you enjoy yourself.

Alex said...

L'acoustique doit y être aussi excellente. Une bonne occasion d'aller écouter des concerts (en plus gratuits!) le dimanche après-midi, dans une atmosphere sereine.

Anonymous said...

My nephew's partner plays organ at one of the Anglican churches in Sydney, but it must not be this one, as he's not listed on the staff. Beautiful church! Those concerts sound nice. Wish I could tag along.

photowannabe said...

Interesting angle for the shot. Free concerts sounds like a great thing to do.
Have a great week.

Maxime said...

Le contraste est intéressant, et pas si déplaisant du point de vue architectural - pourvu que ça se passe en Australie (je n'imagine pas notre-Dame flanquée des tours de la Défense).

Anonymous said...

Very interesting and well spotted viewpoint. It looks like the new buildings are actually grafted onto the old one, and that it's supporting them

Gregory Sey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gregory Sey said...

Tu nous feras écouter un enregistrement?

Anonymous said...

An Anglicam Church making claims re the Uniting Church? Is there a takeover in the wings?

Nathalie H.D. said...

My apologies Norman for this confusion between Uniting and Anglican, which I have now corrected, thanks for pointing it out to me.

Having said that, I have no idea what the difference is between the two. Any enlightment?

Anonymous said...

My nephew's partner is music director at St Peter's Cremorne Anglican, BTW. :) Ever seen that church?

Anonymous said...

Nathalie, I don't think you'll find much enligjtenment in either; but Anglican is the Church once more commonly referred to as the Church of England, while Uniting is the name given to Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational churches which united some thirty years ago to make a sizeable block, and [unintentionally] give up much of their previous religious and former demanding analysis of social issues.

They're now well embedded amomg the Tooth Fairy Brigade. But I perhaps shouldn't say that?