A city or a town?

In England, what is the difference between a town and a city? Answer: a city has a cathedral and a town or village does not.  Hence, Oxford is a city and Cambridge is a town, even though Kings Chapel in Cambridge is much larger than Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral. 

(Stock Photo)   At the heart and center of Oxford is Christ Church Cathedral, which dates from the 12th Century. It is the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. 

(Stock Photo)  Christ Church cathedral has the distinction of having a world-renowned choir since 1526.  Every year the choir performs a Christmas concert.  We’ve been able to attend twice now.  The music, the readings, and the atmosphere are all stunning.  It is a treat to hear the choir anytime (we’ve been to many Evensongs) but the Christmas concert is especially enchanting.

I wasn’t able to take many photos, and those I did where without a flash.  Sadly, I haven’t been able to capture the ambiance.  

To hear a song from the choir, here’s a link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_9we_OWvZc

Christ Church Cathedral is often claimed to be the smallest cathedral in England, and although it did once hold this distinction there are now smaller cathedrals, as several parish churches were elevated to cathedral status in the 20th century.