Now that inspections of the NationalWashington Monument and National Cathedral for earthquake damage have completed, it was only a matter of time before any numbers came out regarding the cost of repairs. During a post-tour press conference outside the National Cathedral Thursday, Mayor Vincent Gray told reporters that he would ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency for $22 million in federal funds for various repair projects. more ›

If you're an aspiring shutterbug with some time on your hands this morning, you might want to make your way over to the National Cathedral -- crews are currently removing a portion of the building's pinnacle which was damaged by the earthquake on August 23. more ›

After a damaging few days -- including the toppling of a repair crane that damaged buildings yesterday afternoon -- the National Cathedral announced this morning that various September 11 remembrances, including a speech by President Barack Obama, would be moved to the Kennedy Center. more ›

Broken finial or not, when you're the National Cathedral and the President of the United States wants to deliver an address marking the tenth anniversary of one of the worst days in the country's history at your pulpit, you make it work. more ›

It appears that one of the most high-profile casualties from today's earthquake could be the National Cathedral's stone finials. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Here’s your roundup of failed debt-reduction talks, D.C. corruption, tsunami waves, sports, lobbying and a vainglorious farewell. more ›

The National Cathedral's 2010 Blessing of the Animals escaped the threat of rain Sunday afternoon, garnering a large crowd of local pet owners and their charges. The ceremony officially welcomed Carmina (pictured above), the new Cathedral cat adopted from the Washington Humane Society (WHS) by the Cathedral Choral Society. After the service, a half-dozen Cathedral clergy diligently administered individual blessings on dogs, cats, birds, fish and even guinea pigs. While the humans were universally delighted by the blessings, pet reactions to being sprinkled with water ranged from curiosity to bemusement to outright disdain and occasional dread. more ›

President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at the funeral of civil rights and feminist icon Dorothy Height at the National Cathedral this morning. It was a moving tribute -- not surprising considering the remembrance of such an extraordinary, meaningful and long life was delivered by a man who is known for being rather good at giving speeches. more ›

Via the Post's Hamil Harris, funeral services for civil rights icon Dorothy Height will take place 10 a.m. Thursday at Washington National Cathedral. There are also a number of other memorials and celebrations of Height's life planned throughout next week. more ›

Swiss lighting artist Gerry Hofstetter brought his work to Washington National Cathedral over the weekend, as part of a celebration of the Cathedral’s centennial. Hofstetter projected his incredible artwork across the Cathedral for a piece titled Lighting to Unite. There were so many amazing captures of this event in our Flickr pool this morning, we just had to share them with you. Did you make it up to the Cathedral to see it for yourself? more ›

Vespers (Evensong) is a venerable and living tradition in the Episcopalian church, and that is the background of this new oratorio, which follows the basic outline of the service in the Book of Common Prayer. The scriptural reading that provides the basis of Evensong is taken from the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John. Argento focuses on the sick and infirm crowds huddled around the pool of Bethsaida (Bethesda), waiting for the miraculous cure associated with that place in Jerusalem. According to a legend, an angel would descend to the place and stir up the water, after which the first person to step into the water would be healed. The hope of a miraculous cure for a terminal illness is what appealed to Argento, according to his note in the program (Argento's wife spent her final days in a Bethesda Rehabilitation Center in Minnesota). more ›

The White House Christmas Tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday Nov. Dec. 6, at 5 p.m., which means without a doubt, if you can avoid driving your car in the city, you really should. The annual ceremony always screws up downtown traffic in an extreme way. Add the leftover snow and ice on the ground into the mix, and we can promise you a traffic clusterf*** of epic proportions tomorrow evening. If you'd... more ›

After yesterday's preview of the endless list of holiday concerts in the area in December, it is time to discuss the piece that must not be named, Georg Friedrich Händel's Messiah (1742). Yes, it is a masterpiece of music history, but the lamentable annual round of weary performances at Christmas time (in spite of the fact that Messiah is an Easter work), makes me want to run screaming for anything else this time of... more ›

Anyone wishing to pay their respects to former D.C. First Lady Effi Barry, who died from complications related to leukemia last week, can stop by the Wilson Building today, where her body is lying in repose. Viewing began at 10 a.m. and goes until midnight tonight, and will also occur on Friday morning from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. If you plan to go late tonight, remember that Metro will be running until 2 a.m.... more ›

>> 7,000 fire hydrants down, 2,500 left to go. [WaPo] >> The Chung family of Custom Cleaners is now officially seeking $82,907.50 from Roy Pearson to pay their lawyers' fees in the $54 million pants lawsuit. [WTOP] >> A coyote was spotted near the National Cathedral. Keep your roadrunners and Acme TNT locked up tight. [Free Ride] >> A doorman's manifesto. [craigslist] Photo by erin*carly... more ›

>> Local group Ocio brings its repertoire of classic jazz standards to Twins Jazz tonight. Call (202) 234-0072 for cover information. >> It might be a bit of a drive for those of us who live in D.C., but Jeff Antoniuk and the Jazz Update, a stellar band comprised of saxophonist Antoniuk, bassist Tom Baldwin, pianist Wade Beach, and drummer Tony Martucci, plays tonight at 49 West in Annapolis. Their album, Here Today, has charted... more ›

Everyone needs a vacation, even musicians, and the summer is quite naturally a time that the classical music world slows down. So this is it for your Classical Music Agenda, until August. This week's installment will be a little longer than normal, because there are several interesting things happening over the next couple months. If you want to hear some music this summer, you can, and here's where. HEADLINES: >> The most important classical music... more ›

Here they come, photos from the fleeting moment in D.C. where the flowers begin to bloom and are gone before you know it. Flickr user e.teel took this photo of an interesting flower outside the National Cathedral and its pollinating companion. Go out and enjoy them now before they all wilt under the smothering heat of summer.
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It's that time of the year again, when every choral group in the city has a Lenten concert, an Easter concert, or a Holy Week concert. We start this week with some of the best ones for the upcoming week. PREACHING FROM THE CHOIR: >> When the first concert on the list requires a trip to Baltimore, you know that it is going to be good. The Tallis Scholars, one of the best choral groups... more ›

Caroline Bartman knows her scientists. And her pop culture references. And her U.S. presidents. And her signs of the Zodiac. more ›

What would D.C. look like if Congress took away the restrictions on building height? We’ve pondered this question before, and so have a lot of others. It’s one of the favorite parlor games of D.C.’s professional (and amateur) urban planners. The subject arose again in yesterday’s Post, when business columnist Dana Hedgpeth noted the recent comments of a land use expert questioning the wisdom and necessity of D.C.'s height limit. The expert cautioned that the... more ›

Those of us stuck in quiet offices this week, staring blankly at wall clocks with increasing despair, have finally arrived at the Friday before New Year's weekend. Currently DCist is taking over/under bets on the median time of departure from work today (especially for you lucky duck Federal employees who've got Tuesday off). How late will you last? 4 p.m.? 3? Just not bother to come back from lunch? We have to admit the option... more ›

Ramsey's Legacy Pondered: The Post has a front page story this morning mulling over exactly how outgoing Police Chief Ramsey will be remembered as he leaves his post. Often criticized for emphasizing public relations and merely reacting to crime issues instead of thinking ahead, but undeniably praised for bringing order to a corrupt department and out-of-control crime situation, council member Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) probably assessed Ramsey's overall performance most accurately: "very mixed." Ford's... more ›

The Associated Press has the early word on scheduling for President Gerald Ford's state funeral and public viewing, though they have yet to be approved by the Ford family and therefore are not final. Officials were preparing tentative plans for President Gerald Ford's body to lie in state this weekend and expected a funeral service after New Year's at National Cathedral capping days of mourning in the capital. U.S. Capitol Police officers said they were... more ›