SHORT TAKES : Creations at Henson Memorial

Fozzy Bear, Gonzo and Oscar the Grouch went to St. Paul’s Cathedral in London today for a memorial service for Jim Henson, the American creator of the Muppets who died in New York in May.

But Kermit the Frog, whose voice was that of the puppet master himself, was not there.

Instead, Big Bird, Henson’s 7-foot-high creation from “Sesame Street,” walked past the choir in the 17th-Century cathedral and sang Kermit’s Green Song. It was followed by a recording of Henson singing Kermit’s Rainbow Connection.

Henson’s widow, Jane, and four of their five children were present at the service along with 2,000 members of Henson’s British “creative family.”

The family had asked that nobody should wear black because they wanted the service to be a joyful thanksgiving for the life of Henson, who died of pneumonia at the age of 53.