St Edward's 150 Years - by Nicola Hunter

St Edward’s: 150 Years

Chapter 4 / The Chapel

STAINED GLASS

The chancel, as required by the Oxford Movement, was particularly richly decorated and had a carved figure of Moses on the south side and St John the Evangelist on the north. Only ordained masters read the lessons until Warden Hobson’s time, when a rota of all masters and prefects was begun. window was dedicated in the year of our salvation 1890.’ 4th on the left, Unction : ‘To the praise of the Lord who with the oil of gladness maketh whole the contrite and in memory of Thomas Alexander Roberts, publisher in the City of London, on October 7th, 1888 this window was dedicated.’ Centre Window The Crucifixion : ‘In honour of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of GloryWho hath endowed His Spouse the Church with sevenfold gifts of grace, the pupils of this school had this window placed in the year of our salvation 1885.’ South Ist on the right, Holy Baptism :‘Inpraise of theMost HolyTrinity and in memory of William Bates who died on the 14th June 1882, his sorrowing father dedicates this window.’ 2nd on the right, Confirmation : ‘In praise of the Most Holy Trinity and inmemory ofWilliamBateswhodiedon the 14th June 1882, his sorrowing uncle dedicates this window.’ 3rd on the right, Marriage : ‘In praise of the mystery whereby Christ is revealedwithHis spouse theChurch, A.B. Simeonandhis wife Beatrice had this window placed on the 17th Jan. 1884.’ 4th on the right, Burial : ‘To the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ triumphant over deathand inmemoryof thepupils of this School who sleep in peace, this window is dedicated in the year 1884.’ North 1st on the left, Holy Communion : ‘To the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ ever to be adored in themystery of themost holy Eucharist, Frederick Augustus Douglas Noel dedicated this window in 1882.’ 2nd on the left, Holy Orders : ‘To the greater glory of God who hath preserved our QueenVictoria for sixty years in safety on the throne, we place this window in the year of our salvation 1897.’ 3rd on the left, Penance : ‘In honour of the precious blood of JesusChristwhichcleanseththesoulsofsinnersandinmemoryof Cecil Parker andWilfred PagetWilkinson who sleep in peace, this

Far left: The Chapel in 1895. Left:Hymnbooksandencaustictiles. Below: Chapel extension, 1931.

in the choir). These canopied seats were removed in 1936. The choir faced each other in the chancel with the trebles (eight each side) in the front, with no support for their hymnals, the altos in the second row (two on each side), and the tenors and basses next on each side, including masters. The back row was for probationers, referred to as ‘the baby choir’. Boys would sit in School order, with the lowest form furthest forward, going back to the prefects, and behind them, to the west side, was a space for domestic staff ‘neatly gloved and bonneted’ (H.S. Rogers, OSE, Architect) on Sundays. The Warden’s family would sit in the chairs next to the Warden and the masters occupied the back row on the north side. The two sacristans sat in special seats in front of the main congregation. Lighting was ‘by a multitude of naked gas jets’ (H.S. Rogers) which emitted heat and fumes as well as light, so that fainting was a common occurrence amongst the congregation. In 1905 incandescent burners replaced the naked jets, and in 1924 electric lights were fitted in the Chapel. The altar was the particular focus of much hostile criticism from outside the School, as it was raised high and reached by five steep steps as well as being furnished with typical Oxford Movement brass church fittings, including six huge, brass candlesticks. The Crucifix, in the centre, had come from New Inn Hall Street.

Services on Sundays included voluntary Holy Communion, Matins at 11am and Evensong at 7 or 7.30pm; Litany was said after Matins and had to be attended by those boys who had not been to communion. On weekdays the ‘Office of Prime’ was sung between early Prep and breakfast, lasting about 15 minutes. On specific Saints’ Days there was a celebration of Holy Communion during Prep before breakfast in addition to Prime, and there would also be Evensong. During Holy Week there would naturally be extra services and elaborate vestments would be worn. On Saturdays, Sundays and Saints’ Days, the whole School wore surplices which were loose, unbuttoned and open fronted; the masters not in the choir wore surplices which were buttoned and hooded. On Sundays for both Matins and Evensong the choir wore cassocks and surplices. Simeon and the other clerical masters wore cassocks, surplices and hoods in Chapel, and if they gave a sermon they would wear a stole. Warden Hobson cut back considerably on this rigorous regime during his time. When Ferguson, who was both a composer and accomplished musician, became Warden, a new era dawned for the Chapel and gifted choirmasters and organists aided him in making what had been somewhat sombre services more joyful. Given that Warden Ferguson was the most talented musician amongst our Wardens, it seems apt to discuss the various Chapel organs at this stage. The first organ was installed in 1877 in a special loft at the back of the Chapel, over the entrance; it had extra stops added in 1883 and 1889. With a final addition in 1908 it lasted for 40 years, when it was replaced by a Compton electric organ, installed on the north side next to the choir stalls, allowing the former organ loft to be used for seating. In 1987 a new organ was installed in the loft, designed by Deane Organ Builders of Taunton and formerly in Magdalen College Chapel, Oxford; Magdalen gave it to St Edward’s when the College installed a new instrument.

the Oxford Journal referred to the event as ‘a partisan function appealing to the dilettanti ecclesiologists’. The critics were certainly wrong if they thought that Simeon was in any sense a dilettante in his relationship with the Oxford Movement. Ecclesiastical feelings ran high and the vicar of St Michael and All Angels, Summertown, wanted the Chapel under his direct control and disapproved. The Oxford Guardian did not like the Oxford Movement practices and thought that they ‘simply plagiarised Rome’. The Chapel bells were rung for the first time for Evensong on 1 March 1879; they were the work of John Taylor & Sons of Loughborough, costing just under £280 and with a joint weight of around 23cwt. The clock mechanism was connected to the bells and required adjustment on a weekly basis. Both the clock and the weather-vane were gilded: re-gilding was carried out in 2012 by a team of three with a huge cherry-picker in the Quad. Photographs in this chapter show the bird before and after gilding and the west-facing clock in all its restored glory. Before 1880 chairs for the congregation were arranged facing towards the aisle, but had been turned to face east by 1890. By 1914 the seating was arranged in rows of inter-linked rush- bottomed chairs in the nave, with four chairs on each side of the central aisle, and there were choir stalls with book-desks in front of each. On either side of the Chapel, next to the choir stalls, was an oak seat within a canopied stall which had previously been used in the Beauchamp Oratory, and before that in New Inn Hall Street. The one on the south side was for the Warden and on the opposite side sat the Senior Master (if he was not

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