Worcester Cathedral - Part Three

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia,
unless otherwise stated.

The High Altar, Worcester Cathedral.

Author: Mattana

January 2008. 

(Wikimedia Commons)

The East End was re-built over the Norman Crypt by Alexander Mason between 1224 and 1269, coinciding with, and in a very similar Early English style to, Salisbury Cathedral. From 1360, John Clyve finished off the Nave, built its Vault, the West Front, the North Porch and the Eastern Range of the Cloister.

He also strengthened the Norman Chapter House, added Buttresses and changed its Vault. His masterpiece is the Central Tower of 1374, originally supporting a timber, lead-covered Spire, now gone. Between 1404 and 1432, an unknown architect added the North and South Ranges to the Cloister, which was eventually closed by the Western Range by John Chapman, 1435–38. The last important addition is Prince Arthur’s Chantry Chapel to the right of the South Choir Aisle, 1502–04.

Worcester Cathedral was extensively restored from 1857 to 1874 by W. A. Perkins and Sir George Gilbert Scott. Most of the fittings and the stained glass date from this time.

Exterior statuary at Worcester Cathedral.

Author: Mattana

January 2008.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Misericords

Thirty-Nine of the Misericords date from 1379 and include a complete set of the Labours of the Months. The subject matter includes biblical stories, mythology and folklore. Three of the misericords are Victorian replacements, such as N-02, Judas in the jaws of Satan.

Bells

The Tower has a ring of twelve bells, plus three semitone bells and a non-swinging bourdon. The current peal of 15 ringing bells were cast in 1928 by John Taylor & Co., of Loughborough, from the metal of the original ring, cast in 1869. The ring is the fifth-heaviest ring of twelve in the world, only the bells in the Cathedrals of Liverpool, Exeter, York and St Paul's, London are heavier. The bells are also considered to be one of the finest-toned rings ever cast. The bells hang in a wooden frame that was constructed in 1869 for the previous ring. Worcester Cathedral is unique in having a purpose-built teaching centre equipped with eight special training bells, linked to computers.

Worcester Cathedral has three choirs: the Worcester Cathedral Choir (the main Choir which has both a boys' and a girls' treble line, which normally work independently); Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir, and the Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Choir.

Two views of the Gothic Nave.

Author: Mattana

January 2008.

(Wikimedia Commons)

All three Choirs were involved in the BBC broadcast of the Midnight and Christmas Morning Services in 2007, with the boys and the girls of the Cathedral Choir, respectively, taking the lead in the two services. Since the 18th-Century, Worcester Cathedral Choir has taken part in the Three Choirs Festival, the oldest music festival in the world.

The composer, Edward Elgar, spent most of his life in Worcestershire. The first performance of the revised version of his Enigma Variations - the version usually performed - took place at the Cathedral during the 1899 Three Choirs Festival. He is commemorated in a stained glass window, which contains his portrait.

Worcester Cathedral has a long history of organs, dating back to at least 1417. There have been many re-builds and new organs in the intervening period, including work by Thomas Dallam, William Hill and most famously Robert Hope-Jones in 1896. The Hope Jones organ was heavily re-built in 1925 by Harrison & Harrison, and then regular minor works kept it in working order until Wood Wordsworth and Co were called in 1978. It was a large four-manual organ with 61 speaking stops. It had a large Gothic Revival case with heavily decorated front pipes as well as two smaller cases either side of the quire.

Gothic Triforium and Clerestory.

Author: Mattana

January 2008.

(Wikimedia Commons)

This organ (apart from the large transept case and pedal pipes) was removed in 2006 in order to make way for a new instrument by Kenneth Tickell, which was completed in the summer of 2008. The Nave has a three-manual Rodgers organ.

Worcester Cathedral. 

View of the Tower from the South-East. 

Author: Philip Halling.

August 2005.

Wikimedia Commons.

Notable organists at Worcester have included Thomas Tomkins (from 1596), Hugh Blair (from 1895), Ivor Atkins (from 1897) and David Willcocks (from 1950). The present organist (from 2012) is Dr Peter Nardone.

Worcester Cathedral is the host of the annual graduation ceremonies for the University of Worcester. These ceremonies are presided over by the Chancellor of the University, and take place over three days in November.


THIS CONCLUDES THE ARTICLE ON WORCESTER CATHEDRAL.