Soundtrack from Simon Schama’s
“A History of Britain”,
which included King Henry II's reign.
Sung by Emma Kirkby (Soprano)
Music by John Harle.
Available on YouTube
Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.
It has been the home of the permanent institutions of England’s government, continuously since about 1200 (High Middle Ages’ Plantagenet) and is now the Seat of British government.
Westminster Abbey.
Photo: 26 May 2013.
Source: Own work.
Author: Σπάρτακος.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Westminster Abbey, formally titled “the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster”, is a large, mainly Gothic, Abbey Church in the City of Westminster, London, just to the West of the Palace of Westminster.
It is one of The United Kingdom’s most notable Religious buildings and the Traditional place of Coronation and Burial Site for English, and, later, British, Monarchs.
Between 1540 and 1556, the Abbey had the status of a Cathedral. Since 1560, however, the building is no longer an Abbey, nor a Cathedral, having instead the status of a Church of England “Royal Peculiar” — a Church responsible directly to the Sovereign. The building is the original Abbey Church.
According to a Tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, a Church was Founded at the site (then known as Thorn Ey (Thorn Island)) in the 7th-Century A.D. at the time of Mellitus, a Bishop of London. Construction of the present Church began in 1245, on the orders of King Henry III.
Canterbury Cathedral.
Site of the murder of Thomas à Becket.
Photo: 2006.
Source: http://www.wyrdlight.com
Author: Antony McCallum
Attribution: WyrdLight.com.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Since 1066, when Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror were Crowned, the Coronations of English and British Monarchs have been held there.
There have been at least sixteen Royal Weddings at the Abbey since 1100. Two were of Reigning Monarchs (Henry I and Richard II), although, before 1919, there had been none for some 500 years.
PART EIGHT FOLLOWS.
This has been another fascinating fact-filled armchair tour through this great quintessentially British (“and/or English”) sacred cathedral site, an architectural witness throughout to so much Catholic and post-Catholic Church of England history. Thank you, Zephyrinus! -Note by Dante P
ReplyDeleteNow, to the Westminster Abbey pipe organ, of course:
ReplyDeleteThe earliest Abbey organ was recorded in 1304, and illustrious legendary English organists like William Purcell and John Blow subsequently staffed the position.
A historical note of a significant pipe organ being placed on the rood screen at the central quire at the time of the coronation of K. George II in 1727;
This was replaced in 1848 by a larger instrument by William Hill & Co.
That organ was placed on the North and South sides of the Nave Screen where the Harrison and Harrison instrument now stands. In
preparation for the 1937 coronation of K. George VI, Harrison & Harrison installed the basic present-day instrument a massive 4-manual pipe organ with 82 speaking stops. The organist was Osborne Peasgood, who also played for the 1952 coronation of Elizabeth II. His ashes are interred in the Abbey.
(Part 1, cont.) Note by Dante P
(part II) The present organ has two organ cases, built originally for the William Hill organ in 1895 by the architect J.L. Pearson, but were stained to match the other wood in the sanctuary and reinstalled in 1959.
ReplyDeleteHowever the present instrument was greatly enlarged by Harrison & Harrison Ltd. in 1982, adding a 5th manual with heavy “bombarde” reeds and a commanding diapason chorus for major occasions when the church was quite full and the acoustic consequently reduced. It now has 110 stops and every conceivable English Cathedral organ sound. An amazing instrument worthy of a great church. The stoplist follows, and many examples of this great instrument are available on YouTube. (Note by Dante P)
https://pipeorganmap.com/organ/london-westminster-abbey-harrison-harrison
As always, we are most grateful to our Mediæval Liturgical Archeological and Choral Correspondent, Dante P, for this most eloquent contribution.
Delete