Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Gloucester Part 5

25. Clarion 4ft.

CHOIR ORGAN.

CC to A, 58 Notes.

26. Stopped Diapason 8ft.

27. Dulciana 8ft.

28. Flute 4ft.

29. Clarionet 8ft.

30. Cor Anglais++ 8ft.

SOLO ORGAN.$ CC to A, 58 Notes.

31. Flute 8ft.

32. Clarionet 8ft.

33. Oboe Orchestral 8ft.

34. Tuba Mirabilis 8ft.

PEDAL CCC to F, 30 Notes.

35. Open Diapason 16ft.

36. Bourdon 16ft.

37. Ophicleide++ 16ft.

38. Octave++ 8ft.

COUPLERS.

39. Choir to Pedals.

40. Great to Pedals.

41. Swell to Pedals.

42. Solo to Pedals.++ 43. Choir to Great.

44. Swell to Great.

45. Solo to Great.++

* Stops so marked are by Harris, 1660. + The swell organ was added by Willis in 1847.

++ Stops so marked were added in 1898.

$ The whole of the solo organ was added by Willis in 1898.

@ Up to within the last fifteen years there was but one stop on the pedal organ.

The #Choir#, of the beauty of which but little idea can be obtained from the nave, is entered by visitors, as a rule, from the north aisle of the choir. Its dimensions are--Length, 140 feet; breadth, 33 feet 7 inches; height, 86 feet; east window, 38 feet wide and 72 feet in height.

It dates back to the years 1337-1377--that is, the abbacies of Adam de Staunton and Thomas Horton, in whose time so much was done to alter the character of the building.

Looking upwards the visitor will note the beauty of the vaulting and the bosses placed at the intersection of the ribs. These bosses at the east end of the choir chiefly represent a choir of angels playing on various kinds of musical instruments, and a figure of Our Lord in the att.i.tude of blessing. All the roof was originally probably painted and decorated, but the existing colour and gilding is recent work, having been done by Clayton & Bell. At first sight the groining of the roof looks most complicated, but, if a.n.a.lysed and dotted down on paper, it will be seen to be in reality a simple geometrical pattern. The bosses will repay careful examination with a gla.s.s.

Viewed from the door in the screen, the choir looks in very truth a piece of Perpendicular work, as the Norman substructure is then for the most part concealed. A closer examination, however, will prove that the Norman work is all there--that it has been veiled over with tracery from the floor level to the vaulting with open screen-work, fixed on to the Norman masonry, which was pared down to receive it. (_Vide_ page 52.)

Professor Willis points out that "in all cathedrals ... a screen, about the height of the present altar-screen, separated the choir from the side-aisles and transepts; but in this cathedral the screen is carried to the roof, and the result is a beautiful, if not unique choir. This screen of tracery, which formed the sides, was, below the clerestory, merely plastered on to the Norman wall; or the original Norman columns had been chipped down till they harmonised with the general design."

Professor Freeman, in writing of this casing work, said, "Paid for by the offerings at Edward II. shrine, ... to that abnormal worship the abbey of Gloucester owed its present form. I am half inclined to put it the other way, and to make it a new count in the articles of deposition against the unworthy king that this misguided devotion has cost us the minster of Serlo in its perfect form, and hinders us from studying the contrast which we should otherwise have been able to mark between its eastern and its western limb."

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHOIR, LOOKING EAST.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLAN OF TRIFORIUM OF THE CHOIR.

From a Drawing by F. S. Waller, F.R.I.B.A.]

We, however, have nothing to do with the question of the merits or demerits of Edward II. The beauty of the casing work compels our admiration. If we want to get an idea of what the choir would have been without the Perpendicular casing we must go to Norwich, and inspect the uncased work in the choir that is there, or else to Tewkesbury.[3]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plan of Feretory (High Altar) as laid bare when the new Reredos was erected in 1873. The site of the old Norman Piers could be as distinctly as in this sketch.

From a Drawing by F. S. Waller, F.R.I.B.A.]

There is nothing left to prove the original height of the choir, though much of the old stonework has been re-used in the clerestory windows, a practice, as before stated, common throughout the cathedral, the Norman piers and arch-mouldings having in many cases been turned into four-centred arches, and Norman capitals into bases. The casing of the old Norman work with the new by Staunton and Horton is very ingeniously managed, and attention should be given to a feature resulting from the treatment of the ribs of the vaulting, which are very cleverly provided for in the centre of the tower arches. The ribs are apparently supported by a light arch thrown across the lower arches. Something of this sort was necessary, as the only alternative would have been to alter the springing of the vaulting-ribs. These light arches are very graceful and are best seen from the transepts or else from the triforium of the choir. Another feature worth noticing in the tower arches is the way that the two Norman columns are run into one capital at about the level of the arch.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Sketch of old Norman Choir showing how it was cased by Abbot Staunton 1337-1351.

From a Drawing by F. S. Waller, F.R.I.B.A.]

Turning eastwards we next are struck by the loveliness of the #East Window# of the choir. It has a curious architectural effect, for it is actually 5 feet wider than the walls which seem to be its two boundaries. The architect took down the Norman east end, raised the roof, and has given us a window with lace-like tracery. Though it has suffered much mutilation, it has suffered but little from eager restorers, and it is possible to get some idea of its original splendour. It is larger than the East Window at York Minster, being 72 by 38 feet; York being but 78 by 33. Both are beautiful, and one wishes that windows of such beauty could be got now at the original price paid--138--a large sum for those days, but a sum which; making allowance for the changed value of money, would represent about 2000 of our money.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CHOIR. LOOKING WEST.]

In 1862 the stonework of the window was in a very unsafe condition, and about 1400 was spent on restoring it. At the same time, acting on Mr Winston's advice, the Dean and Chapter had the gla.s.s thoroughly cleaned and releaded.

Owing to Mr Winston's supervision the gla.s.s was not restored.

The window, which corresponds admirably with the casing of the choir and the clerestory windows, consists of fourteen lights altogether, six forming the centre, with four on either side. "It is worthy of remark that the tracery, heads, and cusps, as seen from the inside of this window, are not repeated on the outside, a plain transom only crossing the lights. This peculiarity is repeated also in the great west window, and in many other windows in the cathedral." (F. S. W.)

The window represents the coronation of the Virgin Mary, together with Christ, the Apostles, and various saints and kings. All the canopies, and nearly all the figures are composed of white gla.s.s enriched with yellow.

Mr Winston's description of the window will be found in the _Archaeological Journal_, vol. xx.

The heraldic shields give a clue to the date of the window, and Mr Winston thinks that it may have been erected by Thomas, Lord Bradeston, to the memory of Sir Maurice Berkeley, who was killed at the siege of Calais, and to commemorate the glories of the campaign in France, which culminated with the Battle of Crecy. The date, therefore, of the original gla.s.s would be between 1347 and 1350.

Mr Winston further says that "It would be impossible to meet with white gla.s.s that could be more solid and silvery in effect. The red is beautifully varied, and is most luminous, even in its deepest parts, and the tone of the blue can hardly be surpa.s.sed." Of the general design, he says that although, "through the size and simplicity of its parts, it is calculated to produce a good effect at a distance; the figures are ill-drawn, ungraceful, and insipid. The shading, though sufficient, both in depth and quant.i.ty, if handled with skill, to have produced a due effect of relief--an effect which obviously has been aimed at--is so inartificially employed as to be useful only so far as it serves to impart tone and richness to the composition, and by contrast to increase its brilliancy."

The effect of the choir as a whole, when glazed with its original painted gla.s.s, must have been superb. We may be certain that the gla.s.s was the best that could be obtained, for the abbey was wealthy, and gla.s.s-painting was then a living art. Gla.s.s was made at Gloucester, as is shown by the glaziers being numbered among the trade companies and guilds of Gloucester, but there is nothing definite to be said as to the place of origin of the old gla.s.s in the cathedral.

Below is the #Reredos#, designed by Sir G. G. Scott, presented by the Treasurer of the Province. It consists of three princ.i.p.al compartments, in which are groups of figures (sculptured by Redfern) intended to represent the Birth, Burial, and Ascension of Christ. The smaller figures in the niches are Moses and David and St. Peter and St. Paul.

Above are nine angels, bearing the various emblems of our Lord's Pa.s.sion. This reredos was unveiled with much pomp and ceremony in 1873, and recently has been profusely gilded.

The commonplace and heavy-topped gas standards mar the effect, such as it is, of the ornate work of the reredos.

Of Abbot Horton's reredos, which was destroyed at the Reformation, only fragments remain. They have been very carefully preserved in the triforium, where an enclosure has been made by placing an old oak screen across one of the Chapels. In this museum most valuable remains have been stored, under Mr Waller's keeping, for many years.

Dean Chetwood, in 1710, erected a wooden reredos containing much good carving. Portions of this remain in the south-east chapel in the triforium of the choir, having been brought back from the parish church at Cheltenham, whither they had been removed in 1807.

Sir Robert Smirke in 1807 put up work which consisted chiefly of panelling, which was affixed to the easternmost wall of the feretory.

This was removed in 1873.