Sunday, 25th June, 2023

We were spoilt for choice of Services this morning. We opted for 11:00am Sung Eucharist at Southwark Cathedral. We arrived in plenty of time and sat in the second row. About 10 minutes before the service started, we were invited to take the bread and wine to the altar during the Offertory. We were very happy to oblige. We were very impressed by the friendliness of all the people with whom we came into contact and were made to feel very welcome.
The Choir sang Missa Brevis by Philip Moore (b.1943) and "Surely Thou Hast Tasted that the Lord is Good" by Bernard Rose (1916-1996). The organist played "Prelude, Fugue and Variation" by Cesar Franck (1822-1890) before the Service and the voluntary at the end was Toccata by Joseph Jongen (1873-1953). The music was all of an excellent standard and we both enjoyed our time at the cathedral very much. You can watch the whole Service on Youtube here. Our starring moment is at the 48 minute mark. I'm not sure how long the video will be "up".





Satoshi spotted the Cathedral cat "Hodge" almost as soon as we entered the building!



Looking from the west end



Looking east from the Nave Altar



The Harvard Chapel: John Harvard, who later endowed the prestigious Harvard University in Massachusetts, was born in Southwark in 1607 to Robert and Katherine Harvard. He was baptised in St Saviour's Church (now Southwark Cathedral) on 29 November 1607 and his father's signature is in the Cathedral register. The communion table with its fine twisted barley-sugar legs was given by Joyce, Lady Clerke in 1623. It was at one time the High Altar within the church.


The stained-glass window depicts the baptism of Christ and the coats of arms of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and Harvard University. The window was designed by John Le Farge, a colleague of acclaimed designer Louis Tiffany in 1905 and is thought to be the only example of his work in England.



Detail of above




The Augustus Pugin Tabernacle was produced for the 1851 Great Exhibition. This houses the reserved sacrament of bread and wine to be taken by the sick and dying.


Detail of above



The High Altar and carved screen. The original was installed in 1520 but most of the detail is from later periods.






The Bishop's Throne



Detail of above



The Lectern




Satan is under control!


Looking west from the Nave Altar



Looking up into the tower



The Ceiling of the Nave



One of the Chapels



St George and the Dragon




Another Chapel






A depiction of the legend of St Christopher.



The Nativity



A Ceiling Boss depicting Satan Swallowing Judas Iscariot



The Good Samaritan



The Nonsuch Chest was given to the church in 1588. Parish records used to be kept here.



Detail of above



"O that I had wings like a dove" (Psalm 55:6)



The organ was built in 1897 by T.C. Lewis & Co. of Brixton and is widely considered to be the finest example of his work. The organ of St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne was also built by Lewis.



The Shakespeare Memorial and Window
William Shakespeare was perhaps St Saviour's best-known parishioner and wrote most of his 39 plays while he was connected with the Globe Theatre.




This window, designed by artist Christopher Webb, replaces the previous Charles Eamer Kempe window destroyed by enemy action during the Second World War.
The design is based around the Jesse Tree, taking root from the alabaster memorial sculpture showing Shakespeare at rest in a Bankside meadow. Prospero in the central light forms the trunk, with Ariel above and Caliban at his feet (The Tempest).
Further figures from Shakespeare's plays can be found in the tree's branches. These include characters such as Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, Lady Macbeth and Hamlet.
Shakespeare's brother Edmund was buried in St Saviour's in 1607 and is commemorated by an inscribed stone in the paving of the quire.




The Cathedral Shop carries a number of souvenirs concerning Hodge.



A Ceiling Boss





"The Children of the Church delighting in the Great Allegory, "The Pilgrim's Progress" dedicate this window in memory of its pious author John Bunyan, AD1900"



The Pulpit



Detail of above





We met William in the courtyard. He didn't have much to say.
We had lunch at "The Mudlark" pub before making our way to St Paul's Cathedral for 3:00pm Evensong.






The Cathedral Choir sang the responses by Ayelward, the Howells in B minor canticles, and the anthem "Bring Us, O Lord God" by William Harris. Psalm 46 was sung to the well-known chant attrributed to Martin Luther. The boys of the choir rose to the occasion to sing the descant on the verses "the Lord of hosts is with us...". Their voices echoed around the cathedral for several seconds. A wondrous effect! The organ voluntary was "Allegro Assai" from Sonata No 4 by Guilmant. All the musc was excellent and there was a large congregation present.




One was not really supposed to take photos but one couldn't resist these two! There will be an opportunity for photos later in the week.





Our accommodation is very near to London Airport. It's great fun to watch the jets as they come in to land. Luckily, they stop around 8:00pm so we are not bothered by them at night.





The View from our balcony




We have several families of birds who visit us.



Our balcony. It's a hard life!


< Back   Forward >

Back to Calendar