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St Edward’s:
150 Years
78
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.
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.
79
Chapter 4 / The Chapel
Far left: The Chapel in 1895.
Left:Hymnbooksandencaustictiles.
Below: Chapel extension, 1931.
STAINED GLASS
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
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.’
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
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.