St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's Cathedral is the cathedral
church of the Anglican Diocese
of Sydney
in the Anglican Church of Australia
. The cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop
of Sydney and Metropolitan
of New South Wales
, the Most Reverend Peter Jensen. The Dean
of Sydney since 2003 is his brother, the Very Reverend Phillip Jensen
.
Located in central Sydney, the cathedral is one of the city's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture
. Designed by Edmund Blacket
, it was ready for services and consecrated in 1868, making it the oldest cathedral in Australia
. Joan Kerr described St Andrew's as "....a perfect example of the colonial desire to reproduce England in Australia in the mid nineteenth century".
The cathedral holds services every day, including choral services on Sundays and several times a week during school term, Christmas and Easter. There is also a Healing Service, Bible studies and prayer meetings. St Andrew's has traditional choir of men and boys, as well as a girls choir and adult singers, and a company of bell ringers. The pipe organs have recently been restored and are regularly used for recitals and concerts. St Andrew's has a National Trust of Australia
heritage listing as being a building of national significance.
The early Governor of New South Wales
, Lachlan Macquarie
, had grand plans for the city of Sydney. He foresaw that Sydney would grow into a large city requiring a large cathedral. With the architect Francis Greenway
, who had been transported to Sydney for forgery, the governor planned a church 200 feet square and probably with the seating and galleries facing inward from three sides. But this was never brought to fruition. Only a few foundations were laid before the plan was abandoned. Macquarie was severely criticised for planning beyond the colony's means.
, who was consecrated as a bishop in 1836, had a new foundation stone laid in 1837. The plans, prepared by the architect James Hume, were of much more modest proportions and were for a traditional cruciform church in the Gothic style
. The designs, dating from the early phase of Gothic Revival architecture, did not show a great expertise in the handling of the particular architectural vocabulary. Only one notable section was completed, the façade of the south transept. However, the foundations were laid and some of the walls were constructed up to a height of about 15 feet.
presented himself to the bishop with a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury recommending his talent as an architect and having equal facility in both the Classical
and the Gothic style. He was eventually to become known as the Wren
of Sydney, having designed two universities, three cathedrals and fifty or more parish churches as well as banks, offices, bridges, mansions and countless shops, cottages and terraced houses. Blacket became the official Colonial Architect from 1849 to 1854.
Blacket was an inventive and stylish Gothic Revival architect who utilised the forms of English Medieval prototypes reproduced in the books of his architectural library to produce designs which, although archeologically "correct", are often highly original. This was just as well, because the task that he inherited from James Hume was not an easy one.
It took some convincing to get the bishop to accept his deviations from the original design. The problem was how to make a truly splendid and imposing cathedral on foundations which were only the size of a large English parish church. Taking into account what Hume had done and the fact that some of Hume's rather amateurish window tracery was already in place, Blacket designed the cathedral in the style known as Perpendicular Gothic, used extensively at the cathedrals of Canterbury
, Winchester
and York
.
With the repetition of forms and the strongly vertical lines characteristic of Perpendicular Gothic, Blacket succeeded in creating a building which, despite its small size, is nevertheless imposing and of harmonious proportions. The western front with its layered decoration is a majestic composition, based loosely of that of York Minster
. The strongly projecting rectangular buttresses, which transform by stages into lofty octagonally-sectioned pinnacles, and the complex molding around the portals casts varied shadows in the bright Australian sunlight. Kinsela describes it as “a grand façade with superb towers…Covered with a profusion of ornanament, blind traceries and tiny attached pinnacles, in a light-hearted yet elegant manner.”
Bishop Broughton did not live to consecrate St Andrew's. He died while on a trip to England in 1853 and is buried at Canterbury Cathedral. The second Bishop of Sydney, Frederick Barker, consecrated the completed building on St Andrew's Day, 30 November 1868.
with its blue and vermillion decoration, and the decorative details, which include carved stone ribbons around the nave piers, bearing the names of notables in the early Sydney church.
The stone used throughout is Sydney sandstone
. The chancel has a newly-restored floor in ornate pattern set with marble and intaglio tiles in the Cosmati style
by Fields of London, created under the direction of Gilbert Scott
. The rest of the building is paved with encaustic tiles of red and black with small intaglio designs by Mintons of Stoke-on-Trent
.
The reredos
was commissioned by the third Bishop of Sydney, Bishop Barry, and carved of translucent cream English alabaster
by the sculptor Earp, under the supervision of the well-known Gothic Revival architect, J. L. Pearson, in 1886. The subject matter of the three pictorial panels, as originally created, were: at the centre - the Crucifixion
, to the left – the Resurrection
, to the right – the Ascension. To either side were the figures of Moses
and Elijah. In 1887 there was objection at synod to the representational nature of the reredos and in particular to the central Crucifixion on the grounds that it might be seen as idolatorous
. The Crucifixion was replaced, at the expense of the objectors, by the present scene of the Transfiguration
.
The original furniture of the chancel, of which much remains, is of different dates, but for the most part in the Gothic style. The choir stalls, of dark English oak, are particularly fine, having large poppy heads, each richly carved with a different foliate design.
The seven-light and four-tiered east window is a complex composition showing scenes in the life of Christ at which the Apostle Andrew was present, such as the Feeding of the Five Thousand. The west window has tiers of Apostles. There was a dispute with the firm over the inclusion of Mary Magdalene
among the male disciples which was resolved by painting a beard on Mary.
shape traditional of Christian Churches and symbolic of the faith. The body of the cathedral or nave
, with lower aisles on either side, is crossed by the transept
, forming a chancel
for the seating of clergy and choir at the eastern end. The sides of the choir
are traditionally known as Cantoris
, the side of the Precentor
, or cantor, and Decani
, the side of the Dean
, the senior clerical appointee within the Cathedral. See Cathedral architecture and Cathedral diagram
.
It is customary for cathedrals to be orientated on an East-West axis with the main door to the west and the Sanctuary to the east. St Andrew's conformed to that tradition. But a major thoroughfare, George Street, runs by the eastern rather than the western end, making the main entrance less accessible. It also meant that when an electric tram system was installed in the street, the noise frequently drowned out the service of Holy Communion.
In 1941 the interior was therefore reoriented. A new raised chancel floor was built in the west end, the west door was permanently closed and the reredos
was placed immediately in front of it. All the internal fittings of the Chancel were relocated, the positioning of the reredos right against the wall creating some extra space. There was a claim that the acoustics were improved but this is spurious. While, on one hand, the trams would not have seemed so loud, being more remote, the effect on the internal acoustic was disastrous. A very large number of choristers were employed to make themselves heard.
In 1999–2000 major conservation and restoration work was undertaken to restore the original internal layout, whereby the sanctuary
was relocated at the Cathedral's Eastern end. This was achieved under deanship of the Very Reverend Boak Jobbins.
The reredos is in five sections, parallel with the five inner lights of the large seven-light east window above it. The removal of the communion table that was part of this visual and liturgical unit has left a visually empty space. Its place is now occupied by one of the treasures of the cathedral, the Great Bible
of 1539 (printed at the date when Henry VIII
ordered that every church should have a Bible in the English language). This is in keeping with the Sydney diocese's emphasis on the Bible as the authoritative word of God. The emphasis of Sydney Anglican theology on an understanding of Scripture as against experiential spirituality is confirmed by the apparent precedence of the Book over the Sacrament
. The antiquity of the particular Bible displayed is such that it needs to be enclosed in a glass case.
The cathedral's first organist was Montague Younger
.
There are regular Friday afternoon recitals by Australian and international organists, commencing at 1.10 pm and usually lasting for 30 or 40 minutes. This programme of lunchtime recitals has now been going for more than 40 years.
was founded by the third Bishop of Sydney, Bishop Barry, for the purpose of providing choristers to sing the daily services at the cathedral. For many years the enrolment stood at 46 boys and the headmaster was also the Master of Choristers and precentor of the cathedral. The school began to expand in 1941 and for many years in the latter part of the 20th century the enrolment stood at 700 and catered for boys from Years 3 to 12. In 1999 girls were admitted to senior years and in 2008 St Andrew's Cathedral School became fully co-educational from Kindergarten.
In 2004 the present dean altered the form of service in the cathedral in keeping with his inclination to rationalise the worship on Evangelical Protestant principles. This has decreased the formal participation of the cathedral choir and has been met by some controversy.
Since 2005, the Director of Music has been Ross Cobb, previously Director of Music at Christ Church, Clifton in Bristol, England. He is an Associate of Kings College London and holds a Bachelor of Music from the Royal Academy of Music and Kings College, London. Cobb was appointed to the role in 2005.
Since the 1970s the choir has regularly toured abroad. The most recent tour was to Europe in July 2008 and was made to mark the 140th anniversary of the choir. The choir sang in Bristol Cathedrals (with the world-renowned Black Dyke Colliery Band), Wells Cathedral, Bath Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral London in the presence of the Australian High Commissioner. The choir also sang for the first time in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, as well as the Anglican churches of Venice and Florence.
The choir sings at the morning Sunday Church service and two weekday services (Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon). There is a cathedral girls' choir, drawn from the cathedral school, which sings an early morning service of Mattins on Tuesdays. There is also an independent group of adults called The Cathedral Singers.
(designed by Wilson and Bond, built 1886–1889), the Queen Victoria Building
(designed by George McRae
, built 1893-98), the former Gresham Hotel (149 York Street) (designed by J. Kirkpatrick, built circa 1890) and the former Bank of New South Wales (facade only), 485 George Street (designed by Varney Parkes, built 1894). All buildings are listed on the Register of the National Estate
.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the Anglican Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in the Anglican Church of Australia
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
. The cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Sydney and Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, the Most Reverend Peter Jensen. The Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of Sydney since 2003 is his brother, the Very Reverend Phillip Jensen
Phillip Jensen
Phillip Jensen is an Australian cleric of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral. He is the brother of Peter Jensen, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney.-Education and ministry:...
.
Located in central Sydney, the cathedral is one of the city's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
. Designed by Edmund Blacket
Edmund Blacket
Edmund Thomas Blacket was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and St...
, it was ready for services and consecrated in 1868, making it the oldest cathedral in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Joan Kerr described St Andrew's as "....a perfect example of the colonial desire to reproduce England in Australia in the mid nineteenth century".
The cathedral holds services every day, including choral services on Sundays and several times a week during school term, Christmas and Easter. There is also a Healing Service, Bible studies and prayer meetings. St Andrew's has traditional choir of men and boys, as well as a girls choir and adult singers, and a company of bell ringers. The pipe organs have recently been restored and are regularly used for recitals and concerts. St Andrew's has a National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
heritage listing as being a building of national significance.
Macquarie and Greenway
Governors of New South Wales
The Governor of New South Wales is the state viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who is equally shared with 15 other sovereign nations in a form of personal union, as well as with the eleven other jurisdictions of Australia, and resides predominantly in her...
, Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
, had grand plans for the city of Sydney. He foresaw that Sydney would grow into a large city requiring a large cathedral. With the architect Francis Greenway
Francis Greenway
-References:* *...
, who had been transported to Sydney for forgery, the governor planned a church 200 feet square and probably with the seating and galleries facing inward from three sides. But this was never brought to fruition. Only a few foundations were laid before the plan was abandoned. Macquarie was severely criticised for planning beyond the colony's means.
Broughton and Hume
Bishop William Grant BroughtonWilliam Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton was the first Bishop of Australia of the Church of England....
, who was consecrated as a bishop in 1836, had a new foundation stone laid in 1837. The plans, prepared by the architect James Hume, were of much more modest proportions and were for a traditional cruciform church in the Gothic style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. The designs, dating from the early phase of Gothic Revival architecture, did not show a great expertise in the handling of the particular architectural vocabulary. Only one notable section was completed, the façade of the south transept. However, the foundations were laid and some of the walls were constructed up to a height of about 15 feet.
Edmund T. Blacket
In 1842 Edmund Thomas BlacketEdmund Blacket
Edmund Thomas Blacket was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and St...
presented himself to the bishop with a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury recommending his talent as an architect and having equal facility in both the Classical
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
and the Gothic style. He was eventually to become known as the Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
of Sydney, having designed two universities, three cathedrals and fifty or more parish churches as well as banks, offices, bridges, mansions and countless shops, cottages and terraced houses. Blacket became the official Colonial Architect from 1849 to 1854.
Blacket was an inventive and stylish Gothic Revival architect who utilised the forms of English Medieval prototypes reproduced in the books of his architectural library to produce designs which, although archeologically "correct", are often highly original. This was just as well, because the task that he inherited from James Hume was not an easy one.
It took some convincing to get the bishop to accept his deviations from the original design. The problem was how to make a truly splendid and imposing cathedral on foundations which were only the size of a large English parish church. Taking into account what Hume had done and the fact that some of Hume's rather amateurish window tracery was already in place, Blacket designed the cathedral in the style known as Perpendicular Gothic, used extensively at the cathedrals of Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, Winchester
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
and York
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
.
Perpendicular style
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
. The strongly projecting rectangular buttresses, which transform by stages into lofty octagonally-sectioned pinnacles, and the complex molding around the portals casts varied shadows in the bright Australian sunlight. Kinsela describes it as “a grand façade with superb towers…Covered with a profusion of ornanament, blind traceries and tiny attached pinnacles, in a light-hearted yet elegant manner.”
Bishop Broughton did not live to consecrate St Andrew's. He died while on a trip to England in 1853 and is buried at Canterbury Cathedral. The second Bishop of Sydney, Frederick Barker, consecrated the completed building on St Andrew's Day, 30 November 1868.
Interior
The interior is a harmonious composition in Perpendicular Gothic. Although the building is small, it is given a sense of grandeur by the proportions of the arcade and clerestory, the richness of the moldings, the loftiness of the hammerbeam roofHammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
with its blue and vermillion decoration, and the decorative details, which include carved stone ribbons around the nave piers, bearing the names of notables in the early Sydney church.
The stone used throughout is Sydney sandstone
Sydney sandstone
Sydney sandstone is the common name for Sydney Basin Hawkesbury Sandstone, historically known as Yellowblock, is a sedimentary rock named after the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney, where this sandstone is particularly common....
. The chancel has a newly-restored floor in ornate pattern set with marble and intaglio tiles in the Cosmati style
Cosmatesque
Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also used to decorate church walls, pulpits, and bishop's thrones...
by Fields of London, created under the direction of Gilbert Scott
Gilbert Scott
Gilbert Scott may refer to several of a family of British architects:* Sir George Gilbert Scott , who was principally known for his architectural designs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and St Pancras Station...
. The rest of the building is paved with encaustic tiles of red and black with small intaglio designs by Mintons of Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
.
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
was commissioned by the third Bishop of Sydney, Bishop Barry, and carved of translucent cream English alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
by the sculptor Earp, under the supervision of the well-known Gothic Revival architect, J. L. Pearson, in 1886. The subject matter of the three pictorial panels, as originally created, were: at the centre - the Crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
, to the left – the Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
, to the right – the Ascension. To either side were the figures of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and Elijah. In 1887 there was objection at synod to the representational nature of the reredos and in particular to the central Crucifixion on the grounds that it might be seen as idolatorous
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
. The Crucifixion was replaced, at the expense of the objectors, by the present scene of the Transfiguration
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
.
The original furniture of the chancel, of which much remains, is of different dates, but for the most part in the Gothic style. The choir stalls, of dark English oak, are particularly fine, having large poppy heads, each richly carved with a different foliate design.
Windows
The lower stained glass windows are one of the earliest complete cycles of glass by Hardman of Birmingham and demonstrate the skilful employment of primary colour, elegant design and narrational intelligence that is typical of the work of John Hardman Powell. They represent the life and the parables of Jesus.The seven-light and four-tiered east window is a complex composition showing scenes in the life of Christ at which the Apostle Andrew was present, such as the Feeding of the Five Thousand. The west window has tiers of Apostles. There was a dispute with the firm over the inclusion of Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
among the male disciples which was resolved by painting a beard on Mary.
Orientation and reorientation
St Andrew's Cathedral is built to the cruciformCruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
shape traditional of Christian Churches and symbolic of the faith. The body of the cathedral or nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, with lower aisles on either side, is crossed by the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, forming a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
for the seating of clergy and choir at the eastern end. The sides of the choir
Quire (architecture)
Architecturally, the choir is the area of a church or cathedral, usually in the western part of the chancel between the nave and the sanctuary . The choir is occasionally located in the eastern part of the nave...
are traditionally known as Cantoris
Cantoris
Cantoris is the side of a church choir occupied by the Cantor. In English churches this is typically the choir stalls on the north side of the chancel, although there are some notable exceptions, such as Durham Cathedral and Southwell Minster...
, the side of the Precentor
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
, or cantor, and Decani
Decani
Decani is the side of a church choir occupied by the Dean. In English churches this is typically the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel, although there are some notable exceptions, such as Durham Cathedral and Southwell Minster...
, the side of the Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
, the senior clerical appointee within the Cathedral. See Cathedral architecture and Cathedral diagram
Cathedral diagram
In Western ecclesiastical architecture, a cathedral diagram is a floor plan showing the sections of walls and piers, giving an idea of the profiles of their columns and ribbing. Light double lines in perimeter walls indicate glazed windows. Dashed lines show the ribs of the vaulting overhead...
.
In 1941 the interior was therefore reoriented. A new raised chancel floor was built in the west end, the west door was permanently closed and the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
was placed immediately in front of it. All the internal fittings of the Chancel were relocated, the positioning of the reredos right against the wall creating some extra space. There was a claim that the acoustics were improved but this is spurious. While, on one hand, the trams would not have seemed so loud, being more remote, the effect on the internal acoustic was disastrous. A very large number of choristers were employed to make themselves heard.
In 1999–2000 major conservation and restoration work was undertaken to restore the original internal layout, whereby the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
was relocated at the Cathedral's Eastern end. This was achieved under deanship of the Very Reverend Boak Jobbins.
Changes
In line with the trend in the Anglican Church in Sydney for services of a more contemporary nature, and to avoid any potential confusion of the communion table with an altar, it was decided that the communion table should be placed in a more forward position in the chancel and that it should be easily portable in order that it might be removed when not required for Holy Communion, to clear a space for presentations and musical performances. A new table, of a simple, square, modern design, was installed. It was suggested by some traditional Anglicans that the older table, with its ornate carving, should be retained in its usual place in front of the reredos. It is not unusual for cathedrals in England, because of their vast size, to have tables in two positions. But as this was not the case in Sydney it was decided to abandon the old table rather than maintaining it at the risk of it being associated with the "High Altar" of Roman Catholic churches (the communion table in an Anglican church in Sydney must be of wood and be able to be moved). In addition, a major consideration in not retaining the old table was that it was riddled with termite damage, a perpetual problem in the centre of Sydney.The reredos is in five sections, parallel with the five inner lights of the large seven-light east window above it. The removal of the communion table that was part of this visual and liturgical unit has left a visually empty space. Its place is now occupied by one of the treasures of the cathedral, the Great Bible
Great Bible
The Great Bible was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the Church of England. The Great Bible was prepared by Myles Coverdale, working under commission of Sir Thomas Cromwell, Secretary to Henry...
of 1539 (printed at the date when Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
ordered that every church should have a Bible in the English language). This is in keeping with the Sydney diocese's emphasis on the Bible as the authoritative word of God. The emphasis of Sydney Anglican theology on an understanding of Scripture as against experiential spirituality is confirmed by the apparent precedence of the Book over the Sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
. The antiquity of the particular Bible displayed is such that it needs to be enclosed in a glass case.
Music
Organ
In 1866 an organ by the famous English organ builders William Hill & Sons was installed with a case to Edmund Blacket's design and richly decorated organ pipes. It was placed in the South transept. It was joined in 1932 by an instrument by John Whitely which was placed opposite in the North transept. In the 1950s the instruments were amalgamated to be played from a single console, thus constituting the largest church organ in Australia. There has been a further rationalisation of the organs in the recent restoration and the Whitely has gone from the North transept gallery, thus revealing one of the cathedral's finest Hardman windows.The cathedral's first organist was Montague Younger
Montague Younger
Montague Thomas Robson Younger was an Australian church musician. He was the first organist of St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and has been described as "the first native of Sydney to reach eminence as an organist"....
.
There are regular Friday afternoon recitals by Australian and international organists, commencing at 1.10 pm and usually lasting for 30 or 40 minutes. This programme of lunchtime recitals has now been going for more than 40 years.
Choir
In 1885 St Andrew's Cathedral SchoolSt Andrew's Cathedral School
St Andrew's Cathedral School is an independent, non-selective, Anglican, co-educational, day school located in the heart of the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
was founded by the third Bishop of Sydney, Bishop Barry, for the purpose of providing choristers to sing the daily services at the cathedral. For many years the enrolment stood at 46 boys and the headmaster was also the Master of Choristers and precentor of the cathedral. The school began to expand in 1941 and for many years in the latter part of the 20th century the enrolment stood at 700 and catered for boys from Years 3 to 12. In 1999 girls were admitted to senior years and in 2008 St Andrew's Cathedral School became fully co-educational from Kindergarten.
In 2004 the present dean altered the form of service in the cathedral in keeping with his inclination to rationalise the worship on Evangelical Protestant principles. This has decreased the formal participation of the cathedral choir and has been met by some controversy.
Since 2005, the Director of Music has been Ross Cobb, previously Director of Music at Christ Church, Clifton in Bristol, England. He is an Associate of Kings College London and holds a Bachelor of Music from the Royal Academy of Music and Kings College, London. Cobb was appointed to the role in 2005.
Since the 1970s the choir has regularly toured abroad. The most recent tour was to Europe in July 2008 and was made to mark the 140th anniversary of the choir. The choir sang in Bristol Cathedrals (with the world-renowned Black Dyke Colliery Band), Wells Cathedral, Bath Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral London in the presence of the Australian High Commissioner. The choir also sang for the first time in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, as well as the Anglican churches of Venice and Florence.
The choir sings at the morning Sunday Church service and two weekday services (Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon). There is a cathedral girls' choir, drawn from the cathedral school, which sings an early morning service of Mattins on Tuesdays. There is also an independent group of adults called The Cathedral Singers.
Bells
St Andrew's has a peal of 12 bells cast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough in England and installed in 1965 to the memory of Ernest Samuel Trigg. The tenor weighs 29 cwt and the lightest 6 cwt. They are rung each Sunday morning and on practice nights.Specifications
Dimensions
- Length (internal) - 48 metres (160 ft)
- Width - 17.6 metres (58 ft)
- Width at transept - 33.3 metres (110 ft)
- Height - 29.7 metres (68 ft)
- Height of western towers - 39.3 metres (130 ft)
Materials
- Building - Sydney sandstone
- Roof - Welsh slate
- Roof timber -
- Lower windows, east and west windows, transept windows, - Hardman of Birmingham, 1861-8
- Nave clerestory windows - designer, Norman Carter, 1953-4
- Chancel and transept clerestory windows - various, including Lyon and Cottier, Falconer and Ashwin and English firms.
- Floor - Minton intaglio tiles
- Chancel floor - Cosmateque tiles by Fields of London
- Pulpit and Choir stalls - English Oak
- Reredos - English Alabaster
- Pulpit- Otago sandstone and Gabo Island granite
Town Hall Group
The cathedral is part of the Town Hall group, an important group of heritage-listed buildings in that part of Sydney. Apart from the cathedral, the group includes Sydney Town HallSydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
(designed by Wilson and Bond, built 1886–1889), the Queen Victoria Building
Queen Victoria Building
The Queen Victoria Building, or QVB, is a late nineteenth century building by the architect George McRae in the central business district of Sydney, Australia. The Romanesque Revival building is 30 metres wide by 190 metres long, and fills a city block, bounded by George, Market, York and Druitt...
(designed by George McRae
George McRae
George McRae was a Scottish architect who migrated to Australia and pursued his career in Sydney, where he became Government Architect of New South Wales.-Life and career:...
, built 1893-98), the former Gresham Hotel (149 York Street) (designed by J. Kirkpatrick, built circa 1890) and the former Bank of New South Wales (facade only), 485 George Street (designed by Varney Parkes, built 1894). All buildings are listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.
See also
- Anglican Diocese of SydneyAnglican Diocese of SydneyThe Diocese of Sydney is a diocese within the Anglican Church of Australia. The majority of the diocese is Evangelical and low church in tradition and committed to Reformed and Calvinist theology....
- Cathedral architecture of Western EuropeCathedral architecture of Western EuropeThe architecture of cathedrals, basilicas and abbey churches is the architecture of those church buildings which are usually of large size, including most cathedrals, and follow one of several branching traditions of form, function and style that stem initially from Early Christian traditions of...
- Gothic Revival
- List of Anglican churches in the Diocese of Sydney
- Poor Man's BiblePoor Man's BibleThe term Poor Man's Bible has come into use in modern times to describe works of art within churches and cathedrals which either individually or collectively have been created to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for a largely illiterate population. These artworks may take the form of carvings,...
- Augustus Welby Pugin
- St Mary's Cathedral, SydneySt Mary's Cathedral, SydneyThe Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The cathedral is dedicated to "Mary, Help of Christians", Patron of Australia...
, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Sydney
External links
- St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney website
- Anglican Diocese of Sydney website
- St Andrew's Cathedral Choir website
- The Cathedral Singers website
- St Andrew's Cathedral School website
- History and Specifications of the Cathedral Organs plus Organ Recital schedule
- Healing Ministry of St Andrew's Cathedral website