The Stalls of Barchester
Encyclopedia
The Stalls of Barchester is the first of the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas
strand, first broadcast on BBC 1 at 11pm on 24 December 1971. Based on the story "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" from the 1911 collection More Ghost Stories
by M.R. James, it was adapted, produced and directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark
.
and the appearance of a large black cat
ultimately cursed the former archdeacon.
and the surrounding close on 16 mm film
. As a result of this, cameraman John McGlashan (who was to film all of the later adaptations) was able to make use of night shoots in dark, shadowy cloisters. The film makes particular use of the Anglican evensong service, especially the Nunc dimittis
("Lord, thou lettest now thy servant depart in peace") and Psalm 109
("Let his days be few; and let another take his office").
A Ghost Story for Christmas
A Ghost Story for Christmas is a strand of annual British short television films originally broadcast on BBC One from 1971 to 1978, and later revived in 2005 on BBC Four. With one exception, the original instalments are directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and the films are all shot on 16 mm...
strand, first broadcast on BBC 1 at 11pm on 24 December 1971. Based on the story "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" from the 1911 collection More Ghost Stories
More Ghost Stories
More Ghost Stories is the title of M. R. James' second collection of ghost stories, published in 1911. Some later editions under the title Ghost Stories of an Antiquary contain with the preceding "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" in one volume....
by M.R. James, it was adapted, produced and directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark
Lawrence Gordon Clark
Lawrence Gordon Clark is an English television director and producer, perhaps best known for his A Ghost Story for Christmas series of mostly M.R...
.
Plot
Whilst cataloguing the library of Barchester Cathedral in 1932, a scholar, Dr Black (Clive Swift) is shown a box containing a 50 year old diary (sealed under the order of the Dean) detailing the events leading up to the mysterious death of Dr Haynes (Robert Hardy), a former Archdeacon of the cathedral. From the diary, Dr Black is able to piece together how the murder of Haynes' agéd predecessor, a 17th century carving on the cathedral choir stallsMisericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
and the appearance of a large black cat
Black cat
A black cat is a feline with black fur. It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. The Bombay, known for its sleek black fur, is an example of a black cat. The all-black pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and female cats...
ultimately cursed the former archdeacon.
Cast
The cast is unusual in including several actors now better known for their roles in situation comedies, or lighter dramas.- Clive SwiftClive SwiftClive Walter Swift is an English character comedy actor and songwriter. He is best known for his role as character Richard Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances. He is less known for his role as character Roy in the British television series The Old Guys...
as Dr. Black - Will Leighton as the cathedral librarian
- Robert HardyRobert HardyTimothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...
as Dr. Haynes - Thelma BarlowThelma BarlowThelma Barlow is an English television actress and writer, most famous for her roles as Mavis Wilton in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street and as Dolly Bellfield in the sitcom Dinnerladies....
as Letitia Haynes - Harold BennettHarold BennettHarold Bennett was an English actor best remembered for having played 'Young Mr. Grace' in the 1970s British sitcom Are You Being Served?.-Biography:...
as Archdeacon Pulteney
Production
In adapting the story for film, Clark was able to set the story of the Archdeacon within the frame narrative of Dr Black's discovery of his diary, and the scholar's subsequent investigation into the origin of the carvings. Unlike the original story, the supernatural elements are shown, as opposed to implied by the diary. Unusually for a BBC television drama of the 1970s, The Stalls of Barchester was filmed entirely on location at Norwich CathedralNorwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral is a cathedral located in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Formerly a Catholic church, it has belonged to the Church of England since the English Reformation....
and the surrounding close on 16 mm film
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
. As a result of this, cameraman John McGlashan (who was to film all of the later adaptations) was able to make use of night shoots in dark, shadowy cloisters. The film makes particular use of the Anglican evensong service, especially the Nunc dimittis
Nunc dimittis
The Nunc dimittis is a canticle from a text in the second chapter of Luke named after its first words in Latin, meaning 'Now dismiss...'....
("Lord, thou lettest now thy servant depart in peace") and Psalm 109
Psalm 109
Psalm 109 is a psalm noted for containing some of the most frighteningly severe curses in the Bible, such as:and:and so on. For this reason the psalm is used by Thomas Hardy in his novel The Mayor of Casterbridge...
("Let his days be few; and let another take his office").
External links
- The Stalls of Barchester at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
.