A guide to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the city of New York: Fifth EditionHall, Edward Hagaman
Religion
A guide to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the city of New York: Fifth Edition
Hall, Edward Hagaman
Cathedral of St. John the Divine (New York, N.Y.)
“In Memoriam ‖ Horatio Potter ‖ Bishop of New York ‖
1854-1887 ‖ M. G. E. A.”
[Illustration: THE BISHOP’S THRONE, CHOIR STALLS AND DEAN’S STALL]
=The Choir Stalls=, rising in four tiers on either side of the Choir
proper, are of carved American oak. The canopies are after studies of
those in the Chapel of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey used as the Chapel
of the Knights of the Order of the Bath. The finials of the stalls are
figures of great musicians and composers of church music, as follows:
_East._
_Left._ _Right._
Bortniansky Mendelssohn
Handel Haydn
Bach Purcell
Tallis Palestrina
Pope Gregory St. Cecelia
Asaph King David
_West._
The figures, modeled by Mr. Otto Jahnsen, are represented in the costumes
of their day; and the features of all but those of David and his chief
musician Asaph are from portraits.
The high canopied stall nearest the Crossing on the south side of the
Choir is the _Dean’s Stall_.[25] It was designed in the office of Messrs.
Cram & Ferguson and is a very skillful blending of styles to harmonize
with the Jacobean canopies of the Choir Stalls and the Flamboyant note
in the stalls themselves. It has many interesting details of carving,
notably the three panels depicting the Good Shepherd (front), Learning
(east side), and Charity (west side). On the back of the stall is
inscribed:
“In the Name of the ‖ Father Son & Holy Ghost ‖ This Stall
is Dedicated by ‖ The Head Mistresses Association ‖ to the
Memory of ‖ Agnes Irwin ‖ 1841-1914 ‖ Holding fast the
faithful word as she ‖ had been taught herself being not
dis- ‖ obedient unto the heavenly vision ‖ Head Mistress of
the Agnes Irwin School 1867-1894 ‖ First Dean of Radcliffe
College 1894-1909 ‖ First President of the ‖ Head Mistresses
Association ‖ 1911-1914.”
In the Presbytery, on the south side, is the lofty _Bishop’s Throne_ of
carved oak, while opposite to it is one with a little lower canopy for
the use of a bishop other than the Diocesan.
On one of the Choir Stalls is inscribed:
“These Stalls are Erected to ‖ the Glory of God ‖ and in
Loving Memory of ‖ Susan Watts Street ‖ 1818-1893 ‖ By her
Daughter ‖ Anna L. Morton.”
On a tablet in the Choir is inscribed:
“The Stalls ‖ of the Sanctuary ‖ and the Choir ‖ are Erected
to ‖ the Glory of God ‖ and in Memory of ‖ Susan Watts
Street ‖ 1818-1893 ‖ By her Daughter ‖ Anna Livingston ‖
Morton.”
The stalls and the cathedra of the Diocesan were made by the John Barber
Co., of Philadelphia, and the corresponding Bishop’s throne on the north
side by Messrs. Irving & Casson, of Boston.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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