Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Manchester: A Short History and Description of the Church and of the Collegiate Buildings now known as Chetham's HospitalPerkins, Thomas, Rev.
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Manchester: A Short History and Description of the Church and of the Collegiate Buildings now known as Chetham's Hospital
Perkins, Thomas, Rev.
Manchester Cathedral (England)
Between the stalls the floor is one step higher than that of the nave,
and at the east end of the stalls there is a further rise of two steps
as we pass into the presbytery. Here, on the south side, we see the
bishop's throne--modern work, carved with a view to be in harmony with
the stalls, but comparing unfavourably with them in execution. There
is a rise of two more steps into the sanctuary, and the altar itself is
raised two steps higher; this gives a good effect. Behind the altar is
an elaborately carved wooden reredos of modern work, richly painted and
gilt. The upper part, as will be seen from the illustration on p. 22,
is wider than the lower; it is divided vertically into seven divisions,
the two lateral divisions on each side being themselves divided into
two tiers. The three central niches contain figures of the three patron
saints, St. George on the north, the Blessed Virgin in the centre, and
St. Denys on the south side.[4] Above the central figure, St. Mary, is
another niche containing a seated figure of Christ, holding in His left
hand an orb and cross, His right hand raised in the act of blessing;
above this figure is a canopy. On the top of the six uprights that form
the vertical divisions of the reredos, angels stand with clasped hands.
The carving on the smaller panels illustrates the following verses of the
"Preface to the Sanctus" which are inscribed beneath them.
"With angels and | archangels and | all the company | of heaven
we laud and | magnify Thy | glorious name. | Amen."
It will be noticed that there are no sedilia in the usual place on the
south side of the altar, the arch being open where we might expect to
find them, and there is no pulpit in the choir. Most of the services in
which a sermon is preached are conducted in the nave.
Most of the windows have in recent times been filled with painted glass.
Perhaps we may be inclined to think that there are too many thus filled,
and that it would have been well if the windows of the clerestory had been
left uncoloured. Certain it is that as there is no triforium, there is
no place from which the clerestory windows can be examined; and had they
been left unpainted, the church would have been much lighter than it is.
A brief description must now be given of the windows. We will begin with
the west window in the tower, proceeding eastward along the outer south
aisle, crossing the church by the ambulatory, and coming back to the
west by the aisle on the north side, and then examining the clerestory
windows of nave and choir.
=The Windows.=--The west window of the tower has five lights, and is
divided by one transom. It represents the Ascension, and Acts of Mercy.
It was given by J. C. Harter, and is the work of Hardman.
The west window of the inner aisle on the south side has four lights,
and its subject is the parable of the Good Samaritan. It was erected
by subscription in memory of Jonas Craven, and was painted by Messrs.
Heaton, Butler & Baynes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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