21. NORTH NAVE WINDOWS MJ MJ MJ MJ
The stained glass windows in this Cathedral were made by Hardman’s of Birmingham. The windows in this aisle depict the teaching and miracles of Jesus. The window texts in order are: • ‘He had compassion on him’ – Luke 10:33 (Parable of the Good Samaritan); • ‘Wilt thou be made whole?’ – John 5:6 (Jesus heals the paralytic man); •• ‘Blessed are the pure in heart ...’ • ‘... For they shall see God’ – Matthew 5:8 (Sermon on the Mount); •• ‘They did all eat and were filled’ – Matthew 15:37 (Feeding of the four thousand); • ‘I say unto thee, Arise’ – Mark 5:41 (Jesus heals Jairus’s daughter); •• ‘Lazarus, Come forth’ – John 11:43 (the raising of Lazarus); • ‘Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord’ – Matthew 21:19 (Christ’s entry into Jerusalem). INDEX
22. RUSSIAN ICONS JG
Half way down the North aisle a glass fronted display case is attached to the wall. It contains five 19th century Russian ikons (icons) which were presented to Bishop Eden by Tsar Alexander II when he visited the Anglican congregations in Russia in 1866. The central one is of Jesus Christ; to its left the Trinity with a group of name-saints, and to its right another ikon of Christ; beneath, ‘the Saviour not made by hands’ (the image of Jesus’s face in the cloth with which, legend says, Veronica wiped His face on His way to the cross), and an 18th century embroidered ikon of St Michael the Archangel and St John the Warrior.
23. MADONNA BE-DR
Nearby on this wall is the picture of Our Lady and the Christ-Child, taken from a painting by the 15th century Sienese master, Sano di Pietro. With its stand for candles, it is a focus for prayer. [Photo Credit: British Express, David Ross]
24. TWO MEMORIALS JG BE-DR
Next along this North wall we find this memorial (left) to James Donald Davidson who was killed in action in WWI in 1915. He was baptised and confirmed in this Church, and used to worship close to where the memorial is placed. Then as we enter the Lady Chapel, there is a marble memorial plaque (originally in the Old High Kirk) to Bishop William Hay, who died in 1707. [Right Photo Credit: British Express, David Ross]
26. NORTH TRANSEPT WINDOW MJ VW
Above the Lady Chapel is this large North transept window – The Ascension (1877) by John Hardman & Co. This is really a climactic scene, as far as Jesus’s life on earth goes. The inscription at the bottom reads, ‘Then he was parted from them and carried up’ (from Luke 24, 51). Hardman’s didactic scheme starts at the Southeast end of the nave with the Annunciation, follows Jesus’s life through to the Crucifixion in the apse, the Ascension here in this North transept window, and finally the Last Judgement in the West window. This North transept window has grisaille quarries both in the tracery lights and in the two outermost lights. This has the effect of framing the central figures (Mary is given prominence among those on the ground), as if they were in an Old Master painting. For an even closer look at this window, click here. [Right Photo Credit: Victorian Web]
27. PULPIT JG MJ JG
Leaving the Lady Chapel, we come back past the pulpit. This is made of Caen stone and Irish marble, supported on columns of granite from Abriachan, and was carved by the local sculptors, D. & A. Davidson The panels depict John the Baptist preaching (North aspect), the Good Shepherd (West), and St Andrew preaching from the cross (South).
28. NAVE ALTAR G-IS
We walk back across the nave in front of the nave altar, which at this time is supported by an uncovered platform. Behind the altar is the chancel screen, the work of Sir Robert Lorimer (1923). This is a memorial to those members of the congregation who died in the First World War. The names include a Victoria Cross winner and a chaplain. We can just see the inscriptions on the bottom panels.
29. LECTERN MJ
South of the nave altar is the double brass lectern, from which the Scriptures are read. This is a link with the Cathedral’s origins, being the gift of the last priest to serve with the Bishop’s Mission Chapel – the predecessor of the Cathedral.
The South transept window is by John Hardman & Co.(1887) and has as its theme the Feeding the Five Thousand. This window has the same theme as one of the earlier North aisle windows but is much grander in scale. St Andrew, who became the patron saint of Scotland, was originally a fisherman, but, like his brother Peter, heeded Jesus's call to become a ‘fisher of men’ instead. So this is an important theme to develop in one of the cathedral’s larger windows. Notice the fishing scenes in the top tracery, including a scene of Jonah giving thanks for deliverance from the whale. For a closer look at this window, click here.
31. SOUTH NAVE WALL JG
This view of the South nave wall shows the four stained glass windows, along with a framed picture at left and several memorial plaques.
32. SOUTH NAVE WINDOWS MJ MJ MJ MJ
These windows depict further scenes from Christ’s life. From top the windows show: •• The Annunciation, in which the Angel Gabriel reveals to Mary God’s plan for her, and the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth; •• the Nativity and the Presentation of the baby Jesus to Simeon in the Temple; •• The Wise Men bringing their gifts to the young Christ Child, and the Flight into Egypt; •• The young Jesus preaching in the Temple, and working alongside Joseph in the carpenter’s shop.
33. ANGEL PICTURE JG
At left of the South nave windows is a framed painting of an angel, but I am unable to decipher the name of the artist.
34. WAR MEMORIAL AND WHITE ENSIGN JG JG
Half way along the South aisle hangs a White Ensign flag, and on the wall is a plaque listing the names of those of this congregation who gave their lives in World War II. The White Ensign is the flag which is flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments.
35. FONT MJ JG
At the West end of the South nave aisle is St Andrew’s Chapel, which also serves as the baptistry. The font is modelled after one in the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen, by the famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). It is in the form of a half-kneeling angel steadying a large shell-shaped baptismal bowl on the other knee. This copy differs from the original in one important respect: the face is not that of Thorwaldsen’s angel (which had flowing locks down past the shoulders and a chaplet-wreath around the head), but that of the wife of the donor, Colonel Learmonth of Dean (in Edinburgh).
36. FONT WINDOW JG MJ
The stained glass window behind the baptismal font has two lancets. One shows Jesus blessing the children; the other depicts Jesus with Mary Magdalen. The top tracery shows a dove descending. The window is by John Hardman & Co.
37. COLUMN AND CAPITAL JG
As we make our way forward from the baptistry towards the sanctuary, we stop to admire the gleaming nave columns. Each column is carved from a single block of granite. The capitals are carved with foliage, flowers and birds – this done by local masons who had never before undertaken such elaborate work.
38. CHANCEL W-DI MJ
We now approach the chancel. In the foreground is the choir screen or pulpitum, with a rood cross high above. Beyond on either side are the choir stalls, incorporating the cathedra at far right. Small stands of organ pipes can be seen high on either side on the East walls of the transepts. And ahead of us is the sanctuary apse containing the high altar.
39. SCREEN JG
The chancel is separated from the nave by a beautiful oak screen added in 1923. The screen is delicately carved. Traditionally this type of choir screen or rood screen was designed to separate the ‘holy of holies’ from the ‘ordinary folk’ of the congregation. However over the centuries the screens either disappeared, or became more decorative, as they are today.
40. ROOD CROSS JG
Above the screen hangs the rood cross. In this example, the crucified Christ hangs on a wooden cross which bears the symbols of the Four Evangelists at its extremities. The symbols are an angel (Matthew), a lion (Mark), an ox (Luke) and an eagle (John). Each symbol is thought to represent an aspect of the Evangelist’s teaching.