Savoy Chapel
King's Chapel of the Savoy | |
---|---|
Perpendicular | |
Completed | 1512 |
Specifications | |
Length | Nave: 200 ft (61 m) |
Number of towers | 1 |
Materials | Stone |
Administration | |
Province | Canterbury |
Diocese | London (location) |
Clergy | |
Chaplain(s) | The Rev. Canon Thomas M B Woodhouse MA |
Laity | |
Director of music | Philip Berg MVO |
Organist(s) | Justin Luke |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
Official name | Savoy Chapel (King's Chapel of the Savoy) |
Designated | 24 February 1958 |
Reference no. | 1264731[2] |
The King's Chapel of St John the Baptist in the Precinct of the Savoy, also known as the King's Chapel of the Savoy (called The Queen's Chapel during much of modern history in the reigns of Victoria and Elizabeth II), is a church in the City of Westminster, London. Facing it are 111 Strand, the Savoy Hotel, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and – across the green to its side – the east side of Savoy Street. The chapel is designated as a Grade II* listed building.[2]
The chapel sits on the site of the Savoy Palace, once owned by the prince John of Gaunt, that was destroyed in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Gaunt's Duchy of Lancaster, the owner of the site of the palace, eventually came into the hands of the monarch. Work was begun on the chapel in 1502 under King Henry VII and it received its first charter to operate as a hospital foundation in 1512 to look after 100 poor and needy men of London. The hospital had fallen into ruin by the late 18th century; only the chapel survived the consequent demolition, which as to the hospital's eastern end was ceded for an approach to Waterloo Bridge.
The
History
The chapel was founded as part of
The Savoy Chapel has hosted various other congregations, most notably that of
An
In 1912 it was the scene of a suffragette wedding between Victor and Una Duval. The wedding was attended by leading suffragettes and the wedding caused much debate because the bride refused to say "and obey", despite the intervention of the Archbishop of Canterbury.[12]
In 1939, it was announced by the office of the Duchy of Lancaster that the Savoy Chapel would be known as The King's Chapel of the Savoy.
Many of the chapel's
Present
The chapel has been
Most of the chapel's costs and maintenance are met by the Duchy of Lancaster, with recent works including landscaping of its garden in honour of the
The Savoy Chapel uses the
Music
Organ
The Chapel possesses a three-manual pipe organ, presented by Queen Elizabeth II, constructed to the specifications of the previous Master of the Music, William Cole and manufactured by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. The organ casework was designed by Arthur Bedford Knapp-Fisher (1888-1965). It was dedicated on 27 October 1965 at a service attended by the Queen to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Duchy of Lancaster.[18]
Organists
The current Master of the Music is Philip Berg (since 1995); the sub-organist is Justin Luke (since 2002). Previous Masters of the Music include Henry Bromley Derry (from c. 1913 to 1954) and William Cole (from 1954 to 1994).
Choir
The choir is rooted in the English cathedral tradition, and consists of up to 21
London Choir School provided all the choristers to Savoy Chapel[21][22] between 1915 and 1952.
In popular culture
The Savoy Chapel is mentioned in Evelyn Waugh's 1946 novel Brideshead Revisited where the venue for the marriage of Julia Flyte and Rex Mottram is discussed: "Oh, Charles, what a squalid wedding! The Savoy Chapel was the place where divorced couples got married in those days—a poky little place not at all what Rex had intended. I wanted just to slip into a registry office one morning and get the thing over with a couple of char-women as witnesses, but nothing else would do but Rex had to have bridesmaids and orange blossom and the Wedding March. It was gruesome."[23]
In Episode 8 of Series 5 of Julian Fellowes' television period drama Downton Abbey, the Savoy Chapel is mentioned as the site of the blessing of the marriage of Lady Rose MacClare and The Hon. Atticus Aldridge.
Notes
- ^ "www.rgarchitects.com".
- ^ a b Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1264731)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ "Lutheran.org".
- ^ "St Anne's Lutheran Church – Welcome, Worship, and Witness to Jesus Christ".
- ^ "JOHN GRIERSON". www.exclassics.com.
- ^ A Collection of the Most Remarkable and Interesting Trials: Particularly of Those Persons who Have Forfeited Their Lives to the Injured Laws of Their Country. R. Snagg. 1776. pp. 653–655.
- ^ "Death of Rev. Henry White". The Queenslander. 22 November 1890. p. 971.
- ^ "NOTED CHAPLAIN". Glen Innes Examiner. Vol. 8, no. 1165. New South Wales, Australia. 15 August 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 31 March 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6175, 5 September 1921, Page 5". Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ "Waikato Times, Volume 99, Issue 16681, 23 December 1925, Page 4 (Supplement)". Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ "Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19604, 26 September 1933, Page 9". Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-4088-4406-9.
- ^ Pringle, Matthew. "D'Oyly Carte » About".
- ISBN 0-571-20016-8
- ^ "The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy |". www.duchyoflancaster.co.uk.
- ^ "www.royalchapelsavoy.org".
- ^ "Home". The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy. 26 September 2013.
- ^ The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy (15 January 2014). "Organ". royalchapelsavoy.org. City of Westminster: Duchy of Lancaster. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
A three-manual pipe organ, constructed to the specifications of Dr William Cole LVO (Master of the Music 1954–94) and manufactured by J W Walker & Sons Ltd. The organ casework was designed by Arthur Bedford Knapp-Fisher (1888–1965), Professor of Architecture, the Royal College of Art (1933–43). The organ, presented by Her Majesty The Queen, was dedicated on 27 October 1965 during a service, in the presence of Her Majesty, to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Duchy of Lancaster.
- ^ "Wakeham Choristerships Scheme". saintolaves.net. St Olave's Grammar School. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- ^ "Joining the Choir". The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy. 1 October 2013.
- ^ Brownlee, Colin (11 March 2016). London Choir School & Queen's Chapel of the Savoy (Video slideshow). Newland, Worcestershire: Archive of Recorded Church Music. Event occurs at 1:11. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
Many churches, such as the Savoy Chapel and St Peter's Eaton Square, were supplied entirely by London Choir School.
- ^ Brownlee, Colin (2016). "Tractarian choir schools". recordedchurchmusic.org. Newland, Worcestershire: Archive of Recorded Church Music. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
The Savoy Chapel and St Peter's Eaton Square were two of the many establishments where the LCS supplied the entire choir, St Peter's being the last before the school closed.
- ISBN 0-316-92634-5.