St Lawrence's Church, Whitchurch
| St Lawrence's, Whitchurch | ||
|---|---|---|
Style | Continental Baroque | |
| Years built | Tower Circa 1400 Nave reconstructed 1715 | |
| Administration | ||
| Province | Canterbury | |
| Diocese | London | |
| Archdeaconry | Northolt | |
| Deanery | Harrow | |
| Clergy | ||
| Archbishop | Justin Welby | |
| Rector | Fr Paul Reece SSC | |
St. Lawrence, Whitchurch, is a
History
The original medieval church was reconstructed by the architect
Brydges later constructed a private chapel in the house, but he continued to take a personal interest in the church, where he had a gallery for the use of himself and his entourage.[1] He had the right to nominate the vicar, and chose John Theophilus Desaguliers FRS, noted for his achievements in water engineering, who served as his chaplain and engineering consultant.
Description
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The highly decorated interior of the church is unusual in England, Continental Baroque rather than
Decoration
The decorative painter Louis Laguerre and other painters worked on both the church and the house.[2]
The Chandos Mausoleum
Towards the end of his life Brydges had lost much of his wealth, but in 1735 he had a mausoleum, designed by Gibbs in a European Baroque manner, attached to the East end of the church.[3] Burials here include the 1st Duke of Chandos and his namesake James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos.
The centrepiece, documented by Grinling Gibbons, 1717, is a Baroque monument to the first duke and his first two wives.[4] Prior to the construction of the mausoleum, this monument was located in the church. Like the church itself, the mausoleum is remarkable for wall-paintings, in this case by Gaetano Brunetti.[3]
The organ and the Handel connection
At the east end of the church is the organ, which is recognised as a historic instrument by the British Institute of Organ Studies.[5] It is assumed to have been played by Handel. Having been modernised over the years, it was reconstructed in 1994 by Goetze and Gwynn, a firm specialising in pre-Victorian organs. The surviving parts of the original 1716 single-manual instrument were used as the reference point for this reconstruction.[6] The organ is used for recitals as well as services, and has been recorded, for example in Handel's organ concertos. The action (mechanism) is reportedly rather noisy.[7]
Composer William Carter was organist at St Lawrence's Church from 1850 through 1854.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b Historic England, "Church of St Lawrence, Whitchurch Lane, Harrow (1194471)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 17 March 2016
- ^ "The Rise and Fall of James Brydges, Duke of Chandos".
- ^ a b "Chandos Mausoleum". Churches Conservation Trust. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ^ Rupert Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851 (rev. ed.): "Grinling Gibbons"
- ^ "Middlesex: Canons Park".
- ^ "St Lawrence Whitchurch, new church organ". Goetze and Gwynn. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ^ "Handel organ concertos". Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ W. B. Henshaw (2003). "William Carter". Biographical Dictionary of the Organ. Bardon Music. Retrieved 7 November 2023.(subscription required)
External links
Media related to St Lawrence's Church, Little Stanmore at Wikimedia Commons