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| 1861: The Chapel,
St Catharine's College, Cambridge, England |
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Photo: dbaron |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Zerubbabel.
The church:
The
Chapel, St
Catharine's College, Cambridge, England.
Denomination:
Church of England. The college chapel operates outside the normal
parochial system. The present chaplain is a member of the Company
of Mission Priests.
The building:
Dedicated in 1704, the chapel is surprisingly small and relatively
plain, with dark wooden panelling and a striking black and white
floor. The chapel is a perfect venue for the special service
I attended – an atmospheric service, lit only by candles
and a few very subtle downlighters.
The church:
The chapel exists to serve all members of the college and their
guests, whatever their denomination or faith. As a place for
quiet reflection within an otherwise very busy college and city,
this must prove invaluable.
The neighbourhood:
Cambridge is famous for its stunning chapels and international
choirs. However, whilst the chapel of St Catharine's is rather
dwarfed by its more famous neighbours, it has a quiet elegance
and serenity that the chapels along the more familiar tourist
routes struggle to achieve.
The cast:
The Revd Anthony Moore, CMP, college chaplain, led the service.
He was assisted by various college student volunteers. The choir
was directed by Edward Wickham, Ph.D.(Mus.), director of music
at the college.
The date & time:
Tuesday, 27 October 2009, 6.30pm.
What was the name of the service?
Luminaria: A short service based on the offices of vespers and
compline, centred around Jesus Christ as the Light of the World.
How full was the building?
Aside from the chaplain, chapel volunteers and the 12-person
choir, there was just a handful in the congregation.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
I am sure they would have done, but I arrived only minutes before the service began and was ushered in hastily, clutching my service sheets.
Was your pew comfortable?
Standard wooden pews laid out collegiate style, so facing one another into the centre of the chapel. Clearly designed for the tall and thin!
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Very atmospheric – the building was almost silent, and only
very dimly lit, with a few scattered members of the congregation
sitting quietly.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
A service sheet specific to the day with the relevant hymn,
psalm and readings, plus a separate order of service giving
the more general structure.
What musical instruments
were played?
Organ. Other than the opening hymn, the music was all sung unaccompanied.
This seemed most suited to the style of service.
Did anything distract
you?
The sparkling white trainers of the choir members glowing almost luminously in the dimly lit chapel!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
The service was intentionally quiet and reflective, focused
around light. A candle was ceremonially lit at the start and
extinguished at the end, during which the choir gathered in
a semi-circle to sing Greek hymns. In between, the service was
essentially an abridged choral evensong. Overall the service
was quiet and reflective, with a leisurely pace and plenty of
time for personal prayer and thought. This fitted the nature
of the service, but the rousing congregational hymn felt somewhat
out of place.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
No sermon. There was an extended pause for personal prayer where a sermon might have been.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
The atmosphere. Although small in number, the choir was disciplined
and controlled, and the music perfectly matched the quiet reverence
of this contemplative service.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I had to overcome a slight personal embarrassment at finding
the congregation so outnumbered by the choir. Similarly, although
quite appropriate, I found that the extended pause for personal
prayer became quite uncomfortable after several minutes. I'm
sure if I had known beforehand that time would be allowed for
silent meditation, I would have been better prepared for it.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
The chaplain bade everyone good-bye as they left. I unfortunately
had to rush off, but there were plenty of people milling around
who would no doubt have been friendly.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
No coffee, but the college members were going off to dinner together.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – As an outsider to Cambridge and the college, I'm not
sure I would ever seriously consider making any particular college
chapel my regular church, but this service went some way toward
persuading me otherwise.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The Greek hymns echoing round the darkness as the choir huddled around the central candle. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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