WOOD : STONE : BRASS

For the clergy/choir furniture Monsignor Curry put forward the idea that nothing large, grand, or heavy was needed. In the background was our shared love of simple 'bodged' (i.e. greenwood) furniture which had been forged from several projects arising from Bodging Milano and then developing this classic English vernacular. After much discussion regarding timber species, and consultation with everyone involved, we settled on English Oak from a managed plantation in Suffolk. This was given an ebonized finish with the application of a stain (made from vinegar and rusty nails) which helped the pieces stand out without drawing attention away from the more important items.

The three pre-eminent pieces within any Sanctuary are the the Ambo (or pulpit), the Tabernacle containing the Holy Sacrament, and the Altar. From our early briefings, Monsignor Curry explained to us the religious and liturgical significance of each of these. Adrian Gilbert Scott had never provided the church with an Ambo; the old brass Tabernacle (rescued from the Victorian church during the Blitz) was sitting on an out-dated wooden pedestal; and the Altar, which had been modified (and lowered) at various points, needed raising and improving. Gareth and I took the view that these significant items, including a new Pedestal for the Tabernacle, should be in stone as a symbol of permanence. Initially we made very many scale models and drawings, followed by the construction of a full-size plywood Ambo and Pedestal, which were installed in the church to allow everyone to get a feel for the functionality and the look of the new designs. With the designs finalised, we visited the stone quarries of Lincolnshire to find a supplier able to supply blocks of ‘Ancaster Hard White’ in the sizes needed. We met and discussed the work with several masons, before deciding on Stone Art in Gloucestershire - a team led by master-mason Sebastien David.

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