Holy Trinity Church (Stratford-upon-Avon)

The Holy Trinity Church

Church with a cemetery in front

View of the choir room

The Anglican Holy Trinity Church (German: Dreifaltigkeitskirche ) in Stratford-upon-Avon is famous as the baptismal and burial church of William Shakespeare and is therefore visited by thousands of tourists every year. It is located a few hundred meters outside the city center, directly on the Avon River , surrounded by a small cemetery.

The church is open to visitors. To do this, they have to enter the building through an extremely low entrance door that is only 1.60 meters high. Filming and photography are prohibited in the church.

history

A first church at this location is mentioned as early as 845. The current limestone building dates from 1210 and was built on the site of a Saxon monastery. The church is the oldest building in Stratford.

Blueprint
View into the vault
Large choir window
View of the choir room

Furnishing

In the church there are some historical items of equipment, including a. 26 chairs from the 15th century in the choir, with religious, mythological and secular carvings.

Also of importance are the windows on the east and west sides of the church, which show mostly Biblical and English saints.

organ

View of the organ

The organ was built in 1962 by the organ builders Hill, Norman & Beard (London) and reorganized in 1991 by the organ builder Nicholson & Co (Worcester). The instrument has 50 stops on four manual works and a pedal. The actions are electro-pneumatic.

I Choir C – c ⁴
Covered	16 ′
Violin Principal	8th'
Pipe flute	8th'
Dulciana	8th'
Gemshorn	4 ′
Harmonic flute	4 ′
Piccolo	2 ′
Fifteenth	2 ′
Nineteenth	1 ¹ ⁄ ₃  ′
Clarinet	8th'
Tuba mirabilis	8th'

Tremulant

II Great C – c ⁴
Double Open Diapason	16 ′
Open diapason	8th'
Hollow flute	8th'
Principal	4 ′
Harmonic flute	4 ′
Fifteenth	2 ′
Sesquialtera II
Mixture IV
trombone	8th'
Tuba mirabilis	8th'

III Swell I C-c ⁴
Covered	8th'
Viola da gamba	8th'
Principal	4 ′
Stopped Flute	4 ′
Flageolet	2 ′
Mixture III
Contra fagotto	16 ′
Skin boy	8th'

Tremulant

IV Swell II C-c ⁴
Open diapason	8th'
Hollow flute	8th'
Salicional	8th'
Voix Celeste	8th'
Principal	4 ′
Fifteenth	2 ′
Mixture III
Vox Humana	8th'
Double trumpet	16 ′
Cornopean	8th'
Clarion	4 ′

Tremulant

Pedal C – g ¹
Sub bass	16 ′
Open diapason	16 ′
Bourdon	16 ′
Violone	16 ′
Principal	8th'
Bass flute	8th'
violoncello	8th'
Fifteenth	4 ′
trombone	16 ′
Trombones	16 ′

Pairing :

Shakespeare

Shakespeare's grave monument

Inside the church is the burial place of William Shakespeare . According to tradition, the poet was buried seven meters deep to prevent grave robbery. In addition, the warning quatrain is written on a grave inscription above this point

Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear,

To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blest be the man that spares these stones,

But cursed be he that moves my bones.

Good friend, for Jesus' sake renounce

to dig up the dust trapped here.

Blessed be the man who spares these stones,

and cursed be he who moves my bones.