St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh
St Mary's Cathedral or Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Edinburgh , Scotland .
history
After the Glorious Revolution in 1688, the presbyteries replaced the bishops at the head of the national church in Scotland. Due to the subsequent affiliation of St. Giles Cathedral to the Church of Scotland , the Episcopal Church in Edinburgh initially remained without a cathedral. For some time, the remaining members of the Episcopal church prayed in a weaving mill near the existing Old Saint Paul's Church . This was used as a pro-cathedral (or co-cathedral) until the early 19th century, before this function was taken over by the Church of St Paul in York Place.
building
St Mary's Cathedral was designed in Gothic style by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Other builders were his son John Oldrid Scott and Sir Robert Lorimer. The foundation stone was laid on May 21, 1874 by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, whose family had supported the Scottish Episcopal Church for the previous hundred years. A bottle was deposited in the foundation stone, which contained, among other things, a copy of the deed of foundation, a service order, newspapers and coins.
music
St Mary's Cathedral is the only cathedral in Scotland that maintains the tradition of daily choral singing. The choir singers come from their own choir school. In 1978, under the organist and choirmaster Dennis Townhill, it was the first cathedral in which girls and boys were used in the treble voices (the high-pitched voices). In 2005, for the first time in the Anglican tradition in St Mary's Cathedral, a female alto (deep female voice) was allowed for singing in daily worship.
In the tower there are ten bells that were installed there in October 1879, and two bells that were added later. The original bells were a gift from James F. Montgomery, the first dean of St Mary's. These bells were all cast by John Taylor & Co in Loughborough. They were designed by Lord Grimthorpe, who was one of the leading designers of bells at the time. The bells of St Mary's Cathedral are one of the few remaining series of bells by Lord Grimthorpe.
organ
The organ was built in 1879 by the organ builder Henry Willis. Over time, the instrument has been changed and expanded several times. Today the organ has 57 registers on four manuals and a pedal . The actions were originally mechanical and were replaced by electro-pneumatic ones in 1879.
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Web links
- St Mary's Cathedral website. Retrieved November 26, 2014 . (English)
- History of St Mary's Cathedral. Retrieved November 26, 2014 . (English)
- Edinburgh, St Mary's Music School. Retrieved November 26, 2014 . (English)
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 55 ° 56 ′ 55 ″ N , 3 ° 12 ′ 59 ″ W.