Trinity Church (Boston)

Trinity Church in the City of Boston

Interior panorama

The Trinity Church or officially Trinitiy Church in the City of Boston is a parish of the Episcopal Church of the United States at Copley Square in the district of Back Bay of Boston in Massachusetts . She belongs to the Diocese of Massachusetts . The parish consists of around 3000 households and was founded in 1733.

Various choirs are associated with the church, including the Trinity Choir , Trinity Schola, Trinity Choristers, and Trinity Chamber Choir.

history

After the parish church at that time burned down in the town fire of 1872 , the current building was built under the then Pastor Phillips Brooks (1835-1893), one of the most famous and charismatic preachers of his time. The church and rectory were designed by Henry Hobson Richardson ; construction lasted from 1872 to 1877 when the church was consecrated. The building established Richardson's fame as an architect and is the archetype of the architectural style known as the Richardsonian Romanesque . It is characterized by a flat tile roof, the use of polychrome, heavy stones, heavy arches and a massive tower. The style was soon adopted in the construction of a number of public buildings in the United States.

Church services

The Shrine of Trinity Church.

There are four services on Sundays at Trinity Church. In the main service at 11:15 am, contrary to the usual practice in today's Episcopal Church , Holy Communion is only given on the first Sunday of the month; on the other Sundays there is a rare modification of the Rite I Morning Prayer with a sermon and an extra anthem . The divine services on the weekdays include the Lord's Supper , on Thursdays there is an Evensong .

Every December, the Trinity Church choirs perform as part of the Candlelight Carols. These are traditional in Boston and are visited by thousands. They wait in long lines in Copley Square to be let in. The event is based on the Nine Lessons and Carols as developed at King's College .

In the Trinity Church, due to its large seating capacity, the central location in Boston and the identity of the building as “Boston's Church”, numerous special services are held, sometimes with the participation of different religions ( Christians , Jews , Muslims , for example after 9/11 ) as well a series of funeral services for public figures or episcopal ordinations.

music

Choirs

The choirs at Trinity Church are also an integral part of public life in Boston and contribute to the city's musical landscape. The Trinity Choir often goes on concert tours and has recorded a number of musical albums. The Trinity Choristers are a children's choir where children learn to make music and sing in the tradition of the Royal School of Church Music .

Organs

Gallery organ by Hilborne L. Roosevelt

The original organ in the church was built in 1876 by Hilborne L. Roosevelt. Its arrangement in the chancel proved to be musically unsatisfactory, which is why it was moved to the gallery. In 1903 a new instrument was built by Hutchings-Votey; it was made possible that the two organs could be played from a single console . Ernest M. Skinner began in 1924 with the revision of both organs, which in 1926 had practically expanded into a new organ on the gallery, the console in the chancel was also new. In 1960 a new organ was installed in the chancel and in 1962 the organ in the gallery was comprehensively renewed. Jason McKown modified the instrument's pitches. For many years he was responsible for maintaining the organs.

Jack Steinkampf installed a row of horizontal pipes under the western gallery window in 1987. These were donated in honor of Paul Albert Merrill. In the late 1990s, Foley-Baker, Inc. took care of the cleaning and overhaul of both organs and the common console.

Art and architecture

The floor plan of the church corresponds to a modified cross , the four wings of which extend from the crossing tower ; this has a height of 64 m. The church is on Copley Square not far from the John Hancock Tower . The building was erected in Boston's Back Bay, which was originally a mudflat , which is why the building rests on about 4,500 logs that were driven nine meters deep through gravel , silt and clay .

David's Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris

The wall paintings, which cover around 2000 m², were entirely made by American artists. Richardson and Brooks decided that a richly colored interior was required and turned to John La Farge (1835-1910). La Farge had never received an order of this size before, but recognized its importance and only asked for payment of its costs. The result established its reputation.

The windows of the church were made of clear glass at the inauguration, with one exception, but stained glass windows were soon added. Four of the windows were designed by Edward Burne-Jones and made by William Morris . Another four windows were later made by John La Farge and revolutionized the design of decorative glazing by using different layers of iridescent glass.

Trinity Church is the only church in the United States and the only structure in Boston to be named "The Top Ten Buildings in the United States" by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The architects selected the church as the most important building in the country in 1885; Trinity Church is the only structure on the original list from 1885, which AIA still maintains on the current list. The church was declared a National Historic Landmark on December 30, 1970 .

The church also has sculptures by Daniel Chester French and Augustus Saint-Gaudens .

gallery

Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, “The Nativity,” 1882
Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, “ Adoration of the Magi, ” 1882
Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, “Adoration of the Shepherds,” 1882
Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, "Adoration of the Shepherds" , 1882 (detail)
Details above the portal
Trinity Church is reflected in the facade of the John Hancock Tower (2007)