A LITURGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL

Context

A cathedral is a setting where worship takes pride of place. In a cathedral the timeless dimension of worship is encountered as in few other places, and a standard of excellence aspired to which is not usually experienced at parish level. In serving as a mother church to a whole diocese, a cathedral can hold before the wider church a priority for worship which lifts us beyond the pressures of the immediate and the mediocre.

A parish-church cathedral like Newcastle, of relatively recent foundation when compared with the ancient cathedrals of England, has a rather specialised role, affording perhaps distinctive opportunities to make connections with the local church and civic community, compared with cathedrals with longer histories, larger budgets, and more august reputations.

As in most of our great industrial cities, Newcastle Cathedral knew life first as a parish church and this gives it a more accessible feel and ideally an easier working relationship with the parishes it serves. This arguably offers it the opportunity both to strive for and offer excellence but also to model and exemplify what might be possible in a parish setting.

The Nature of Renewed Worship

Taking as a starting point the definition of liturgy as the work of the people of God, the purpose of the Cathedral is to bring all who worship here into full, conscious, and active participation in the offering of worship to God. Cathedrals through their scale and spatial character always offer some scope for anonymity – for enquirers to test the water and for visitors to (literally in some cases) take a back seat – but that should not exclude the possibility or deny the opportunity of the regular community deepening their participation in the life of worship.

This need applies at a number of levels and relationships. It will involve the Cathedral’s regular Sunday and weekday congregation, the gathering of the community of the Diocese around its bishop, and the occasions when the Cathedral serves as spiritual home to the city and county.

From the outset therefore, key concepts in the development of the worshipping life of the Cathedral will be participation and flexibility.

These concepts will need to be reflected not only in approaches and attitudes as worship is planned and prepared, but also to be clearly expressed in the design of the liturgical space itself; its physical attributes, the configuration of seating for the congregation, and the design and positioning of its liturgical furnishings.

Such priorities are not always easily accommodated in historic church buildings, where layout and design of worship space reflect theological narratives of previous centuries. In this Newcastle Cathedral is no exception. The late nineteenth century re-ordering sought to establish a liturgical space or series of spaces with a distinct Choir and heavily pewed nave that reflected a then contemporary understanding of “catholic” worship with a strong west –east axis and a focus on the elevated high altar at the east end. The beautiful carving of Ralph Hedley created an outstanding set-piece Choir which continues to offer an appropriate setting for Choral Evensong with a modest

congregation and the singers in their stalls. The length and narrowness of the Choir compared to the nave however, makes the high altar invisible to all but a small minority of the congregation seated in the centre of the nave. The creation of the crossing platform has increased the sense of detachment from the nave – there is a real feeling that we are dealing here with two separate rooms rather than one coherent whole. The remaining nave pews (many have already been removed) seem both crowded but also very unbalanced and developments in liturgical understanding have eroded the logic behind the original pattern of furnishings.

The Liturgical Renewal movement originating on the Continent at the end of the 19 th century rapidly gathered pace with the Second Vatican Council, affecting all major liturgical traditions. Within the Church of England, the Parish Communion Movement was another expression of the same impetus. These movements sprang from a rediscovery of primitive Christian practice, in which the Eucharist was central, as was an understanding of the assembly itself as the minister of the rite.

Possibilities and Problems

In this context a seating plan, the remnants of which survives in Newcastle Cathedral, can be seen to inhibit a rediscovery of the assembly’s role. Both the hierarchical division between choir and nave, clergy and people, and the rigid fixed seating in the nave, speak solely of supportive observance of worship rather than the possibility of active participation in it.

While the interplay between the English Choral tradition and the role of the assembly is a wider issue that needs to be explored and understood in more than architectural terms, there is most certainly an inherent conflict between the Cathedral as presently configured and the renewed understanding of worship as the work of the whole people of God expressed anew in the language and culture of today’s Church. Furthermore, the wide variety of worship, civic and cultural events which a contemporary cathedral is required to host demands a flexibility at present denied by the building, as the introduction to the Options Appraisal states: “the potential use of the cathedral’s nave is greatly hampered by the quality and character of the current layout of furnishings”.

A Way Ahead

How might this conflict be resolved? In attempting to answer this question it may be useful to examine several different liturgical scenarios which form a regular part of the Cathedral ‘s annual cycle of events, to see which common denominators emerge.

1. The Sunday Liturgy The Cathedral has long enjoyed a rich tradition of worship in what used to be called the ‘Prayer Book Catholic’ tradition (now perhaps Common Worship Catholic?). It was no doubt an early beneficiary of the Parish Communion Movement (adjoining as it does the parish of St John’s Newcastle, one of the pioneers), and the Eucharist is central to the Cathedral’s life. The main Sunday Eucharist is celebrated with great dignity, with lights, sometimes with incense and always with an eye to detail.

But just as the mid 20th century witnessed a sea change in the pattern and appearance of Sunday morning worship, as sung Matins gave way to the Eucharist, so again the Church finds itself in a time of transition. The rediscovery of early Christian praxis is enlivening our liturgical sense, and empowering the whole people of God to claim their inheritance as the holy, priestly, community of faith.

Integral to this renewed understanding is a strong sense of community, the desire for full participation, and an awareness that in worship we are engaged in a journey.

It is precisely for these reasons that the interior of the Cathedral as it now stands is inadequate for the task. The fixed seating confines the assembly to a traditional configuration facing east, suggestive of an audience observing worship led by others. The length and comparative narrowness of the building beyond the crossing has already led to the high altar being abandoned as a central focus for the Sunday Liturgy, but its architectural setting means that it continues to compete visually with the nave altar, a tension arguably compounded by the present custom of administering communion at both altars in the same Eucharist.

The finely detailed choir is the natural setting for the singers, but this divides the assembly and removes those making music from a full sense of participation with other worshipers. Experiments placing the singers in other locations however have proved less than satisfactory, for reasons to do with sight lines, audibility and the necessary relationship between the choir and the organist.

The present configuration of seating encourages people to scatter across a wide area, many in the north aisle, severely detracting from a sense of cohesion, and the fixed amount of seating means that it cannot be adjusted downwards for occasions such as the average Sunday when seating capacity is greater than necessary.

The Cathedral’s Sunday Liturgy has for many years emphasized the notion of journey by beginning every week at the west end, gathered around the font, for the penitential rite, but thereafter it is difficult to maintain or give impetus to this journeying theme, given the over-provision of furniture and the changes in level beyond the crossing. Once again the building inhibits.

In view of all these factors, the re-ordering of the nave becomes the pre-requisite to a thorough re-working of the way in which the Sunday Liturgy is staged and celebrated. Above all a large level area - which we might call a liturgical pavement – is required, on which the journey from font to ambo and to altar could be made by an assembly conscious of itself as a pilgrim people or by the ministers as representatives of the wider assembly. Either way, both the seating capacity and its configuration need to be adjustable and flexible to encourage a sense of cohesion and to place members of the assembly in conscious recognition of one another.

For the Sunday Liturgy, the ‘room’ could be defined as the nave, with the eastern part of the building disregarded for this purpose. This liturgical room, as well as being established at a single level, would be simplified as far as possible by the removal of all extraneous objects or decoration e.g. banners, obsolete hymn boards, display boards, stacked chairs, to allow the liturgy itself, in its colour and movement, to be the icon of the presence of Christ.

The Cathedral’s existing commitment to liturgy as journey could be emphasized and made a distinguishing feature of its life and work. The liturgy could move from the font at the west end to an ambo set up in the centre of the nave, around which the assembly is seated, in forming two blocks of seating facing one another, possibly in an ellipse. The ambo could, for example, be located towards the west end of the nave, facing east, indicative of the journey that is to continue and distancing the liturgy from the traditional ‘up front’ position of the lectern and pulpit.

Following the Liturgy of the Word and the sharing of the Peace, the assembly might continue its journey to stand around the altar at the eastern end of the nave or possibly at the crossing. (As currently configured this would involve negotiating one or two steps but there is equally a strong case for levelling the pavement at this point too). This altar would be the focus of the Eucharistic prayer and of the sharing of communion.

It would be possible for each section of the liturgical journey to be centred on a single liturgical focus, each speaking with clarity and force of the life and practice which they symbolise.

In support of this process further thought might be given to the key liturgical furnishings: the font, lectern, altar and in this cathedral church – the chair of the bishop.

There is a strong case for the existing font to be adapted to stand on the floor of the cathedral, its two steps removed, to make it accessible to all. Relined and kept full to overflowing with water at all times, it would then stand as a reminder of our baptismal promises within the liturgy, and as a place at other times where

the individual may touch holy water as a sign of blessing.

(The canopy would need to be raised to an adequate distance and the effect of the water heightened by appropriate lighting).

Attention to the setting of the font, perhaps decorating the floor of the nave immediately around the font as at Peterborough, might give added prominence. The font, thus refurbished and highlighted, would become the natural starting point both for every liturgical journey and for pilgrims and visitors on their entry into the cathedral.

An ambo could replace both the existing lectern and pulpit as the primary liturgical focus for the reading of the scriptures, the proclamation of the gospel, and the preaching. It would need to be a piece of furniture of strength and dignity, matching the altar table in

prominence, to give a proper balance between word and sacrament. It could be so designed as to enable an open book of the scriptures to be displayed at all times. It might be possible to adapt the existing pre Reformation eagle lectern for this purpose or for this unique object to be relocated to the Choir.

(In terms of scale as well as aesthetics this may have much to commend it.)

The altar table should be a piece of liturgical furniture of great strength and dignity, and to this end it should be a thing of beauty in its own right, not necessarily requiring altar frontals to give it prominence. A dramatically simple stone cube such as that newly erected in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, provides a possible model. Like the font and ambo, the altar table would

stand on the floor, without steps or rails to separate it from the people. It could stand within the crossing or further west depending on the shape of the assembly.

Appropriately located, the altar whatever its design, would, on occasions, enable the whole assembly to gather around, standing, for the Eucharistic prayer, to make explicit the offering of the whole assembly. (A small number of seats could be provided for those who find it difficult to stand.) After communion the assembly could return to their places in the nave for a time of quiet reflection before the thanksgiving for communion and the sending forth. Such a pattern would presuppose and permit a single point of reception.

It should be noted however that both ambo and altar, unlike the font, would need to be movable in order to serve the needs of other cathedral liturgies and events. This does not mean however that these items would look movable or lightweight. There are good examples, (as at Pontigny Abbey), of movable altars which appear solid and immovable.

It is important to express the key role of the cathedral as a focus of the Bishop’s teaching ministry and this might be enhanced by the creation of a dignified bishop’s chair that would take its place in the nave to complement the present throne in the choir. Whilst this should also be movable in order to respond to different liturgical occasions it should be of a piece with the family of furniture that includes the ambo and altar.

The capacity to configure the space along these lines would enable musicians and singers to be positioned in such a way that they felt and were evidently a part of the whole assembly rather than being seated in a distinct or distant area, though probably sitting together as a group alongside everyone else.

The creation of such a liturgical room in the nave for Sunday worship could be achieved only if all the existing pews in the nave and north aisle were removed and the floor levelled to create a liturgical pavement on one level on which font, ambo and altar all stand.

The pews could be replaced by benches with the addition of good quality stacking chairs for bigger occasions. The options appraisal considers some alternatives.

It should be noted at this point that such a proposal can only work successfully if provision is made at the outset for the storage of all superfluous chairs – there will thus be a need for improvements to the existing chair store in the South transept including a robust lift mechanism.

It should also be stressed that the possibility of anonymity that some seek in attending a Cathedral whether as visitors or enquirers, is not compromised by a more gathered seating plan such as that proposed. Indeed the more obvious sense of spaciousness in the nave as a

whole, may actually be more permissive then the constraints imposed by pews, for those who simply wish, in the first instance, to observe.

2. Maundy Thursday Evening

The particular demands of Holy Week, when the Liturgy of the Church calls the faithful, not only to recall but to enter actively into dramatic events of the final days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, of necessity requires the imaginative use of the Cathedral space, bringing into play a whole range of spaces and rooms.

The Mass of the Last Supper celebrated on the evening of Maundy Thursday is potentially the most poignant and moving of all the Church’s liturgies. It calls the participant to a renewal of discipleship and a deepened sense of solidarity with the betrayed and abandoned Christ. It has however in over a decade of experimentation proved almost impossible to stage effectively in Newcastle Cathedral. Constraints of space and problems over sight lines have meant the principle symbolic actions such as the washing of the feet have either been invisible to a significant number of the assembly (when enacted in the nave or on the nave platform) or difficult to undertake with dignity in the constrained space of the Choir.Once again, a large, open, liturgical pavement, all on one level, would be vital for a creative treatment of this holy night. The Cathedral nave, cleared of fixed seating, would provide an admirable setting for the entire rite save for the Gethsemane Watch which immediately follows the Eucharist.

The Mass of the Last Supper is like no other in the Church’s year, and so it is appropriate for the experience of entering the space and taking one’s place to be quite different from the norm. One effective way of achieving this might be for the participants to take their places around a long table, made up of trestle tables

pushed together and covered completely with white table cloths. The tables could be placed end to end down the length of the nave as far as necessary to accommodate all. The altar and ambo would be removed.

The congregation might be seated in a single row (or two or three rows if necessary) situated some distance back from the table. Such an arrangement would intensify the sense of being invited to sit at table with Christ, and heighten the choice between betrayal and solidarity with he who went from this meal to his death. The setting would be important in creating an

appropriate atmosphere of quiet, reflective intimacy. Lighting would be kept low, and members of the assembly take their places in

total silence.

In this configuration the traditional sequence of the liturgy may be followed, or, to make more explicit the links between the Church’s Eucharistic meal with the Passover meal of Jesus and his inner circle, other options may be adopted.

The tradition of foot washing, so hard to achieve with meaning and dignity under the current constraints could be undertaken with grace and space (in every sense). It might be possible for all members of the assembly (or the majority) to be engaged in this symbolic action rather then a select few as at present.

Again with sufficient space It might be possible for members of the assembly either to receive communion in the usual way, or to come to the table to take the cup for themselves following an announcement from the president with the question of Jesus to his followers; “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?” The assembly replying “we are able”.

After returning to their places and after keeping a time of reflective silence, the assembly joins in the thanksgiving for communion and the procession to the Altar of Repose in another space within the cathedral. Moving the assembly would be facilitated by the space surrounding the focus of the Eucharistic action.

(Similar spatial considerations come into play in the liturgy of Good Friday when the cross replaces the table as the principle focus of the liturgical action. Creating a spacious gathering place for the assembly to gather at the cross for a period of reflection and devotion has been frustrated by the linear character of the current setting which invites and indeed constrains people to “queue” for an individual engagement with the cross rather than to be part of a shared period in which to “behold the wood of the cross”)

3. Ordinations Whereas the nave of the Cathedral can be considered the ‘working space’ for the Liturgy on Sundays and feast days, as well as particular holy days such as Maundy Thursday evening, there will be other occasions when it will be appropriate to use the Cathedral in a quite different way, bringing into play the whole length of the building.

On large occasions such as an ordination, the whole of the cathedral could come into use as traditionally conceived, with the bulk of the assembly seated in the nave with the clergy, servers and singers seated in the choir.

The high altar in the choir could then resume its place as the focus of the Liturgy of the Sacrament, with the central altar table removed to allow the nave to become a ‘room of the word’. Although it might be assumed by some that this meant the return of eastward-facing

nave seating, the suggested Sunday configuration could, if desired, be maintained, with the assembly facing in towards the central liturgical pathway containing the font, ambo, bishop’s chair and high altar. On this pathway the action of the ordination could be played out.

One potential criticism would be that not everyone would be able to see clearly everything that is going on at any one time, it should be remembered that this would apply equally to a traditional seating layout in a sub-divided medieval building. What matters is that the character of the assembly as people accompanying those to be ordained on their journey from font to altar, baptism to ordination, would be given clear expression. A good sound system would ensure that all present can relate to what’s going on, and the temporary installation of closed circuit TV monitors is a further step which might be considered.

The first focus in the rite of ordination would be the font, for baptism is the sacrament which unites the whole body and from which all orders of ministry develop. As with the suggested Sunday pattern therefore, the liturgy begins with the procession of bishop, other sacred ministers, and candidates to the font where the presentation and examination might take place in the context of the baptismal promises of all the faithful. Those not directly involved in this section of the liturgy would process direct to their places in choir

The Liturgy of the Word would follow, with the bulk of the assembly seated in the nave, facing north and south, gathered round the central ambo in its regular Sunday position, with the bishop seated a the platform under the crossing in front of the choir screen.

As the culmination of the Liturgy of the Word, the Rite of ordination would then take place on the platform under the crossing.

After the rite of ordination and the greeting of the candidates and the sharing of the Peace, the bishop and the newly ordained could proceed to the high altar for the Liturgy of the Sacrament, and the bishop’s chair could be removed from the crossing.

4. Special Worship Events This heading covers all kinds of worship events not included in the regular pattern of services and tending towards the experimental and provisional. In this connection ‘youth services may spring immediately to mind, but there is an increasing interest amongst people of all ages for an experience of worship which breaks the mould. Sometimes such events will be thematic rather than liturgical, but not necessarily, for the Eucharistic rite is today being re-imagined in many exciting ways.

The ‘Fresh Expressions’ movement has reminded us of the urgent need for the Church to find new, engaging and cultural relevant ways of presenting the treasures of the gospel. The essential purpose of worship stays the same, but our mode of expression in giving voice to it constantly evolves.

Special services of this kind require space and variety of setting and mood, where a progression between sections of a liturgical rite, or between stages of a thematic exploration of religious ideas, is accommodated and given vitality.

In the case of the Cathedral, the spaces made available by a nave cleared of fixed seating, and by the sequence of spaces provided by the sub-divisions of the medieval building, suit the purposes of special services admirably. Although many such events have already been staged in the building as at present configured, it has been a case of doing so despite the building rather than because of it. Severe difficulties may have been overcome on these occasions, but the Cathedral now needs to show itself, by the way it is arranged and ordered, to be fully in sympathy with the desire to dream new dreams in the worship of God.

A large open gathering space free of divisions or physical interruptions is the sine qua non of such events, and the nave, free of fixed seating, would work very well for this purpose.

Depending on the event, it may even remain free of any seating at all, participants bringing their own cushion to sit on the floor.

For many special services both the ambo and altar table would be removed, especially for non-liturgical events but sometimes for liturgical events also when a completely new approach is sought.

A series of spaces, rather than a single room, would also be valuable for such special worship events, to give full rein to the concept of journey, or to enable different groups to explore different aspects of an overall theme. For this purpose the Cathedral’s existing sub-division of spaces between nave, crossing, choir and chapels, so often a problem, could here be turned to advantage.

Special worship events of this kind usually involve the use of several media, and the main space would need to be equipped with the technical facilities to make possible for theatrical lighting, amplified sound and video projection.

Of all these the lighting scheme is the most important single component, and the present work being undertaken towards the installation of a new lighting scheme takes into account

the need to provide different zones within the cathedral to enable a creative interplay of light and dark as well as the capacity to create a wide variety of moods for different liturgical occasions.

Conclusion

The scenarios described above are obviously in no sense an exhaustive account of the many different kinds of liturgical opportunity and challenge that the cathedral faces month by month. Nor are the particular layouts or liturgical patterns meant in any sense to be prescriptive. However, while the current furnishings mean that many liturgies can feel very similar whatever the season or occasion what clearly emerges from the case studies described is the possibility of a much greater variety and richness in liturgical provision than is presently possible. Advent carol services, Candlemas processions, the Easter Vigil, an important civic funeral, a children’s liturgy – all of these might equally have been explored and some vary different ideas may have emerged. What is clear is that none of the various liturgies described above could happen within the current constraints and that the cathedral’s calling to be (among other things) a place of liturgical excellence and creativity – at the leading edge of the church’s mission in this area is hampered, not to say negated.This paper has not even begun to explore other forms of presentation or performance that are located on the very edge of what might be seen as formal liturgical events. For example the recent collaboration between Circa and I Fagiolini in the recent cathedral tour Like an Angel explores the physical and spiritual space of four great buildings though music and physical theatre in a way that would be impossible to contemplate in Newcastle. Even more traditional but complex musical offerings requiring the use of dispersed resources in different parts of the building are inhibited by the buildings current constraints.Only a radical re-shaping of the nave and the introduction of the possibility of maximum flexibility in terms of seating and furniture will free us to fulfil this calling on behalf of the wider church and the communities the cathedral is called to serve.

APPENDIX 1

THE CHOIR AND CHAPELS

The Choir of the Cathedral created in the late nineteenth century re-ordering as part of the scheme for the Church’s new status as a cathedral is a set-piece of remarkable interest and quality. Designed by R.L.Johnson the furnishings are the work of local artists and craftsmen, most notably Ralph Hedley and represent an exceptionally fine collection of neo-gothic carving. The representation of the northern saints in the reredos in particular helps to locate the cathedral in the context of its diocese given what is otherwise very much the city’s church.Reference is made elsewhere in the paper to the potential use of the Choir on occasions when the whole Cathedral needs to be used and where a virtue can be made out of what is very clearly two liturgical “rooms”. The narrowness of the choir and the visual “weight” of the pillars at the nave crossing serve, however, to distance this space from the nave and to make its use as part of principal service impractical (and unnecessary) on most occasions. Nevertheless the intimacy of the space works well both practically and acoustically when the Office is sung by the Choir and the regular offering of Choral Evensong not only continues to undergird and enrich the rhythm of daily prayer but, at a practical level also has an important role to play in developing the skills of singers and musicians.New lighting will serve to enhance the particular character of the Choir as a distinct and distinctive space within the Cathedral as a whole.

Particular thought needs to be given to the use and ordering of the Eastern Chapels. These three Chapels are relatively “shallow” spaces and can easily lack definition becoming either a gathering point for processions on the occasion of principal services or at other times barely more than a corridor on the way to the cathedral hall. This is particularly true of the Chapel of the Resurrection at the north east corner. While the very fine Leonard Evetts window acts as a commanding focus for the Ascension Chapel and the Incarnation Chapel has its own sanctuary furniture the Resurrection lacks a focus with the most striking features being the Danish memorial and Danish window on the north wall. Two options exist: to seek to create one coherent space here or to more clearly define the three chapels and give them a greater sense of identity. Certainly as the culminating point of a visit to the cathedral, the eastern chapels represent a disappointing climax and more thought needs to be given about what possibilities exist to give them definition and enrich their role as part of the Cathedral’s spiritual identity. St George’s Chapel has served for many years as the most regular and obvious location for the daily office and Eucharist given both its relative intimacy and enclosure – it is likely that this space would continue to exercise this function. Whether the reservation of the sacrament should continue to be reserved here, or whether one of the eastern chapels dignified by the presence of Stephen Cox’s striking Eucharistic sculpture, might offer a better alternative is a question deserving of further exploration.

Further thought needs to be given to the role of St Margaret’s Chapel which opens onto the south side of the nave. Although a small and potentially intimate space it is the most visible and distinctive “other” space for those entering the Cathedral. The removal of the Victorian screen which was vandalised and carvings stolen in 2005 has left it somewhat exposed and while it remains an important focus for visitors prayers and is where a candle stand is located there is a real need to restore its dignity and redefine its role as a distinct place for quiet prayer. Chapter have drawn up a brief for its re-ordering and are in the process of exploring a way forward.

APPENDIX 2

THE ORGAN

Urgent consideration is being given to the replacement of the Cathedral Organ. Increasing concern has been expressed in recent years as to the state of the instrument and a consensus has emerged that it is no longer possible to continue to “prop up” a failing instrument. Indeed studies suggest that organ has suffered from a series of poorly judged rebuilds down the years that have compromised the quality of the instrument. The logic of this Liturgical Framework also points to the need to renew the organ in a way that will meet the priorities of our current and proposed liturgical patterns. In particular the need to engage not just the choirs but the whole assembly in the offering of worship through singing suggests some repositioning that will enable the organ to support both congregation and choir. This may best be achieved by retaining the organ in more or less its current location within the north transept but advanced southwards by some meters which will allow it to “speak” into the nave more successfully than at present. This could enable the Choir to be located in the north aisle or at the east end of the nave resolving the current difficulties referred to in the Statement.

See Paul Hale’s report: The Organ – Where Next?