St Sepulchre-without-Newgate

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Holy Sepulchre London, formally known as Saint Sepulchre-without-Newgate, is the largest Anglican parish church in the City of London.

Situated at the top of Snow Hill on the north side of Holborn Viaduct by the crossroads next to the Old Bailey<ref>www.bbc.co.uk</ref> and within the Newgate Street Conservation Area,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the church has medieval foundations. The parish of St Sepulchre lies in the ward of Farringdon Without and includes Smithfield Market. In the Middle Ages the parish was outside ("without") the city wall, west of the City "New Gate".<ref>www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk</ref>

Since 1950, Holy Sepulchre Church serves as home to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Memorial Chapel,<ref>www.london.anglican.org</ref> and the Musicians' Chapel since 1955, later being dubbed the National Musicians' Church.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Musicians' Chapel displays a book of remembrance and holds a requiem in late autumn – unusual for Low Church Evangelicalism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Early history

The original (pre-Norman) church site was dedicated to St Edmund the King & Martyr,<ref name="Newgate1999" /> before being given in 1137 by Bishop Roger of Salisbury to the nearby Priory of St Bartholomew. After the Second Crusade the advowson was re-dedicated to St Edmund and the Holy Sepulchre, venerating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.<ref name="Newgate1999">Template:Cite web</ref>

Knights crusading to the Holy Land<ref>www.eohsj.org.uk</ref> would attend parochial Mass led by a Canon of St Bartholomew's Priory in Smithfield.<ref>[1] St Bartholomew's Muniment Moom. www.jstor.org</ref> The ancient Guild & Fraternity of St Katharine celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and other Saints days at the church of St Edmund, King & Martyr, and the Holy Sepulchre,<ref>John Strype's Survey of London. www.dhi.ac.uk</ref> until the mid 15th century when they were granted royal charters.<ref>www.haberdashers.co.uk</ref>

The name became contracted as St Sepulchre, derived from Sanctum Sepulchrum (Latin for Holy Sepulchre) although there is no saint called "Sepulchre", with the royal saint and martyr reference falling into disuse by the 20th century; its 12th-century re-dedication helped its differentiation from another smaller church, also dedicated to St Edmund, King and Martyr, to the east of St Paul's Cathedral.<ref>"The City of London Churches: monuments of another age" Quantrill, E; Quantrill, M p. 24: London; Quartet; 1975</ref>

File:St Sepulchre-without-Newgate Interior, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
Nave of Holy Sepulchre Church, London

In 1555 the incumbent vicar, Revd John Rogers, Reader of St Paul's, was burned at the stake in Smithfield as a heretic during the religious persecutions under Mary I.

The President and Fellows of St John's College, Oxford,<ref>www.sjc.ox.ac.uk</ref> as patrons of the advowson since 1622, retain the right to present, when vacant, a priest for appointment by the Bishop of London.

Bells

Holy Sepulchre's bells are referred to in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons as the "bells of Old Bailey".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1605, Master Merchant Taylor Robert Dowe gave the parish £50 (Template:Inflation) for commissioning a handbell to mark the execution of prisoners at the nearby gallows at Newgate.<ref name="BHO">Template:Cite book</ref> This execution bell is displayed in a glass case in the nave. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the sexton was responsible for ringing it outside the condemned man's cell in Newgate Prison the night before his execution, and announcing the following "wholesome advice":<ref name="BHO"/><ref name="Piper&Jervis"/> Template:Quotation

Given its proximity to Newgate Prison and the Old Bailey, built on the site of the medieval gaol, certain of its bells, aside from marking time, celebrating weddings and communion, were rung to announce executions. In the first years of the court Holy Sepulchre's bells tolled as the condemned felon was led to Tyburn.<ref name="Piper&Jervis">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Army Memorials

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File:St Sepulchre without Newgate, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1 - Royal Arms - geograph.org.uk - 1164324.jpg
Coat of arms of George II

The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) Chapel,<ref>www.fusiliermuseumlondon.org</ref> selected in 1946 for the south aisle of Holy Sepulchre Church, was dedicated in 1950 by the Very Revd Dr W. R. Matthews, Dean of St Paul's. Re-dedicated as the Royal Fusiliers Memorial Chapel after amalgamation in 1968,<ref>www.army.mod.uk</ref> in the presence of Lord Mayor Sir Gilbert Inglefield,<ref>[2] The Royal Fusiliers Memorial Chapel Committee Chairman: Colonel Michael Dudding Template:Post-nominals</ref> the Regimental Garden of Remembrance is dedicated to all Royal Fusiliers from time immemorial.<ref>"The Visitors Guide to the City of London Churches" Tucker,T: London, Friends of the City Churches, 2006 Template:ISBN</ref>

At the north aisle's west end are memorials to the City of London Rifles (6th Battalion London Regiment).<ref>www.londonregimentassociation.co.uk</ref>

Musicians' Chapel

Beside the north aisle is the Musicians' Chapel, originally known as St Stephen's Chapel, dedicated to the 12th-century monastic St Stephen Harding, where votive Masses were held before the English Reformation and then during the reign of Mary I.<ref name=le/>

The ashes of conductor Sir Henry Wood, founder of [[Promenade Concerts|Template:Abbr]], who learnt to play the organ at the church as a boy, were interred in St Stephen's Chapel.<ref name=le/>

It was re-dedicated to musicians on 2 January 1955 by the Dean of St Paul's, in the presence of many distinguished musicians, with Sir Malcolm Sargent conducting an orchestra and the BBC Singers.<ref name=le/> Its four windows commemorate the composers Walter Carroll and John Ireland, opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and Sir Henry Wood.<ref name=le>"The London Encyclopædia" Hibbert, C; Weinreb, D; Keay, J: London, Pan Macmillan, 1983 (revised 1993, 2008) Template:ISBN</ref>

The chapel's décor and the Musicians' Book of Remembrance are maintained by the Friends of the Musicians' Chapel.<ref>www.musicianschapel.org.uk</ref> A Service of Thanksgiving for all those in the book is held each year as well as a requiem on or about All Souls' Day. Many concerts and memorial events for musicians continue to be held at Holy Sepulchre, London.<ref>www.wcomarchive.org.uk</ref>

Modern history

St Sepulchre united with the benefices of Christ Church, Newgate Street<ref>www.cityoflondon.gov.uk</ref> and St Leonard, Foster Lane in 1954,<ref>www.citizensmemorial.wordpress.com</ref> its incumbent being titled Rector.

The church was known as the National Musicians' Church for 70 years until August 2017, when hiring of the facilities for non-religious events was banned, against assurances given when HTB took over in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /> Fifty distinguished luminaries from the musical world, including Aled Jones, Julian Lloyd Webber, James MacMillan, John Rutter, Jane Glover and Judith Weir, signed an open letter urging reversal of the ban and preservation of the church's "unique national cultural remit".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> 7,800 people signed a petition for the decision to be reversed.<ref>www.musiciansunion.org.uk</ref>The Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, Acting Bishop of London, also tried to convince the church to reverse its ban. Dr Andrew Earis,<ref>www.bbc.co.uk</ref> director of music at St Martin-in-the-Fields and former director of music at Holy Sepulchre, regretted that the church had not changed its decision, which he said was "doing irreparable harm to the church as a whole".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2017, the Revd David Ingall,<ref>Revd David Ingall, Ministry Director at Burning Heart</ref> Rector of St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, discontinued parish funds financing the requiem and allowing free rehearsal time. A protest was held and many prominent musicians including Sir John Rutter sought continued benevolence from the wider congregation and church patron; attempts to mediate failed.<ref>www.churchtimes.co.uk</ref>

Appointed Priest-in-Charge in 2021,<ref name=":02">Template:Cite web</ref> the Revd Nick Mottershead Template:Post-nominals<ref>www.richardreevesfoundation.org.uk</ref> was instituted as Rector of St Sepulchre in 2024.<ref>www.london.anglican.org</ref> Scion of a Cheshire family who became Mercers, Mottershead serves since 2020 as Honorary Chaplain to the Worshipful Company of Fuellers.<ref>www.fuellers.co.uk</ref>

Clarifying that Holy Sepulchre Church is no longer a member of the HTB network, its newly-installed Rector<ref>www.churchtimes.co.uk</ref> in 2024 described his work "to rebuild a reputation around being the Musicians’ Church and to redefine and communicate that this is a place welcoming to all. Faith or no faith, meeting people where they are — all that language is super-important to me." The Revd Fr Nick Mottershead also encouraged the introduction of same-sex blessings and expressed support for same-sex marriage in the future.<ref name=":02" />

Organ

File:The organ at St Sepulchre, Holborn Viaduct - geograph.org.uk - 1806393.jpg
Holy Sepulchre Church pipe organ

The north aisle is dominated by a splendid pipe organ built by Renatus Harris in 1670;<ref>Pearce, C.W. "Notes on Old City Churches: their organs, organists and musical associations" London, Winthrop Rogers Ltd 1909</ref> the organ case is its sole mention in the National Heritage architectural listing, adding the date of 1677.<ref name=listing/>

The swell was added by John Byfield in Template:Circa. The organ was enlarged in 1817 by James Hancock and by John Gray in 1828 and 1835, then Gray & Davison in 1849, 1852 and 1855. Rebuilt in 1932 by Harrison & Harrison, Holy Sepulchre's organ specifications can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Not currently playable, efforts are being made to restore the church's pipe organ,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a Makin digital organ is used as required for services.

Holy Sepulchre's choir now comprises eight professional singers.

Organists

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  • Francis Forcer 1676–1704
  • Thomas Deane 1705–1712
  • Benjamin Short 1712–1760
  • William Selby and Samuel Jarvis 1760–1773
  • Samuel Jarvis 1773–1784
  • George Cooper 1784–1799
  • George Cooper 1799–1843 (son of above)
  • George Cooper 1843–1876 (son of above)
  • James Loaring
  • Edwin Matthew Lott
  • Edgar Pettman
  • Frank Basil Fowle 1924–1958
  • Peter Asprey (Director of Music–present)
  • Joshua Ryan (Organist-elect)

Architecture

Now the largest parish church in the City,<ref name=cc/> Holy Sepulchre was completely rebuilt in the 15th century<ref name=cc>"The City Churches" Tabor, M. p. 127: London; The Swarthmore Press Ltd; 1917</ref> but was gutted by the Great Fire of London in 1666,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> which left standing only the outer walls,<ref>"The Survey of Building Sites in London after the Great Fire of 1666" Mills, P/ Oliver, J Vol I p. 124: Guildhall Library MS. 84 reproduced in facsimile, London, London Topographical Society, 1946</ref> the tower and the porch.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Rebuilt between 1667 and 1679 by Joshua Marshall, the King's Master Mason, Holy Sepulchre appears to be remodelled to Marshall's own design.<ref>Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851 by Rupert Gunnis</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lightly modified in the 18th century,<ref name=listing/> the interior of the church is a wide, roomy space with a coffered ceiling<ref>"London:the City Churches" Pevsner, N / Bradley, S. New Haven, Yale, 1998 Template:ISBN</ref> installed in 1834, with plasterwork completed three years later.<ref name=listing/> The church underwent considerable re-facing and alterations in 1878,<ref name=listing/> then remodelling by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1932.

During the Second World War its 18th-century watch house, built in the churchyard to deter grave-robbers, was bomb-struck but later rebuilt. The church has been designated a Grade I-listed building (the highest grade) since 1950.<ref name=listing>Template:NHLE</ref> St Sepulchre Vicarage on Giltspur Street was fully renovated when the incumbent, Revd Dr Peter Mullen, was serving as the Lord Mayor's Chaplain in 2001/02.

Notable people associated with Holy Sepulchre Church

See also

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References

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St Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church website

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