Trinity College Chapel is the chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Part of a complex of Grade I listed buildings at Trinity, it dates from the mid 16th century. It is an Anglican church in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.
Building and architecture
The chapel was begun in 1554–55 by order of Queen Mary and was completed in 1567 by her half-sister, Elizabeth I. The architectural style is Tudor-Gothic, with Perpendicular tracery and pinnacles. The roof is of an earlier style than the rest of the building, and may have been re-used from the chapel of King's Hall, the college which preceded Trinity on this site. Only the walls and roof are of Tudor date, but the walls were re-faced in ashlar in the 19th century and present slate roof-covering is modern. The whole chapel was restored by Edward Blore in 1832 and further work took place between 1868 and 1873 when Arthur Blomfield added the vestry, Choir-room and porch, and the Chapel re-roofed, painted and glazed.
Windows The original white-glass windows with religious inscriptions were replaced as part of the redecoration of the chapel that took place between 1871 and 1875. The cost of the redecoration works was £20,000 (equivalent to £ million in ) of which £11,000 (equivalent to £ million in ) was raised by subscriptions. This late Victorian pictorial stained glass was designed by Pre-Raphaelite artist Henry Holiday to a scheme devised by Trinity theologians, B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort. They comprise eight windows on the north side and seven on the south side of the quire, each depicting eight figures representing features or movements of the related period, in roughly historical sequence and arranged in an upper and lower row of four. The cost of the windows was supported by donors who were Trinity alumni themselves or given in dedication to the memory of alumni.
The table below contains details of each window, with Latin inscription and related article link.
+ Window Theme (West) People (East) Donor(s)North 1 Disciples of Christ Mary Magdalene Thomas the Apostle Martha Mary, sister of MarthaT. J. Phillips Jodrell Nicodemus Saint Nathaniel Philip the Apostle Andrew the ApostleSouth 1 Evangelists and Teachers James the Less Saint Peter Paul the Apostle ApollosHugh Andrew Johnstone Munro Matthew the Apostle Mark the Evangelist Luke the Evangelist St John the EvangelistNorth 2 The Ante-Nicene Church Cyprian Origen Tertullian PerpetuaWilliam George Clark Pantænus Justin Martyr Ignatius of Antioch Pope Clement ISouth 2 The Church of the First Days Cornelius the Centurion Dionysius the Areopagite Lydia of Thyatira OnesimusRevd Henry John Hotham Barnabas Saint Stephen Saint Timothy PhoebeNorth 3 The Western Church Pope Gregory I Benedict of Nursia Pope Leo I Martin of ToursRevd Spencer Mansel, in memory of William Lort Mansel Augustine of Hippo Saint Monica Jerome AmbroseSouth 3 The Eastern Church Eusebius Constantine the Great Helena, mother of Constantine I Justinian IMrs Thrupp in memory of Joseph Francis Thrupp Athanasius of Alexandria Basil of Caesarea Ephrem the Syrian John ChrysostomNorth 4 Latin Christianity Giotto Francis of Assisi Pope Gregory VII ColumbanusCoutts Trotter Dante Alighieri Louis IX of France Thomas Aquinas CharlemagneSouth 4 The Anglo-Saxon Church Saint Boniface Bede Alcuin Alfred the GreatMrs Mathison, in memory of the Revd William Collings Mathison Saint Alban Augustine of Canterbury Bertha of Kent Theodore of TarsusNorth 5 English Ecclesiastical Life before the Reformation Thomas Wolsey William of Wykeham Robert Grosseteste Hugh of AvalonAugustus Arthur VanSittart Stephen Langton Thomas Becket Anselm of Canterbury LanfrancSouth 5 English National Life before the Reformation Edward the Black Prince Duns Scotus Geoffrey Chaucer William CaxtonJoseph Barber Lightfoot Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester Matthew Paris Edward I of England Roger BaconNorth 6 Founders and Benefactors of the University and College Mary I of England Henry VIII of England Edward III of England Hervey de StantonBenjamin Gray Hugh de Balsham Henry III of England Æthelthryth Sigeberht of East AngliaSouth 6 The English Reformation Hugh Latimer Edward VI Nicholas Ridley Elizabeth IRobert Burn John Wycliffe Erasmus William Tyndale Thomas Cranmer North 7 University and College Worthies Thomas Nevile John Whitgift Martin Bucer John RedmanEdward William Blore Cuthbert Tunstall John Fisher John de BaggeshottJohn de Baggeshott: First Warden of the King’s Scholars, 1316 Walter de BuxtonWalter de Buxton: Master of Michaelhouse 1324–1328 South 7 Worthies of the College Henry Spelman John Craven, 1st Baron Craven of Ryton Andrew Marvell John HacketM.R. Cope, Esq., in memory of his brother, the Revd Edward Meredith Cope Francis Bacon John Donne George Herbert Edward Coke North 8 Worthies of Trinity College Richard Bentley Isaac Newton Roger Cotes John RayJoseph Prior, Mrs Thompson in memory of George Peacock and Charles de la Pryme in memory of George Pryme John Dryden Abraham Cowley Isaac Barrow John Pearson
Memorials There are many memorials to former fellows of Trinity within the chapel, some statues, some brasses, including two memorials to graduates and fellows who died during both World Wars. There are also several graves dating from earlier periods.
Organ The chapel has a fine organ, originally built by "Father" Smith in 1694. Many alterations were made over the years until, in 1913, an almost totally new organ was built. Some of the pipes were so large that they would not fit in the organ loft and instead had to stand in a corner of the ante-chapel. In 1976 the present mechanical-action instrument, based on the surviving pipework and within the original cases, was completed by the Swiss firm Metzler Söhne. There are regular recitals on Sundays during term time.
Choir The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge is composed of around thirty male and female Choral Scholars and two Organ Scholars, all of whom are students at the University. Besides singing the liturgy in the chapel, the choir has an extensive programme of performances and recordings. The current Director of Music is Steven Grahl.
Burial ground The Ascension Parish Burial Ground contains the graves or interred cremations of twenty-seven fellows of Trinity College, including three Vice-Masters.
List of deans of Chapel The Dean of Chapel holds responsibility for the Chapel and the Clergy at Trinity.
1873–1877: Handley Moule ? – ? Frederick Arthur Simpson 1923–1943: Hugh Fraser Stewart 1943–1958: John Burnaby 1958-1969: Harry Williams 1969–1983: John Robinson 1984–1991: John Bowker 1991–2006: Arnold Browne 2006–present: Michael Banner
List of memorials/graves
Name Artefact Notes Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Interment Statue by Weekes, 1845, donated by Daniel Lock. Interment Brass Statue by Noble, 1853 presented 1858. Interment Interment Fellow. d. 6 June 1565. Buried in Ante-Chapel. Interment Brass Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Interment Brass Brass Interment Brass Brass Sculpture Interment d.1598. Buried in Ante-Chapel floor. Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Sculpture Interment Brass Brass Brass Interment Interment Interment Fellow and Proctor. Vicar of Barrington. Died 9 December 1714. Interment Brass Sculpture Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Sculpture 1744–1817. Vice-Master; botanist. Sculpture Brass Sculpture Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass 8 March 1836 – 29 January 1907. Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Interment Brass Brass Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Sculpture Interment Bachelor of Divinity and Fellow, 1657–15 November 1715. Brass Brass Brass Sculpture Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Sculpture by Joseph Nollekens. Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Sculpture in Vestry. Regius Professor of Greek. 7 March 1741 – 28 April 1823. Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Interment Brass Sculpture by Roubillac, north wall of the Ante-Chapel. Brass Interment Statue by Woolner, 1868. Sculpture Brass Sculpture Brass Interment Brass on south wall of the Ante-Chapel. 1802–1868. Senior Bursar; Vice-Master. Brass Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Statue by Roubillac, presented 1755. Brass Brass Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Sculpture Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Interment Brass Interment Sculpture Sculpture Brass Brass Brass Interment Interment Senior Fellow and Vice-Master. Vicar of Chesterton. 1658–1714. Sculpture Brass Brass Brass Sculpture by William Grinsell Nicholl on the south wall of the Ante-Chapel.19 October 1811 – 28 September 1837. Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Statue Interment Brass Interment Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Brass Interment Brass Brass Statue by Woolner, 1872. Interment Interment Brass Brass Interment in Ante-Chapel. Fellow; Tutor; Senior Bursar. Vicar of Over and Chesterton. d. 26 October 1754. Brass Brass Brass Brass Sculpture Interment Brass
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