Coventry Cathedral - the Sutherland Tapestry

Graham Sutherland's great tapestry, Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph, is full of imagery taken from Revelations. The Archbishop of Canterbury based his marvellous sermon at the Golden Jubilee of the Consecration of the Cathedral on the meaning of the tapestry.

The main theme of the tapestry is taken from the lines:

'And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

And he that sat to look upon like a jasper and sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an emerald....

And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne, were four beasts...
and the first beast was like a lion,

and the second beast like a calf,

and the third beast had the face as a man,

and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.' 

                                                                                               Revelations IV, vs. 2,3,6 and 7

The dragon in the chalice under Christ's feet is referenced here:

'Then another sign became visible in the sky and I saw that it was a huge red dragon...Now they have conquered him though the blood of the Lamb.'
                                                                                               Revelations XII, vs 3 and 10


St Michael hurling down the Devil is referred to here:

'Then war broke out in Heaven, Michael and his angels battled with the Dragon...so that the huge Dragon, the serpent of ancient times, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was hurled down upon the earth.'
                                                                                               Revelations XII, vs 7,8 and 9

Favourite Views - Fields of Barley

Fields of barley on the path from Badger Farm to Compton, south of Winchester.

Golden Jubilee of the Consecration of Coventry Cathedral

The Golden Jubilee of the Consecration of Coventry Cathedral was held on 25th May 2012, exactly 50 years after the original service which was attended by the Queen. On this occasion, a glorious sunny day, the service was taken by the Dean, the Very Reverend John Irving, before the Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, and the Princess Royal. The service began with a beautiful Lord's Prayer sung in Aramaic. The Archbishop of Canterbury preached a marvellous sermon drawing on the imagery of Graham Sutherland's great tapestry. 

A video of the procession at the end of the service can be seen here

Following the service, a reception was held for the Princess Royal in St Mary's Hall

Click here for some photos from the event

A very good BBC programme about the Cathedral can be heard here

Chelsea Flower Show 2012

The Chelsea Flower Show 2012 - for photos - of the people as well as the gardens - click here 

Favourite Castles - Landmark Trust Houses

East Banqueting House, Chipping Camden 1994 and 1995

East Banqueting House, Chipping Camden 1994 and 1995

Gothic Temple, Stowe 

Gothic Temple, Stowe

Gothic Temple, Stowe

Shute Gatehouse, Lyme Regis

Anna at Shute Gatehouse

Lyme Regis

British Design 1948 - 2012 at the V&A

John Piper's Coventry

The Exhibition of British Design 1948 - 2012 at the V&A is fascinating as it covers approximately my lifetime and includes some particularly potent images from the 1960s including my first car -  a Mini - reminding one forcefully how terribly small they were. There were also a number of striking pieces from the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral, including the only maquette of John Piper's Baptistry Window and some stunning cartoons by Graham Sutherland from the creation of his famous tapestry, 'Christ In Glory in the Tetramorph' .

Graham Sutherland "The Eagle" (An image depicting St John)

I was also lucky enough to attend a lecture introducing the exhibition by Ghislaine Wood, the curator, as well as Louise Campbell of Warwick University on Sir Basil Spence and the building of the new Cathedral and Jonathan Foyle of the World Monuments Fund on the Fund's plans to improve the Coventry Cathedral quarter of the City as well as restore and display the beautiful C15th stained glass from the old Cathedral. Work on this part of the project has already started at The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. 

Favourite Places - The Bishops' Palace, Winchester

Favourite Views - Chilcomb in Spring

Oilseed rape in flower covers the fields around Chilcomb

Marta Becket - To Dance On Sands

Marta Becket - 'Sunflower Alley'

Say that upon the altar of her beauty
You sacrificed your tears, your sighs, yours heart:
Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears
Moist it again, and frame some feeling line
That may discover such integrity.


For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews,
Whose golden touch would soften steel and stones,
Make tigers tame and huge leviathans
Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands.


Proteus: Two Gentlemen of Verona
Act Three, Scene Two

The Song of Solomon

My beloved spake, and said unto me,

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.

Arise my love, my fair one and come away.

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice and thy countenenace is comly.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.

My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

So perfect for April