St Stephen's Church, Bournemouth
Encyclopedia
St Stephen's Church is an Anglican church in Bournemouth
, Dorset
(formerly in Hampshire
). The liturgical life of the Church is deeply rooted in a rich Anglo-Catholic
tradition; the Church boasting a magnificent Lady Chapel, celebrating Marian masses, benediction
and recitation of the Rosary for The Society of Mary. Devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham
is also encouraged.
the church was built in stages between 1881 and 1898, as a memorial to Alexander Morden Bennett, first vicar of St Peter's Church, Bournemouth
. A spire was never added to the tower.
Legend has it that Pearson's aim when he designed St. Stephen's church was to create a building "which brought people to their knees." With the great artistry and painstaking attention to detail that went into St. Stephen's construction, people believe Pearson was able to achieve just that.
The church has an organ by William Hill dating from 1898. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. There is also a small 5 stop chamber organ dating from 1870. The specification of the chamber organ can also be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
(formerly in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
). The liturgical life of the Church is deeply rooted in a rich Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
tradition; the Church boasting a magnificent Lady Chapel, celebrating Marian masses, benediction
Benediction
A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service.-Judaism:...
and recitation of the Rosary for The Society of Mary. Devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham
Our Lady of Walsingham
Our Lady of Walsingham is a title used for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The title derives from the belief that Mary appeared in a vision to Richeldis de Faverches, a devout Saxon noblewoman, in 1061 in the village of Walsingham in Norfolk, England...
is also encouraged.
Background
Designed by architect John Loughborough PearsonJohn Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson was a Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency unrivalled in his generation.-Early life and education:Pearson was born in Brussels, Belgium on 5...
the church was built in stages between 1881 and 1898, as a memorial to Alexander Morden Bennett, first vicar of St Peter's Church, Bournemouth
St Peter's Church, Bournemouth
St Peter's Church is a Church of England parish church in Bournemouth in the English county of Dorset. The building, which is a Grade I listed building, was completed in 1879 to a design by G.E. Street as the founding mother church of Bournemouth. It has unusual paintings, notable stained glass and...
. A spire was never added to the tower.
Legend has it that Pearson's aim when he designed St. Stephen's church was to create a building "which brought people to their knees." With the great artistry and painstaking attention to detail that went into St. Stephen's construction, people believe Pearson was able to achieve just that.
Vicars
- 1881 - 1911 Fr Alexander Sykes Bennett
- 1911 - 1928 Fr George Philip Trevelyan
- 1928 - 1944 Fr Philip Harold Rogers
- 1944 - 1952 Fr Geoffrey Heald
- 1952 - 1958 Fr Francis John Michael Dean
- 1958 - 1962 Fr Charles Edward Burnett Neate
- 1962 - 1970 Fr George Percy Wilkins
- 1970 - 1973 Fr Anthony Douglas Caesar
- 1974 - 1983 Fr John David Corbett
- 1983 - 1987 Fr John Catlin
- 1987 - 1994 Fr Paul Hastrop
- 1994 - Fr Robin Harger
Music
Aside from its architectural design, St. Stephen's church is also famous for its superb music and songs, as performed by the church's large choir. Each summer, the choir renders a classical series of music by Mozart, Haydn and Schubert.The church has an organ by William Hill dating from 1898. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. There is also a small 5 stop chamber organ dating from 1870. The specification of the chamber organ can also be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
List of organists
- 1881 - 1893 T.J.Baker
- 1894 - 1930 Henry Holloway, D.Mus. FRCO
- 1930 - 1935 Percy WhitlockPercy WhitlockPercy William Whitlock was an English organist and post-romantic composer.A student of Vaughan Williams at London's Royal College of Music, Whitlock quickly arrived at a musical idiom that combined elements of his teacher's output and that of Elgar...
- 1936 - 1966 Cyril Knight, FRCO,FLCM
- 1967 - 1975 Spencer Fackerell
- 1976 Roger Hill
- 1976 - 1982 Cyril Knight
- 1982 - 1988 Ian Harrison, BA, FRCO, FTCL
- 1988 - 1994 Anthony Wood, ARCO
- 1994 - Ian Harrison