Bury St Edmunds Cathedral
Encyclopedia
St Edmundsbury Cathedral is the cathedral
for the Church of England
's Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It is the seat of the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and is in Bury St Edmunds.
. In the early 12th century the then Abbot
, Anselm, tried to make a pilgrimage
along the Way of St. James
to Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
. He was unsuccessful, so instead rebuilt St Denis's and dedicated the new church to Saint James, which served as the parish church
for the north side of Bury St Edmunds.
This church was largely rebuilt, starting in 1503, with more alterations in the 18th and 19th centuries. When the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was created in 1914, St James Church was made the cathedral. In 1959 Benjamin Britten
wrote the Fanfare for St Edmundsbury
for a "Pageant of Magna Carta" held in the cathedral grounds.
From 1960 onwards, there was renewed building work designed to transform the parish church into a cathedral building, with the rebuilding of the chancel
and the creation of transepts and side chapels. The architect for this work was Stephen Dykes Bower
. In the cathedral grounds a new choir school and visitor's centre were built which were opened in 1990. A Gothic revival tower was built between 2000 and 2005.
hangs in the Lady Chapel.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
for the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
's Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It is the seat of the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and is in Bury St Edmunds.
History
A church has stood on the site of the cathedral since at least 1065, when St Denis's Church was built within the precincts of Bury St. Edmunds AbbeyBury St. Edmunds Abbey
The Abbey of Bury St Edmunds was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England. Its ruins lie in Bury St Edmunds, a town in the county of Suffolk, England.-History:...
. In the early 12th century the then Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
, Anselm, tried to make a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
along the Way of St. James
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
to Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
. He was unsuccessful, so instead rebuilt St Denis's and dedicated the new church to Saint James, which served as the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
for the north side of Bury St Edmunds.
This church was largely rebuilt, starting in 1503, with more alterations in the 18th and 19th centuries. When the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was created in 1914, St James Church was made the cathedral. In 1959 Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
wrote the Fanfare for St Edmundsbury
Fanfare for St Edmundsbury
The Fanfare for St Edmundsbury is a piece of music written by the British composer Benjamin Britten for a "Pageant of Magna Carta" in the grounds of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds in 1959.-Technical:The fanfare is scored for three trumpets...
for a "Pageant of Magna Carta" held in the cathedral grounds.
From 1960 onwards, there was renewed building work designed to transform the parish church into a cathedral building, with the rebuilding of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and the creation of transepts and side chapels. The architect for this work was Stephen Dykes Bower
Stephen Dykes Bower
Stephen Ernest Dykes Bower was a British church architect and Gothic Revival designer best known for his work at Westminster Abbey.-Early life and education:...
. In the cathedral grounds a new choir school and visitor's centre were built which were opened in 1990. A Gothic revival tower was built between 2000 and 2005.
Attractions
In addition to guided tours of the cathedral itself, visitors can view changing exhibits of art in the Edmund Gallery, and an exhibit of historic and religious regalia and artifacts in the Cathedral Treasures display. The painting "The Martyrdom of St Edmund" by artist Brian WhelanBrian Whelan
Brian Whelan is a noted London-Irish painter, author and occasional film maker.-Family life:Brian Francis Whelan was born 3 May 1957 in Ealing, London, of Irish Catholic parents. His father came from Dublin and his mother from Kilkenny...
hangs in the Lady Chapel.
Organ
Details of the organ from the National Pipe Organ RegisterOrganists
- 1896 Charles John Harold Shann
- 1937 Edward Percy HallamEdward Percy HallamEdward Percy Hallam was an English cathedral organist, who served in St Edmundsbury Cathedral.-Background:Edward Percy Hallam was born on 4 September 1887 in Nottingham. He studied the organ with James Kendrick Pyne at Manchester Cathedral....
- 1958 Harrison OxleyHarrison OxleyThomas Frederick Harrison Oxley was a British organist, who was appointed Organist of St Edmundsbury Cathedral aged 24. At the time, he was the youngest cathedral organist in the country...
- 1985 Paul TreptePaul TreptePaul Trepte is an English cathedral organist, who served in St Edmundsbury Cathedral and is at Ely Cathedral-Background:Paul Trepte was born on 24 April 1954 in Morley, Yorkshire...
- 1990 Mark Blatchly
- 1993 Mervyn Cousins
- 1997 James Thomas