OPENING OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE SCHOOL CHAPEL.

Press, Volume XII, Issue 1549, 24 October 1867, Page 2

OPENING OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE SCHOOL CHAPEL.

We have now for some time psst noticed the erection of many correct and well' designed buildings, both secular and eccle-siastical,-in a style''known as tho Gothic style. Various parsonages, schools, aiid small churches lately erected have maderualiy ssksible additions to our? style of architecture* and though for the most, part constructed of timber, show evident signs of careful tJsn&M and study. Even Papanui road, whero 'tho style known as the "debased cafpeti.Ur« Gothic," has been universally a<3optett P'*" tho buildings, there is set back from the wad a small but perfectly correctly deaigfisd oaurcft, the opening of which wo noticed some ehorttime since;-and now we. have to chromcle ma opening of quite anew form of builditig wit us, and we venture to say with the «»o»|' ilia, province, namely, a school cbap%» ut for and forming one portion of the quadratic of Christ's College. In England those baiw ings are common enough. now, and /ip*w ancient ones are still .extant, as for, ( oi»|Pf» Eton and Peterborough, &c, and scarceiy sny public school of notoriety has not its ciwp«i r and if the. Christ's College school ctepslW not so elaborate in detail as ffaWJf > Uppingham, we are confident that to ah*uo know what such buildings are or WW I ,*? ■ be, Christ's College chapel offers an ■*«»•■ rable modem example; and although lowi. would not permit of elaborate detaUi * building presents a massive and pearance both in design and . coneti'ttcfio . Each lme, moulding, and curveofevery of the work proves that every single portion aa been carefully drawn. The plan is 66 feet dear length inside, by 20 ft*i» width, fourteen feet is set apart loo*"I*"*1 *"* for tho sacrarium, and eight feet for the «nw chapel. , Tho general height from floor £ wall-plate is about lift. 6m., and to tho ap« of roof about 32 feet. The walls are built jj uucoureed rubble from, various the di-tfssings of windows, buttresses, &c., Jrow the quarries of Messrs. Fentbea and »f*"V Ellis's. The roof is covered with bluo elate* and surmounted by a ieki ridge; tho rooi oi ■ swing pointed bell-turret it the west cn;h w,l contains a good.beh, is ajso covered with lew. Three' wrougbt-irorT metal crosses e"» n0 "" fl J tho ridge. The period of Gothic which this buiiding is intended to folW*»w* of the early geometrical, which waa new adapted to tbe funds at command, being ceedingly plain and severe. This is P tol . n v. be seen from the seventy of the details in,w» window*, buttresses, &c.;. for instance,-ine is scarcely a moulding to bo seen m the ff" of the work, tho weatherings of buttressed wmg plain and the details of windows •« the walls are sloped at bottom, strengthening them, and saving the row ductiouof a worked- plinth.. There »w>* tresses at either angle of the building, & ™f intermediate one north and south, evidently mark tho junction of the Baorarium wltß * chapel proper. The east end is hfc b 7 a ", light lancet-headed window under one arc, while at the west end is a ful circular wiadow eeven feet ux dm^ r "

wo *~~~~ JrnlV being nlh\d in with six-foiled fljefo n 2-£yTOTeath which are two small. RS» wmdows, which; light the ( j a s!l(rs»"K j ar g e clr cular window has jstechaP 6 • expene i Te piece of work, and proved » p | 9 { n detail the labour in bringing glthoug" J, D ] oc t 9 of stone to the various a ° W w«Mhas been very great; however, it *^SftatuVe for the west end, and the * S a Authorities may well be proud that College c ] ia p e l has the largest and the then* sc • u j ar B tone window certainly not in the whole of the jo to» v^ g n orth and south walls are each by f° ur lancet-headed lights, in piercett .^ e eD t rane e is from the quadrangle h north side, through an arched doorway 0° [ b0 jussive elaborately worktd door and hinges opening into theantechapel, •ft iB screened off from the chapel proper at once on entering the building 11 with the limited funds at command, the ■ W of tne ' nte " or more elaborately the exterior has been aimed at by the ""vtects—the windows inside are deeply £«Led, somejhaving internal stone relieving hes and sills, and the general massiveness f the tirober in th ? roof a " d BeatB ' &C *' TaSlvTjis""an[imposing effect. The screen "'*? hich we have alluded is of nther an character, and partly by curved ZZs supports the visitors' gallery above, the being continued round the north end I'mL antechapel to enclose the stairs leading v«wto A pair of folding gates partly w' and pierced in the centre of the g n lead into the chapel. The effect Se is very good, the roof timbers are open, wine stout common rafters and three very m/Jre Brch principals, all richly stained ; Vie the gacrarium roof is covered in with SU* l hoarding laid at the back of the «ffln andTafters, and richly panelled fram-'-Vcowrs the side walls down to the ground, "Jl continues round the east end up to a !~ 1 0 ftne east window sill. Three rows of Lches facing north and south, and divided fato three lengths east and west, are for the |L S the side walls being panelled and having BfttsW-tlie' Fellows, residents in the College, !ad other officials. The Lord Bishop, as !Ljen ; and the Very Rev. the Dean, as subwill occupy seats and desks set apart .Ltbwn immediately right and left on enteric jnd under the canopies formed by the "'Sett of projecting, gallery front. All the Wmchends and the framing generally are mas«L in material, and simple but correct in deLn the desk fronts next to'he passage being Ilrtly opened by circular pierced and arched Ifiwig.Th e Warden and Sub-Warden's !!L are more elaborate, and display some „«fair work. The floor of the sacrarium up !!tfce level of the altar footpace is raised by St? steps, each about six inches high; the dtsrrail, which is placed at a kneeling space from the third step, is very pretty, having arched openings filled in with illuminated wonght-iron work. A credence, with a profe&g shelf supported on a moulded bracket Synndera stone arch, is-placed on the jejjb Bide* The altar is inexpensive, but 0a and good, above which is placed an {Dominated legend—" He hath given meat pnto them that fear Him." The internal sill of the east window forms a band of Weka Pass stohei and is left with a plain face for future carving. . -.'■ ' tThe'chapel from the raised level ot the essiend presents a fine appearance.'and shows in full proportion the arched principal over the gallery front, with its tie-beam, moulded to form a handrail for the panelled front of the balcoiry ; the large circular window in the background ; the rows of benches continuing up to the screen at different levels; and finally the screen itßelfj which iB a valuable sddition to ther chapel. From the gallery floor agoodvieW is also obtained ;'th# east ■ window with the darkly-stained and varnished panelling of the Bacrarium walls and the range of massive roof-timbers have a very excellent sffecfc. It is to be hoped that soon this east window may be glafced with stained glass. We had almost forgotten to mention that there gre already two slightly stained windows in the chapel. These were sent out to the Ute Mr Godley some fifteen years ago for the ■WSege,and were discovered some short time M in St. Luke's vestry unpacked. They Java been made to fit two of the openings in the chapel, and look very well. The whole of the other glazing is executed in tinted cathedral glass placed in lead quarries. We have noticed this building at some length, as we believe it to be a good one; and the best of its hind ever yet produced here. The work shows that careful attention has been paid to -the design of each and every detail, and that the most has been made of the limited funds. : Wo congratulate the College on the possession of such a building; and we hope that in all future additions, either in furnitures stained glass, care will be taken 'that they are orthodox in design and good in material. The work was first let by contract, but eientuallv finished by day,labour. Messrs Speedily ancf Crisp were the architects for the "fbrkV under whose immediate supervision the work* has heen completed. Mr William Hull was foreman. ' The painting, glazing, and stahung was executed by Mr Jones. The sijreen and gallery (we believe the gift of the Rev/James Wilson) were put together by Mr Bethier. -The plastering was executed by Mr $P; : Andrews. The bell was cast by Mr Mn'Anderson. of the Canterbury foundry. Dinne service was performed in the chapel nicrning by the Very Rev. the Dean" of -Christchurch, assisted by the Rev Canon Wilson and several clergymen of the dioceee. Prayers were read by the Rev. W. C.-Hams r the first lesson by the Rev. W.-W. WilJock, and the second by the Rev. Canon Dudley. The Dean delivered a most impresRTe "senaon, taking his text from the loth venje-ef the'2lst chapter of St. John. Several of the FeUows, among whom wo observed the lev/Canon Cotterill, and Messrs Blakiston, Donald, Maude, and Tancred were in attendee. - The R«vb. 'R- S. Jackson, E. A. Lm#d,'andj.W. Stack were also present, but M- no Active part in , the proceedings iaathfer service was held in the evemng. JWeWipve it is intended that the chapel &H be duly consecrated on the return of his WbiHip fronj the Lambeth Conference.