THE BISHOP’S THRONE, CHOIR STALLS AND DEAN’S STALL

The Choir Stalls, rising in four tiers on either side of the Choir proper, are of carved American oak. The canopies are after studies of those in the Chapel of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey used as the Chapel of the Knights of the Order of the Bath. The finials of the stalls are figures of great musicians and composers of church music, as follows:

East.
Left.Right.
BortnianskyMendelssohn
HandelHaydn
BachPurcell
TallisPalestrina
Pope GregorySt. Cecelia
AsaphKing David
West.

The figures, modeled by Mr. Otto Jahnsen, are represented in the costumes of their day; and the features of all but those of David and his chief musician Asaph are from portraits.

The high canopied stall nearest the Crossing on the south side of the Choir is the Dean’s Stall.[25] It was designed in the office of Messrs. Cram & Ferguson and is a very skillful blending of styles to harmonize with the Jacobean canopies of the Choir Stalls and the Flamboyant note in the stalls themselves. It has many interesting details of carving, notably the three panels depicting the Good Shepherd (front), Learning (east side), and Charity (west side). On the back of the stall is inscribed:

“In the Name of the ‖ Father Son & Holy Ghost ‖ This Stall is Dedicated by ‖ The Head Mistresses Association ‖ to the Memory of ‖ Agnes Irwin ‖ 1841-1914 ‖ Holding fast the faithful word as she ‖ had been taught herself being not dis- ‖ obedient unto the heavenly vision ‖ Head Mistress of the Agnes Irwin School 1867-1894 ‖ First Dean of Radcliffe College 1894-1909 ‖ First President of the ‖ Head Mistresses Association ‖ 1911-1914.”

In the Presbytery, on the south side, is the lofty Bishop’s Throne of carved oak, while opposite to it is one with a little lower canopy for the use of a bishop other than the Diocesan.

On one of the Choir Stalls is inscribed:

“These Stalls are Erected to ‖ the Glory of God ‖ and in Loving Memory of ‖ Susan Watts Street ‖ 1818-1893 ‖ By her Daughter ‖ Anna L. Morton.”