Brompton Oratory
Coordinates: 51°29′50″N 0°10′11″W / 51.49722°N 0.16972°W / 51.49722; -0.16972
| Brompton Oratory | |
| Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary | |
|---|---|
 Photo of the church, with Holy Trinity Brompton Church visible in the background
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Herbert Gribble |
| Style | Italian Renaissance |
The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, popularly but incorrectly known as Brompton Oratory, is a Roman Catholic church in South Kensington, London. It is situated on Brompton Road, next to the Victoria and Albert Museum, at the junction with Cromwell Gardens.
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History
Foundation
John Henry Newman converted to Catholicism in 1845; and founded an Oratory in Birmingham, dedicated to Saint Philip Neri. Other converts, including Frederick William Faber founded a London Oratory in premises near Charing Cross. They purchased a 3.5-acre (14,000 m2) property in November 1852 for £16,000; in the (then) semi-rural western suburbs. An Oratory House was built first, followed shortly by a temporary church; both designed by J. J. Scoles. An appeal was launched in 1874 for funds to build a church.[1] Within the Oratory House is a chapel, known as the Little Oratory.
The Church still belongs to and is served by the Congregation of the London Oratory (see London Oratory). There are two other Oratories in the UK, the Birmingham Oratory and the Oxford Oratory.
Architecture
A design from Herbert Gribble, then 29, won a competition in March 1876. The foundation stone was laid in June 1880; and the new church was consecrated on 16 April 1884. The dome was completed in 1895, standing 200 feet (61 m) tall and is the second largest Roman Catholic church in London, after Westminster Cathedral (1903).[1]
Italian Renaissance in style, it has marble columns and altar rails, a huge vaulted dome, mosaics, and carvings in wood and stone. In addition, it houses 12 statues of the apostles by Giuseppe Mazzuoli (1644-1725) acquired from Siena Cathedral in 1895. The interior decoration is by C. T. G. Formilli, an Italian architect and completed 1927-32, the cost exceeding his estimate of £31,000.[2]
Events
It has strong ties with the nearby London Oratory School, and serves as its 'official' church for all holy days of obligation.
In 1865 Stéphane Mallarmé married Marie Gerhard in Brompton Oratory. In 1889 Edward Elgar married Alice Roberts there. In 1891, Ernest Dowson officially became a Catholic at the church. In 1918 Matyla Ghyka married Eileen O'Conor there. In 1926, Alfred Hitchcock married Alma Reville there.
It was at the London Oratory Church, in front of the statue of St Peter, located in the centre of the church, under the choir loft, that England was re-dedicated to St Peter and Our Lady, sparking the 19th Century political debate as to the loyalties of English Catholics, to the Pope or to the Monarch.
The congregation is one of the largest Catholic congregations in London.
Liturgy
The Oratorian Fathers emphasise the liturgy. Mass is celebrated every day in Latin in both the later and the 1962 forms of the Roman Rite.
Choirs
The London Oratory is internationally recognised[who?] as one of the outstanding custodians of classic Roman Catholic liturgical traditions. Solemn Latin Mass and Vespers are celebrated on all Sundays and obligatory Holy-days in the year. In particularly, the great liturgies of Christmas, Holy Week and Easter attract packed-out congregations.
To serve the liturgy, the Oratory Fathers have fostered a unique musical establishment comprising three separate choirs plus a professional music staff.
Senior choir
The London Oratory Choir is an adult, professional chamber choir serving the major liturgical celebrations in the Oratory Church, including solemn Latin Mass and Vespers on all the Sundays of the year and for major feasts. Dating from the establishment of the London Oratory on its present Brompton Road site in 1854, the London Oratory Choir is England’s senior professional Catholic choir, and has an international reputation as one of the world’s leading exponents of choral music within the traditional Roman Rite, noted especially for its performances of Renaissance polyphony and the Masses of the Classical Viennese school. Recent Directors of Music have included Henry Washington (1935-1971), John Hoban (1971-1995), Andrew Carwood (1995-1999) and Patrick Russill (1999-to date).
Junior choir
The London Oratory Junior Choir was founded in 1973 by John Hoban to give boys and girls together an opportunity to serve the liturgy in a great church. In addition to singing regularly one evening service and one Sunday (English) Mass every week, the Oratory Junior Choir is also active outside the Oratory. Noted for its free tone and forthright delivery, it has appeared in all London’s major concert halls and at the Proms, with conductors including Andrew Parrott, Nicholas Kraemer and Sir John Eliot Gardiner (including prize-winning recordings of Monteverdi’s Vespers in St Mark's Basilica in Venice, and Bach’s St Matthew Passion). Since 1979 it has provided the children’s chorus for Royal Ballet productions at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. From 1984 its Director was Patrick Russill, and since 2005 its Director has been Charles Cole.
Schola
The London Oratory School Schola choir was founded in 1996. Educated in the Junior House of the London Oratory School in Fulham (London), boys from the age of 7 are given choral and instrumental training within a musical environment underpinned by Catholic traditions. The Schola is regarded as one of London's leading boys' choirs and sings at the Saturday 6.00pm Mass in term time, as well as at daily prayer services and at Benediction in the chapel of The London Oratory School. The current director of the Schola is Lee Ward. In addition to liturgical and concert performances, the choir has recorded film soundtracks and audio albums.
Organ
The London Oratory has a rich organ tradition, its Organists including Ralph Downes (1936-1977), Patrick Russill (1977-99) and John McGreal (1999-to date). The organ of 45 stops, 3 manuals and pedals, built by J. W. Walker & Sons, 1952-4, to the designs of Ralph Downes, was the first church organ in London to be built on neo-classical lines, and is considered one of the finest British organs built since World War II.
Gallery
 Statue of Cardinal Newman outside the church |
References
- ^ a b Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (London Oratory)
- ^ The London Oratory, Survey of London: volume 41: Brompton (1983), pp. 50-57. Date accessed: 09 March 2009
External links
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