A Glimpse of Heaven DVD
Many of you will have a copy of Christopher Martin's A Glimpse of Heaven on your shelves, a handsome coffee table book about the most beautiful Catholic churches in England and Wales. This historical and architectural survey starts with the handful of pre-Reformation chapels in Catholic hands (East Hendred, Stonor, Ely Place, Slipper Chapel at Walsingham, Fitzalan Chapel at Arundel, Rotherwas) and finishes with the new Brentwood Cathedral, which is presented as a 'return to the past.'
Now there is a companion DVD, which has just arrived in the post and looks excellent, with good photography and commentaries from Christopher Martin and a host of special guests, including the bishop of Brentwood, the Abbot of Douai and Lord Camoys. I think I might show this to a parish group.
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I was particularly interested in the chapters regarding C20 architecture, about which I know very little. There is a fairly balanced section on the 'liturgical and architectural revolution' of the 1960s and 70s, speaking of the tragic 'iconoclasm' of church buildings perpetuated by 'ignorant priests' and 'greedy architects.'
The double-DVD retails at £12.99 - but there's current a special offer in which you get both the book (worth £25) and DVD for only £25. A good idea for Christmas? Visit the Gracewing webpage and scroll down to A Glimpse of Heaven.
Labels: Books
posted by Fr Nicholas at 7:26 pm
3 Comments:
"finishes with the new Brentwood Cathedral, which is presented as a return to the past"
To a past in which Wren was building all of those nice Anglican churches?
I was very taken with the phrase "greedy architects".
Architects, it seems to me, like to plead "We are only following the requirements of our client".
When a priest, or a cathedral administrator, or whoever, asks for a church building which resembles a multi storey car park, the architect is surely able to decline the commission.
I had not heard of this, being on this side of the pond. I'm assuming Farm Street and Spanish Place, my old parishes in the W1, are in there?
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