Today we were given the “secret” tour by cathedral house elf Judith. She kept us entertained for over an hour with interesting facts about the cathedral and its history, pointing out quirky things that the everyday visitor wouldn’t notice.
The view from the West Gallery was amazing, giving a full view of the Nave, and its slightly slanted aspect as it approached the choir stalls and alter. This apparently is to fit around the surrounding roads that the cathedral had to squeeze in around!
The cathedral is the last to be built by hand in the old tradition and only took 30 years to be completed. It sits on, and is part of, the old parish church St Mary’s, which now forms the chapel area to the South.
I won’t give you the full tour as there is no way I can keep you entertained as Judith did. So instead, here are a few photos of the afternoon.
P.S. Apparently “9 lessons and carols” originated from Truro cathedral during the build itself, not King’s College as commonly believed!
Our service today was unaccompanied and, as such, offered a special atmosphere – and a little more pressure on the singers! I absolutely loved our anthem O quam gloriosum by Victoria. Written in the 16th century, it displays some beautiful polyphony as the vocal parts weave in and out of each other. Have a listen here.
