Some of the lighting in Bradford cathedral for the 'After Dark' event was spectacular. St Aidan's Chapel, added in 1950, commemorates Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne, who evangelised the north of England in the 7th century. It holds some beautiful textile hangings that reference the islands of Iona and Lindisfarne, and a Yorkshire dale. The chapel was illuminated with a lamp that bathed the walls with swirling aqua and green, almost like being underwater. It was stunning and very peaceful.
The Icon of the Holy Spirit, in another chapel, was lit by a similar swirly lamp, this time in red and orange, referring to the fire of the Holy Spirit. Created by John Coleman in 2008, the Pentecost icon depicts the apostles with various symbols: a dove, a sunburst and a landscape which is the Cow and Calf Rocks in Ilkley.
The play of light and shadow around the cathedral was intriguing. Some of the lighting picked out things you don't especially notice in daylight, like this skull on a memorial. Dating to the 1700s, it's a memento mori, a reminder of the inevitability of death.
Another great set of pictures, taken under not easy light conditons.
ReplyDeleteThe swirly lamps make for a wonderful atmosphere. In the Saxon crypt in Ripon Cathedral, they have at times set up such a lamp, too. It really felt a bit like being outdoors with changing sunlight, or underwater when the light was blue and green.