Nave Windows
This sketch was most likely created as a draft by Fr Charles before the dalle in Our Lady’s was created, since the colours in the composition are slightly different to the ones there, providing an insight into the creative process.
The general iconographic glazing scheme is about how God has worked across the whole of sacred history. Beginning with the nave of the Church, the forms are very simple, almost primordial suggesting the beginnings of Creation and Mankind.[i] Accordingly, the colour scheme is also simplistic, consisting of primary colours, of blues, yellows, and reds.[ii] They are spiritually symbolic colours with the blue evocative of the Virgin Mary, whom the Church is dedicated to, and the red and yellow are suggestive of the Spirit of God. Norris made the most of the colour symbolism with dalle, and the creative possibilities that it offers with the opportunity for artistic freedom with richer means of expression. Dalle enabled large expanses of glass thus providing more space to depict deep biblical themes and messages; to encourage worshippers to engage and immerse themselves in biblical contemplation. For example, there is the duality of God as creator and the monks as creators of the glass, thematically linking to the subject of the glass, that of Creation. Norris embraced the expressive medium by using abstract and figurative forms to cover the expanse of the entire Clerestory level, apart from the East and West wall.
The Church is impressively illuminated by four arms in the Clerestory, embellished with glass fixed between tall mullions set at a slight double angle.[iii] The angling enriches the glass giving it a dynamic quality. The glass itself is also angled to direct the gaze of the congregation and to illuminate specific sections of the Church, such as the altar. Liturgical sidelines during services help to highlight and to further express the significance of the windows.
On the left-hand side
On the right-hand side
Upon entering the Church, the first windows visible to the left and right are of simplistic abstracted shapes with small, square blocks of colour inside them. Both panels are based upon the biblical verse: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was void and empty”.[iv] The emptiness of the earth is reflected with the simplistic forms and their progression in the colouring of the glass. On the right-hand side, the forms advance from yellow, to yellow and red, and then red. Opposite, the colours of the forms develop from a light blue, to dark blue and purple colours. The background of both are composed of abstracted forms which float against a backdrop of abundant small, imprecise circles. The circles continue round the bend of the nave and transept, providing architectural continuity.
Round the corner, the windows have small forms similar to those in the nave but are more ordered with blocks of colour used to frame the central forms. The centre of the window contains four large overlapping asymmetrical forms which symbolise divine grace working upon man and are symbolic of the expansion of forms. The imagery is inspired by the spirit of God, which “moved over the waters”, giving life, indicated in successive windows right and left; those immediately preceding the Angel Gabriel and Our Lady. Indeed, movement and water are suggested as the central forms are penetrated by three lines – which are the colours from the opposite side of the Church. The switching of colours means that the colour scheme has extended and expanded, creating a consistent colour and glazing scheme.
On the left-hand side
On the right-hand side
[i] Lillington, Church of Our Lady, 8.
[ii] Historic England, “Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady,” Historic England (2011) para. 9, accessed Apr 10, 2019, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1402200.
[iii] Catholic Church of England and Wales, “Lillington-Our Lady,” para. 13.
[iv] Genesis 1:1-2.