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The monastic Choir is
where the monks come six times each day for the Divine
Office and the Mass. The wooden choirstalls, where
the monks sit in order of their entry into the monastery,
are based on those in Chester Cathedral which date
from the fourteenth century. They were carved in
the workshop of Ferdinand Stuflesser at Ortisei,
a village of woodworkers in the Tyrol.
Each canopy over the choirstalls
contains a monastic or local saint, whilst the angels
supporting the lower canopies hold emblems of Christ's
passion on one side of the choir and musical instruments
on the other side. The stall ends are carved with
the symbols of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John), from designs by Ninian Comper, copied
from the Lady Chapel gates.
The Blessed Sacrament
is reserved in a small chapel, built for the purpose,
at the East End of the choir. The columns of the
arcade separating this chapel from the choir itself
bear statues of St Jerome and St Augustine of Hippo. |
