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Candlelit service at Westminster Abbey an eerie metaphor for war's shadow Candlelit service at Westminster Abbey an eerie metaphor for war's shadow
(35 minutes later)
Darkness enveloped Westminster Abbey, in the last hour before the centenary of the moment Britain was sucked into the war that would darken the world. Shadows enveloped Westminster Abbey, in the last hour before the centenary of the moment Britain was drawn into the war which would darken the world.
Waves of shadows gradually filled the side aisles and transepts of the enormous space as the 16 great chandeliers, the candles lighting altars and the nave, and 1,000 more held by members of the congregation, were extinguished one by one. At 11pm the last point of light, an oil lamp standing on the stone slab covering the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a unidentifiable body buried there in 1920 in soil brought from France, was snuffed out too by the Duchess of Cornwall – and the darkness was complete. The service began flooded with light, from the great crystal chandeliers and more than 1500 candles carried by members of the congregation.
The candlelit service, a powerful and eerie metaphor for the shadow of war, was attended by the Duchess as the Queen's representative. The congregation included deputy prime minister Nick Clegg who extinguished one of the large candles lighting the nave, Labour leader Ed Miliband, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols who led a prayer, defence secretary Michael Fallon, mayor of London Boris Johnson, and a German woman bishop, Petra Bosse-Hube, who read a prayer for peace in German. Darkness gradually closed in from the side aisles and transepts as the candles were blown out. At 11pm the last flame, an oil lamp standing by the stone slab covering the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, a unidentifiable body buried there in 1920 in soil brought from France, was snuffed out too by the Duchess of Cornwall.
The darkening service, a powerful and eerie metaphor for the shadow of war, was attended by the Duchess as the Queen's representative. The congregation included Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who extinguished one of the four large candles lighting the choir, Labour leader David Milliband, the Catholic Cardinel Vincent Nichols who led a prayer, defence secretary Michael Fallon, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, and a German woman bishop, Petra Bosse-Hube, who read a prayer for peace in German.
A few yards from the edge of the grave sat David and Tim Kendall, son and grandson of George Kendall, the army chaplain who, in 1920, selected and exhumed the six unidentified dead soldiers from different war cemeteries, from whom the unknown warrior was chosen.
"He would have been pleased that it still means so much to people after so long," his grandson said. "And he would have approved of this service. Very appropriate, very well done indeed."
The service devised by precentor James Hawkey to mark Britain's last uneasy hour of peace was shadowed by hundreds of churches holding their own vigils or even setting up screens so their congregations could follow the events in Westminster.The service devised by precentor James Hawkey to mark Britain's last uneasy hour of peace was shadowed by hundreds of churches holding their own vigils or even setting up screens so their congregations could follow the events in Westminster.
The Abbey stands only a few hundred yards from Sir Edward Grey's office, where the Foreign Secretary stood looking out at the lamplighter working his way along the edge of St James's Park, desolate and weary on returning from warning parliament that war was now inevitable, and spoke the famous words to a friend: "The lamps are going out all over Europe – we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime".The Abbey stands only a few hundred yards from Sir Edward Grey's office, where the Foreign Secretary stood looking out at the lamplighter working his way along the edge of St James's Park, desolate and weary on returning from warning parliament that war was now inevitable, and spoke the famous words to a friend: "The lamps are going out all over Europe – we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime".
The service had many moments of piercing beauty and desolation, pairing almost unbearably poignant music, including Edward Elgar's Sospiri, first performed in London in August 1914, Bach and Vaughn Williams, with prayers, poetry and prose, including Sebastian Faulks reading from his novel Birdsong, and poems read by actors Mark Gatiss, Penelope Keith, Rachel Stirling and David Morrissey.The service had many moments of piercing beauty and desolation, pairing almost unbearably poignant music, including Edward Elgar's Sospiri, first performed in London in August 1914, Bach and Vaughn Williams, with prayers, poetry and prose, including Sebastian Faulks reading from his novel Birdsong, and poems read by actors Mark Gatiss, Penelope Keith, Rachel Stirling and David Morrissey.
It included a new choral work commissioned from David Matthews, whose maternal grandfather died in the last months of the war. James O'Donnell, organist and choir master, said his setting of a despairing 1914 poem by Harold Monro, To what God shall we chant our songs of battle, "leaves you standing on the edge of abyss".It included a new choral work commissioned from David Matthews, whose maternal grandfather died in the last months of the war. James O'Donnell, organist and choir master, said his setting of a despairing 1914 poem by Harold Monro, To what God shall we chant our songs of battle, "leaves you standing on the edge of abyss".
But a century ago, not everybody felt as sick with dread as Monro or Edward Grey, and the excitement some felt was also reflected in the service.But a century ago, not everybody felt as sick with dread as Monro or Edward Grey, and the excitement some felt was also reflected in the service.
"Most were stumbling into the darkness, increasingly bound by the chains of their own and others' making, their hope of avoiding war ever fading," John Hall, Dean of Westminster, wrote in his introduction, but he noted ‚"some, frankly, relished the prospect"."Most were stumbling into the darkness, increasingly bound by the chains of their own and others' making, their hope of avoiding war ever fading," John Hall, Dean of Westminster, wrote in his introduction, but he noted ‚"some, frankly, relished the prospect".
And so Captain Edward Harris, of the Coldstream Guards, read from the letter Captain Alfred Dougan Chater wrote to his sweetheart: "It's a funny game this war! We are all fairly shouting with joy at going and I daresay we shall soon be cursing the day and then when we get back we shall say we had the time of our lives!"And so Captain Edward Harris, of the Coldstream Guards, read from the letter Captain Alfred Dougan Chater wrote to his sweetheart: "It's a funny game this war! We are all fairly shouting with joy at going and I daresay we shall soon be cursing the day and then when we get back we shall say we had the time of our lives!"
The actor Pippa Bennett-Warner read from the diaries Georgina Lee kept from the outbreak of war for her baby son, and wrote on 7 August 1914: "Every hour makes the situation more thrilling. I grudge every moment spent indoors, out of sight of the fresh crop of news posters that seem to spring up continually. London seems to be all turned into streets, which are seething with human beings."The actor Pippa Bennett-Warner read from the diaries Georgina Lee kept from the outbreak of war for her baby son, and wrote on 7 August 1914: "Every hour makes the situation more thrilling. I grudge every moment spent indoors, out of sight of the fresh crop of news posters that seem to spring up continually. London seems to be all turned into streets, which are seething with human beings."
Inside and outside the Abbey the subdued congregation found that darkness had not entirely prevailed. In the Abbey one candle, first lit at the Easter vigil service, remained burning in the Lady Chapel. And as they filed out, they found the skies over London pierced by a sword of light from the Artangel installation, part of the 1418 Now arts programme marking the centenary. The shaft of light, created by a block of powerful searchlights pointing straight up from the small gardens by the Palace of Westminster, will be the first work of art created to be visible from everywhere in London – and from a height on a clear night, probably much further. It will be turned on at dusk every night for a week.Inside and outside the Abbey the subdued congregation found that darkness had not entirely prevailed. In the Abbey one candle, first lit at the Easter vigil service, remained burning in the Lady Chapel. And as they filed out, they found the skies over London pierced by a sword of light from the Artangel installation, part of the 1418 Now arts programme marking the centenary. The shaft of light, created by a block of powerful searchlights pointing straight up from the small gardens by the Palace of Westminster, will be the first work of art created to be visible from everywhere in London – and from a height on a clear night, probably much further. It will be turned on at dusk every night for a week.
Grey's worst fears were justified, but light endures.Grey's worst fears were justified, but light endures.