Music

I mentioned yesterday that I may go back to the Old West Kirk in Greenock. As my wife was going to see her parents at lunch-time, I spent an hour at the Old West Kirk.

Yesterday we were fortunate to spend some time with Helen Dunsmore, who knows so much about the church. Today Margaret Mackay told me about the problems facing the future of this amazing building. In February members of Lyle Kirk voted to use their buildings in Union Street and Newark Street, Greenock – leaving the future of the former Old West Kirk site on the Esplanade uncertain. The last service took place at the end of July.

I cannot understand this decision to close the most historical church in Greenock, because of its history and unique pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows. If this church is allowed to close it will be a tragic loss, not only to this community but to the heritage of Scotland as a whole. I have offered to help in any way I can.

For a church of its size, the Old West Kirk possesses a notable collection of stained glass windows, as fine as any to be seen in much larger buildings. There are 16 "illuminated" windows of one, two, three and four panels (or lights) mostly donated as "Memorial" tributes.

The exception to this is the magnificent four light window in the Laird's Gallery - "The Last Supper" - the gift of Sir Michael Robert Shaw Stewart (c.1850), the last laird to occupy his Family pew in The Old West Kirk.

This collection was started by Mr. Allan Park Paton when the Old West Kirk was restored and re-opened in 1864, after a closure of 23 years. Mr. Paton, a well-known patron of the Arts, was instrumental in placing commissions for four stained glass windows with the prestigious firm of William Morris. These windows were designed by associates of Morris, the Pre-Raphaelite artists Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, as well as a fifth by the elder Cottier.

The three by Burne-Jones were "Faith," "Music," and "The Adoration Of The Lamb. "Caritas" is by Dante Gabriel Rosseti and "Hope" is by Daniel Cottier.

These five windows in particular are said to be among some of the finest examples of modern stained glass and have attracted attention from many parts of the world.

It has been a tough choice deciding on which stained glass image to use for my blip today, but I have opted for "Music" designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and created by William Morris & Co. in 1874. The model for the red-haired angel was Elizabeth Siddal, wife of Dante Gabriel Rosseti.

I would like to acknowledge that I have used some text from a leaflet by the Old West Kirk.