I’ve attended concerts at Wilmington's Trinity Episcopal Church for years – but it
wasn’t until this fall that I realized the beautiful stained-glass
windows were the work of the Louis Tiffany Studio. Were it not for the lecture and organ recital on
Saturday, January 19, as part of The Arts at Trinity series, I
still may have been blissfully unaware!
The name ‘Tiffany’ would be a draw itself; the fact that this was a lecture and improvised organ performance combination made it an event not to be missed! (Living for many year across from the National Cathedral in Washington DC, I grew to love organ music and the improvisations that organists used to entertain audiences.)
As
a medieval art historian who has done my fair share of iconographical research,
it was interesting to me to hear Probert’s take on Victorian women being
considered more ‘virtuous’. Therefore, women’s images predominated many of the
depictions, coupled with the fact that women were usually the donors of these
windows. It was also interesting
to hear how it was wealthy patrons travelling abroad who returned with urgings
for their own churches to have grander interiors. How many of us enter a church and question it’s design or
structure? Moreover, how many
generations of us have enjoyed the resulting beauty, all due to Americans congregants
wanting to be on a par with European counterparts?
Organist
Richard Fitzgerald did a wonderful job of conveying the subject of each window
with his selections and improvisations.
I especially like the improvisation for the Main Altar Window, based on
the literary text “Come unto me, ye that labor and are burdened, and I will
give you rest”. As he played, the light coming through the window seemed to be
one with the music, and I was totally mesmerized by the beautiful image of the
window and the swirling notes of the organ.
The Arts at Trinity series presents a variety of music, lectures and performances throughout the year – all free-will donation to attend! Next up, City Theater Company's troupe, Fearless Improv, takes over the stage at Trinity on Saturday, February 23, at 7:30pm.