St Nicholas Cathedral, Newcastle, 20-22 February 2024.
The recommended donation when buying a ticket is £7, but it gives the option to pay what you wish or can afford to pay.
St Nicholas Cathedral has opened its doors for a couple of evenings this week for people to experience the cathedral in a different light. Parts of the cathedral are illuminated in a purply pink, other parts are candlelit and a few lights are playing around as well as a lovely video installation in the crypt.
The crypt video had a little bit of a queue, but it went down fast as the video was only six minutes long. It had been created by a local artist based over in the Ouseburn, it contained projector light used to enhance parts of the crypt wall and window as well as to put in the show. The video itself gave a few views of the cathedral, including making it appear as stained glass briefly, there was also a little view of Lindisfarne castle on Holy Island with dolphins as well as the Angel Of The North. The star of the show however was the sycamore tree that resided in a gap along Hadrian’s wall. They showed it, then a profile of the hill without the tree as it receded into the picture space. It was a lovely remembering of a sad moment in local history.
After the video, I started my walk around the illuminated interior. The large cross on the empty floor of the nave was certainly eye-catching as soon as you look into the building. The nave looks so much better now that the pews have been removed, it’s a much more versatile space as it was intended to be again. The light in the centre crossing as well as the cross up on the screen really work well with the candlelight in the centre of this space.
Walking around, there was an opportunity to see the cathedral monuments in a different, softer light. A light that comes from a different direction than normal. The candlelight and soft lighting from below, rather than the usual spotlit from above, produce a range of tonality and shadow that normally wouldn’t be present in the monuments as you view them during the day. This difference in lighting conditions gives the artwork in the monuments a lot more character.
The golden light of the candles reflects extremely well from the polished alabaster of the cathedral reredos, designed by Hedley. The creamy light makes everything appear warm, and richly coloured, it adds a warmth that is often missing under the harsh white lighting conditions that are normally present in this part of the cathedral.
The altar at the rear – photo: Photo By Amy
This back altar is one of my favourite spaces in the cathedral, it’s quiet, understated and out of the way. The artists have chosen to light it up in a much more playful manner than some of the other lighting in the cathedral. Sadly this lighting completely wrecks any chance you have of seeing the paintings on the altar, but they are still there beneath.
Altogether, it was a good experience, well worth popping into the city centre and going to see this evening.
Aisling on Art 