The newly commissioned windows have been installed at St Walburga’s Catholic Primary School, Malvern Road, Moordown, Bournemouth, Dorset – March 2015

The stained glass artists at Sunrise Stained Glass studio have  created 14 panels to the school hall depicting St Walburga on her voyage and quelling the storm with her prayers.

When Saint Walburga was 37, she left her sheltered life to make a long, risky journey and live among strangers. Walburga was a daughter of privilege. She was born to Saint Richard, an under-king of the West Saxons, and Winna, a sister of Saint Boniface, and had at least five siblings. When she was 11, her father entrusted her to the double monastery of Wimborne while he and two sons went on a pilgrimage. Richard died in Lucca, Italy, but the sons made it to Rome, where Saint Winibald became a monk. Saint Willibald would later take the cowl. Walburga remained at Wimborne, whose monks and nuns adhered closely to the Rule of Saint Benedict, and took her own vows. She likely expected to stay there the rest of her life. But in 748, her maternal uncle asked her and other nuns to leave their familiar, safe home for the sake of Christianity in today’s Germany. Walburga’s brother Willibald was already on the Continent, where he was the bishop of the recently created diocese of Eichstätt. We don’t know whether that played a role in her decision, but she accepted the mission. So did Saint Lioba, another relative of Boniface, and other disciples of Mother Tetta. If we are to believe legend, the sisters soon experienced the hazards of travel firsthand. During the crossing, the boat got caught in a storm. Walburga prayed and knelt on the deck, and the storm quieted.

The 4 No. high level corridor windows illustrate references which are particularly associated with St Walburga as follows:

Peace and calm after the storm, illustrated by the dove carrying an olive branch; an ear of corn; an interlocking cross recalling the Celtic cross of St Walburga’s time; Sacred ‘Oil’ and representing the Holy Spirit and healing.

In single glazed, traditionally leaded stained glass, using coloured full antique glass and incorporating kiln-fired metallic oxide pigments, etching, and silver stain.

WW1 Remembrance ‘Poppy’ stained glass window commission

A new stained glass commission for the west window at Saint John’s School Chapel, Leatherhead, Surrey, England 2014 on the centenary of the First World War.

WW1 Remembrance Window

World War 1 Remembrance Memorial Window: Poppies rise and swirl above the cornfield into the vast blue sky. A stained glass window in memory of all those who gave their lives and health in the service of others on the centenary of the beginning of the Great War in 1914, and in particular remembrance of the old pupils of St John’s School who bravely served their country in this time of need.

Poppy detail from the WW1 memorial west window at St John’s School Chapel, Leatherhead, Surrey, UK.

Dedicated in May 2014 by the Bishop of Guildford, Bishop Ian Brackley. At the dedication ceremony the Headmaster quoted the words of George Herbert, the Anglican priest, poet and divine, that stained glass windows could be of more spiritual value than a sermon. The Headmaster also said these moving words: “stained glass windows are numinous glimpses into the eternal….We ponder the window’s themes of war and its futility, recalling the lives lost by so many in conflicts past and present; and we trust that it will offer to all those who look upon it the opportunity for reflection, remembrance and prayer.”

WW1 memorial Remembrance window at St John’s School, Leatherhead, Surrey UK

This window to the west end of the chapel faces the altar window installed in June 2009, echoing the blues and reds of the Eagle of St John and symbols of the Eucharist. The 37 panels that make up the window measuring 6 metres by 6 metres were designed and created by Jude Tarrant, and the craftsmen of Sunrise Stained Glass at their studio in Hampshire, UK.

Jude says of her work on the Remembrance window “Despite the tragic theme of this window being one of sadness and loss and destruction, I hope that I have made something of beauty that will inspire us all to think with gratitude of the lives that have been lost through wars now and in the past. I would like it to be in some way an uplifting tribute to the best values of selflessness, comradeship, freedom from tyranny, and ultimately of peace and hope for a brighter future, something we can all work for. I do like working on a large scale, and drawing, etching and painting the huge poppies was very joyful work. Poppies are such a vibrant flower but with a delicate paper-like fragility, rather like the glass itself.”

Rich in symbolism, cornfield flowers grow up through the ears of corn.

The inscription is the praise from Psalm 23, recalling the Presence of God: “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me”.

Inscription from Psalm 23

The Alpha Omega sign is a symbol that includes all our ancestors who have gone before, and stands as a reminder to those who have given their lives for us to have peace and freedom.

Painted etched traditionally leaded glass by glass painter Jude Tarrant. If you would like to see more details and images of this stained glass commission and more of her work, please follow this link.

 

OVERCOMING ADVERSE SITING OF A NEW STAINED GLASS WINDOW

The studio has encountered many situations where a window that is proposed to be glazed with stained glass is overlooked by adjacent buildings, trees, or unsightly views. This affects the way in which light can evenly illuminate the glass, and unless it is intended to use on opaque glass or have some surface etching that frosts the glass and disperses the light, another solution will be needed.

Even heavily textured glass will show the outline of nearby buildings, and result in dark blocks and distracting outlines. Heavy use of vitreous glass painting to both sides of the glass, as so often used on Victorian glass, will render the glass almost opaque, but modern design and taste has moved away from this approach. The vitality of subtle surface texture that is inherent in a traditionally made mouth-blown sheet of ‘antique’ glass is exceptionally beautiful, and this character would be lost were heavy painting or etching to be employed.

One of the most successful methods that we have researched and developed to keep the maximum light passing through the stained glass and to maintain the clarity of the glass, is the application of a specialist lightly diffusing film to secondary glazing behind the window. This disrupts the outline of buildings and allows lighting evenly across the stained glass panels.

Our new installation of the World War 1 memorial ‘Remembrance’ west window to the chapel of St John’s School employed this method to good effect, disguising the outline and shadow of a nearby building that overlooked the chapel.

WW1 memorial Remembrance window

The scale and near proximity of the new building to the existing chapel and particularly the western end, was quite overwhelming before the commissioning of the new stained glass window.

West window before new stained glass commission

The chapel now has privacy, and the sense of a sacred space for quiet reflection and prayer and worship is restored and enhanced.

The glass is evenly lit at all times of the day, and the beauty of the hand-made antique glass and delicate etching is not lost by the diffusing film, and the subtle surface painting that also helps to control the light passing through the glass can be enjoyed.

More on this lovely new window can be found here.

The new school hall building at Saint Edward’s Catholic First School in Windsor has two stained glass windows to celebrate the school. The contemporary windows are circular, measuring approximately 1.5 m in diameter: at one end of the school hall is the window that depicts the school mission statement “We see Jesus in everything we do” and the four-armed blue cross of the school badge, radiating light.

Facing this is the window of the school badge surrounded by the branches of a great tree where branches support the ten birds that the classes are named for. The birds are hand painted on background colours of pale lilac and pink against dark lilac, purple and turquoise blue glass, and the colours are picked up by the leaves of the tree.

The birds are: sparrow, wren, kingfisher, dove, woodpecker, nightingale, owl, goldfinch, robin and starling.

kingfisher detail of St Edward’s Catholic First School windows

wren detail of St Edward’s Catholic First School windows

Together the windows celebrate the school identity and aims for education through colour and light, whilst forming a focus for worship and prayer.

A new stained glass commission.

In illustration of Psalm 24 Vs 1: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and everything in it”, a window in celebration of the beauty of nature.

This gloriously colourful new stained glass window commission has been installed in November 2013 at the Anglican church of All Saints, in the country village of Denmead in Hampshire UK.

The tall lancet window sits in a deep recess on the flint knapped west side of the old church, where the afternoon sun streams through the glass and projects a burst of coloured light around the window opening, and quite magical blurry coloured rays across the floor.

The light on a bright day creates an image where it almost appears as though there are two windows adjacent to each other.

The symbolism of the window celebrates the beauty of the natural world and God’s creation, and includes various flora and fauna:

Bee/honey cells; foxgloves; blackberries; hare; thrush; fish; shells; snail; dragonfly; blue tits; butterflies; beetle; vine & corn (references to the Eucharist); harvest mice in nest; squirrel; dog rose; wild bee orchid; foxgloves; snowdrops; bluebells; oak & acorns; and a spider on a web.

Much fine acid-etching work was used on red and blue flashed glass to create the hare and snowdrops and bluebells at the lower part, and the corn nest of the harvest mice towards the top arch.

The whole window is traditionally leaded from etched and painted full antique hand-blown glass, using kiln-fired oxide pigments and silver stain for the painted decoration of the glass, by stained glass artist Jude Tarrant and the Sunrise Stained Glass studio.

Signed with a personal dedication ‘Ad majoram Dei gloriam’.

Visitors to the church will also be able to enjoy the east windows by artist Alan Younger in the recently reordered chancel. There is an album set of our recent photos of these windows at http://www.flickr.com/photos/stainedglassartist/sets/72157637633086574/ if you are unable to visit the church and view the window itself.

The new stained glass window at St Paul’s Catholic Church
For the dedication Mass for the newly installed windows at St Paul’s Church in Paulsgrove, UK in May 2012 the parish priest Father Tobin wrote the following words in celebration of Saint Paul’s life:

“Paul is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the history of the Western world. Paul’s life was remarkable and did without doubt change the course of Christianity. He made an impact as an apostle, as theologian, and as letter-writer. Paul the apostle had expanded the church far and wide, flinging open the doors to Gentiles, strenuously fighting for his conviction that the gospel was for all people and that no barriers should be put in the way of Gentiles. Paul the theologian was the first to work through many of the intriguing questions that Jesus’s life, death and resurrection had brought up. And Paul the letter-writer gave us not only some of the profoundest pieces of early Christian theological reflection, but also some of the finest, most poignant writing in history.”

The window brings to life scenes from the most influential events from the life of St Paul, starting with his early life (holding the cloaks of his friends whilst they throw stones at a group of early Christians).

Paul’s conversion (falling from his horse on the road to Damascus) figures in the lower part of the left hand panel.

The central panel includes his preaching to a gathering in a Roman forum, and surrounded by onlookers including Roman soldiers. Some are listening and some turning away, other people are walking towards the place to hear his words.

The right hand panel shows him imprisoned and also the shipwreck in Malta. There is also a reference to the story of him visiting what is now known as ‘Paul’s Grove’, on Portsdown Hill, Hampshire.

The local legend tells of him resting amongst a small grove of trees nearby to the great Roman fort at Portchester whilst stopping at British shores on his travels. St Paul is shown imprisoned as an older man, although he was imprisoned and persecuted for his beliefs many times throughout his life. He often referred to himself as ‘a prisoner of the Lord’. Beneath the prison bars is an extract from the letter to the Ephesians.

The three scenes are linked by references of his journeys by land (above) and by sea (below) and show ‘safe signs’ to mark safe houses and shelters for the early Christians. The journey begins and ends in Antioch, listing the most important places that he visited in his life.

We have used our artistic expression to produce contemporary windows for chapels and churches of many different denominations and non-traditional places of worship. We feel that it is a real privilege to work with church communities and church leaders in helping them to fulfil their vision for a new window in a sacred space and the window gallery includes images from many of our recent stained glass commissions.

Click here for more information on the stained glass studio and here for commissioning and for pictures showing the making of the new window from the initial design stage through to final fitting.

Bedenham Primary School, Gosport.

Client: Commissioned by the Architect for Hampshire County Council Neville Churcher and installed in January 2011.

The Robin and Kingfisher windows are located in the reception area of the Primary school.

The windows welcome pupils and staff alike on entering the school, bringing light and colour to the interior of the space.

The sun window and moon window were created to create an atmosphere of calm and serenity to two ‘mood rooms’ designed as a ‘chill out’ space for the children. The cool blues and greens and purples of the moon flood one of the quiet rooms with soothing colour. The warmer sun window lifts moods with bright bold yellows, oranges and reds by Lamberts, Tatra and St Just. Both windows use traditional leading techniques and mouth blown full antique glass with kiln fired painted oxide pigments and sand blasted decoration.

As archetypal symbols of day and night, male, female and activity and wisdom, these windows are easily interpreted by the children. The experience of colour and light are beyond words and used here as either soothing and calming, or enlivening and joyful, the ‘mood’ windows can have a very strong influence to shift the emotions to a more positive state.

The beginning of June has marked the eighth return of the Flower Festival to the cathedral, a biennial event eagerly anticipated by the thousands of regular visitors. Each display is inspired by its location within the cathedral and by a piece of poetry.

PARADISE in Flowers

The theme for the 2010 Festival of Flowers at Chichester Cathedral, West Sussex, England was ‘Paradise’ and there was no doubt that this graceful building was transformed in splendid magnificence by the beautiful displays.

Sunrise Stained Glass has been working for more than 25 years on a rolling program of restoration to the stained and leaded glass windows at Chichester Cathedral, including the complete restoration of the clerestory windows, the windows to the Tower and Palantine Chapel, the Cloisters and both North and South Transepts.

We have also restored all of the windows to the South Aisle and the Lady Chapel windows by Clayton & Bell. There have also been many other smaller restorations to damage to the windows of the North Aisle and the detailed restoration of two badly vandalized stained glass windows in the cloister.

Cleaned Chagall Window

The Chagall window has recently been expertly cleaned and conserved by Sunrise Stained Glass studio  and the predominantly red glass in Chichester Cathedral’s window now glows with fresh colour.

Chagall window flower display

The Poem chosen for this Chagall Window floral display location was  ‘I Remember, I Remember’ by Christina Rosetti and the vibrant colours of the flowers perfectly echoed the stained glass window.

TRANSEPT WINDOWS

The large South Transept window (completely restored in 2002) was decorated with ‘A Subaltern’s Love Song’ by Sir John Betjemen………….

………….and the North Transept with the enchanting story of the ‘Owl and the Pussycat’ by Edward Lear. The tableau even included a real pea-green boat, in a sea of white crested flower waves, and of course the jar of honey wrapped up in five pound note.

Facing the South Transept windows the displays continued to amaze and delight.

Lilies and foxtails adorned the tomb of the Bishop Robert Stratford with ‘Diary of a Church Mouse’ by John Betjemen.

The photo below shows the Nave from the West Door entrance, and the hanging ‘chandeliers’ of floral art suspended from the roof.

Follow this link to see more details of the restoration of the stained glass windows at Chichester Cathedral.  If you require expert advice on the care and conservation of stained glass and leaded windows please contact John Tarrant on Tel: 023 92750512 or email sunrise@stained-windows.co.uk. Our website www.stained-windows.co.uk details many other restoration projects and new stained glass commissions.

The entrance to St Colman’s Church, Portsmouth, has been enhanced by this new window which celebrates that ‘God is Love’.

The new stained glass window in the Porch, in memory of parishioner John Higgins, was blessed by Fr Sean Tobin at Sunday Mass on 21^st February 2010.

Fr Sean said ‘The branches of the olive trees in the windows highlight our connection with God of love, and that we are all anointed in His love with the oil of the olive tree.’

The new three – light window uses mouth-blown antique glass in the Mediterranean colours of azure blue, cobalt blue, and turquoise in the background with painted detail of olives and olive tree branches surrounding the central window of the words ‘God is Love’ in rich hues of red to pale yellow. This contemporary window welcomes all into the church and invites a mood for quiet contemplation of the sunny olive groves where Jesus Himself once walked.

The window was designed and made by specialist stained glass studio Sunrise Stained Glass Ltd, and for enquiries regarding new commissions please contact John Tarrant on +44 023 9275 0512 to discuss your project. Or see www.stained-windows.co.uk for more details of our stained glass work.  View this new porch window here  and more new contemporary stained glass at St Colman’s here.

Mystery of Light – The Marriage at Cana

A new stained glass window on the theme of the ‘Luminous Mystery’ or ‘Mystery of Light’ has been celebrated and dedicated at St Colman’s Church, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire UK.

The Marriage feast at Cana

The window is modern in design but uses traditional stained glass techniques and materials in its construction. The newly commissioned stained glass window is the work of Sunrise Stained Glass and glass artist Jude Tarrant AMGP. Jude works with hand-made antique glass and painted kiln fired pigments and silver stain to achieve subtle graduations of colours, tone and detail. Although the subject is mainly figurative the design is semi – abstract and uses a palette of blues and reds, rich in symbolism appropriate to this theme.

Design Description: The theme of the new stained glass window of the Manifestation of Jesus at Cana is one of abundance and joy; the mystery of Christ’s transformation of the water into wine, and the fidelity of marriage and the strength and unity of the family.

Mary acts as intercessor and Jesus responds with an act of compassion and a sign pointing to the future time of the message of the Last Supper and the Eucharist. He holds a cup, a plain earthenware cup of the type that would have been set upon the table at the marriage feast. He gestures at the water jars, and this is the moment of glorious transformation, of water into wine. The red of the wine flows down from the six jars and surrounds and fills the space with warmth and plenty. The words ‘You have kept the best until now’ emerge from the blue of Mary at the top of the lancet window.

The lower part of the window is the marriage scene, with an elderly married couple embracing in joy and central to the table of family members and friends who surround them – an abundance of love in the family. The circular arrangement of the wedding feast suggests completeness and unity.

The blue colour of Mary is echoed in the colour of the water flowing from above and as Mary’s blessing and protection to the gathering of the family and community at the feast below. The interweaving of both the purple/red of Christ and the blue of Mary unite the themes of the story, and link the whole window into one flowing rhythm of life and love.

At the foot of the window in glass of rich red and ambers the text celebrates the Hudson family, parishioners at the church since 1929.

‘Luminous Mystery’ stained glass – Dedication sermon by Fr Sean Tobin.

“Those who attend St Colman’s church must surely have noticed the new stained glass window. The window depicts the Marriage Feast at Cana, from the ‘Mysteries of Light’, the newer mysteries of the Rosary. In the window we see the large figure of Jesus, surrounded by the stone water jars as He transforms the water into wine. Power is poured into Him from above, and that power comes out of Him too, in order for Him to perform this great sign. Jesus is still clothed in the mantle of His mother Mary, symbolized by the blue He wears, for it was Mary who made Him aware of the needs of the people as she said to Him, ‘they have no wine’. At the bottom of the window we see the wedding feast in full flow as the young couple sit surrounded by their family and friends. Then below that is the young couple grown in years, still bonded together by the love they still share. Use the windows to aid your prayer, and know Mary still intercedes for us as we long for the wine of peace.” The transformation of the water into wine is marked by the words at the top of the window ‘You have kept the best until now’.

This is the fifth of six modern windows of stained glass of the Rosary ‘Mystery of Light’ or ‘Luminous Mystery’ at St Colman’s Catholic Church. If you would like to see some of our other windows of contemporary design and stained glass of the Rosary windows follow this link….

If you are interested in commissioning a new stained glass window and would like to discuss your project please call us on +44 (0)23 9275 0512.