St
John's Church, Ainsdale
St
John's Church, Ainsdale
Church Tour - Chancel & Sanctuary
Up the steps from the Nave is the Chancel and above that is the Sanctuary.
The Chancel is the area where the choir and Clergy sit during services. The term Chancel comes from the Old French cancelli which were lattices, because Chancels were originally separated from the nave by a screen of latticework to prevent general access to it but not to obscure sight or sound.
The present clergy desks were bought in 1947 with £400 given by an anonymous donor. Now the Vicar sits in the stall on the South and the Curate or Reader sits on the North.
The wood of the choirstalls is paler than the clergy and reader desks and the stalls were a later addition. This is where the choir sits during the services, usually with the altos and basses on the organ side and the sopranos and tenors on the non-organ side. This is how they are referred to in this Church although in Cathedrals and Churches with large choirs the North side is the Cantori side and the South Decani; each side has all four parts on it so that they can function as separate choirs.
The Sanctuary is the holiest part of the Church. It is here that the Altar is.
In addition to the altar there are two chairs. The Mothers' Union gave the one on the South in October 1936 in memory of Catherine G. Exton. She was the first enrolling member of the MU branch (1906). The one on the North is in memory of Jonathon and Sarah J. Hayward and was given by their two daughters B. Hayward and E. Hill.
Page Last Updated: December 1, 2002
