Mystery Worshipper: Frollo
Church:
Southwark Cathedral, London
Location: England
Date of visit: Sunday, 20 April 2025, 11:00am
The building
The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie (to give chapter and verse) dates by tradition from the 7th century. The Domesday Book of 1086 refers to a minster there, at the site of the only entrance to the City of London south of the river Thames. (‘Overie’ is a corruption of ‘over the river’.) The largely 15th century St Saviour’s Church became a cathedral in 1905, having passed through many different phases of building, and now includes a major 21st century extension.
The church
Southwark Cathedral presents itself as ‘a centre for daily worship within the English Cathedral music tradition’. It is heavily engaged in ecumenical outreach, and is much criticised by some for its liberal, inclusive affirmation in teaching and for its anglo-catholicism.
The neighborhood
An 1881 critic described it as ‘most unfortunate, and deplorable; it stands in a deep hole, surrounded closely on the north by high warehouses, on the south and west by a covered vegetable fruit market, and immense warehouses, and by an ugly railway in a tube, and on the east by the roadway to London Bridge, which is nearly half as high as the roof of the church'. The buildings are now much higher, and South Bank mammon has hemmed in the cathedral to the point where it seems smaller outside than in.
The cast
The bishop officiated. The dean preached. Cathedral wardens read the lessons.
What was the name of the service?
Choral Eucharist (for Easter Day).How full was the building?
Rammed to the doors – 800+ people.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Cathedrals are as much about crowd control as anything else. Southwark doesn’t overtly make a show of its ‘welcoming team’, so it seemed more as though a succession of individuals wished me a smiling ‘happy Easter’. A couple of ladies by the south door were holding QR code laminates. It turned out this was to scan for the order of service.
Was your pew comfortable?
Interlocking wooden chairs of standard cathedral style, most carrying small brass plaques on the seat backs in memory of former worshippers. Not especially comfortable, but then we didn’t spend too much time sitting down during the service.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
I arrived in good time, and the choir were rehearsing one of the Easter anthems. As the nave filled up, the low murmuring of many strangers negotiating seating gradually built. About 10 minutes before showtime, the organist covered the increasing crowd noise with some French flash-bang-wallop music, during which a LOT of candles were lit in the choir and chancel.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
We went straight into the entrance hymn, ‘Jesus Christ is risen today’. Then: ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’
What books did the congregation use during the service?
The aforementioned QR code allowed me to download the whole order of service to my phone. About half the congregation seemed to have done this; it was available as a booklet for those who chose paper.
What musical instruments were played?
The cathedral choir, with both boys’ and girls’ treble lines, were supported by organ, trumpets and timpani. A splendid racket.
Did anything distract you?
At the east end, above the high altar, a modern stained glass window appeared to depict the Almighty resting his feet on a blue, starred globe. It looked like a Brexit analogy - though for or against I couldn’t fathom.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
It was Easter Day in a cathedral: gold vestments, holy smoke, gospel processional, great big music and liturgy coming at you from every direction. The congregation standing three-quarters of the time – happy but not especially clappy.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
13 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
9 — Only marked down from a 10 because it was read. Clear, accessible... and getting about 300 voices to respond to a line from a Carry On movie.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
Christ’s rising as a challenge to power; his followers enjoined to speak the truth to his killers. His resurrected appearances were in ordinary places, not to dazzle but to open eyes. Temporal power sought to put him back in the tomb as quickly as possible; power today (including, sometimes and shamefully, within the church) seeks to diminish the value of selected people. But all are loved as God’s children. As Christians, we are called to charity, liberality and inclusivity.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The morale uplift of the final hymn as a vault full of voices, full organ, trumpets and kettle drums belted out ‘Thine be the glory’.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Emerging into sunlight and immediately being assailed by commercial fast food tourist Southwark. My dear, the noise! The smells! And the people!
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I couldn't stay long enough to join in the post-service coffee. Easter egg parcels were being handed out by the Friends of the Cathedral as I left – it seemed like an awful lot of eggs would be needed.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
Afraid I can't comment, not having had any.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10 — Just once in a while the theatre and majesty of cathedral worship lifts the heart.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Absolutely.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
The dean's final word, from South American congregations’ standing witness to the names being read of the week’s dead and missing: ‘Presente’.
Photo by Ethan Doyle White under CC BY-SA 4.0