The area around the Temple Church is still known as the Temple.[7]Temple Bar,a jurisdictional gateway, stood in the middle of Fleet Street in the Temple area. Nearby isTemple Underground station.
An 1827 woodcut of The Temple ChurchThe interior of the Round Church in the early 19th century, withtomb effigiesbehind iron railingsThe Temple Church in 1914
In the mid-12th century, before the construction of the church, the Knights Templar in London had met at a site inHigh Holbornin a structure originally established byHugues de Payens(the site had been historically the location of aRomantemple inLondinium,[citation needed]now known as London). Because of the rapid growth of theorder,by the 1160s the site had become too confined, and the order purchased the current site for the establishment of a largermonasticcomplex as their headquarters in England. In addition to the church, the new compound originally contained residences, military training facilities, and recreational grounds for the militarybrethrenand novices, who were not permitted to go into the City without the permission of the Master of the Temple.
The church building comprises two separate sections: The original circular church building, called theRound Churchand now acting as anave,and a later rectangular section adjoining on the east side, built approximately half a century later, forming thechancel.
Floor plan of the Temple Church
After the capture of Jerusalem in 1099 by the Crusaders, theDome of the Rockwas given to the Augustinians, who turned it intoa church(while theJami Al-Aqsabecame a royal palace). Because the Dome of the Rock was the site of the Temple of Solomon, the Knights Templar set up their headquarters in the Al-Aqsa Mosque adjacent to the Dome for much of the 12th century. TheTemplum Domini,as they called the Dome of the Rock, featured on the official seals of the order's Grand Masters (such asEverard des BarresandRenaud de Vichiers), and along with theChurch of the Holy Sepulchreupon which it was based soon became the architectural model for Round Templar churches across Europe.
The round church is 55 feet (17 m) indiameter,and contains within it a circle of the earliest known surviving free-standingPurbeck Marblecolumns. It is probable that the walls and grotesque heads were originally painted in colours.
The Knights Templar order was very powerful in England, with the Master of the Temple sitting inparliamentasprimus baro(the firstbaronin precedenceof the realm). The compound was regularly used as a residence by kings and bylegatesof thePope.The Temple also served as an early safety-deposit bank, sometimes in defiance of the Crown's attempts to seize the funds of nobles who had entrusted their wealth there. The quasi-supra-national independent network and great wealth of the order throughout Europe, and the jealousy this caused in secular kingdoms, is considered by most commentators to have been the primary cause of its eventual downfall.
In January 1215William Marshalserved as a negotiator during a meeting in the Temple between KingJohnand thebarons,who demanded that the king should uphold the rights enshrined in theCoronation Charterof his predecessor and elder brother KingRichard I.Marshal swore on behalf of the king that the grievances of the barons would be addressed in the summer, which led to the signing by the king ofMagna Cartain June.
Marshal later becameregentduring the reign of John's infant son, KingHenry III(1216–1272). Henry later expressed a desire to be buried in the church and, to accommodate this, in the early 13th century thechancelof the original church was pulled down and a new larger chancel was built, the basic form of which survives today. It was consecrated onAscension Day1240 and comprises a central aisle and two sideaisles,north and south, of identical width. The height of the vault is 36 feet 3 inches (11.05 m). Although one of Henry's infant sons was buried in the chancel, Henry himself later altered his will to reflect his new wish to be buried inWestminster Abbey.
After the destruction and abolition of the Knights Templar in 1307, KingEdward IItook control of the church as a Crown possession. It was later given to theKnights Hospitaller,who leased the Temple to two colleges of lawyers. One college moved into the part of the Temple previously used by the Knights, and the other into the part previously used by its clergy, and both shared the use of the church. The colleges evolved into theInner Templeand theMiddle Temple,two of the four LondonInns of Court.
In 1540 the church became the property ofthe Crownonce again when KingHenry VIIIabolished the Knights Hospitaller in England and confiscated their property. Henry provided a priest for the church under the former title "Master of the Temple". In the 1580s the church was the scene of theBattle of thePulpits,atheologicalconflict between thePuritansand supporters of theElizabethan Compromise.Shakespearewas familiar with the site and the church and garden feature in his playHenry VI, part 1as the setting for the fictional scene of the plucking of two roses of York and Lancaster and the start of theWars of the Roses.In 2002 this event was commemorated with the planting of new white and red roses in the modern gardens.
Following an agreement in 1608 by KingJames I,the two Inns were granted use of the church in perpetuity on condition that they should support and maintain it. They continue to use the Temple church as their ceremonial chapel.
The church escaped damage in theGreat Fire of Londonof 1666. Nevertheless, it was refurbished byChristopher Wren,who made extensive modifications to the interior, including the addition of an altar screen and the installation of the church's first organ. The church underwent aVictorian restorationin 1841 by Smirke and Burton, who decorated the walls and ceiling in highVictorian Gothicstyle in an attempt to return the church back to its supposed original appearance. In 1850 a fire begun in the furnace room badly damaged the chorister's room above and threatened the organ situated behind that room's wall, but was extinguished before it could spread further.[9]Further restoration work was executed in 1862 byJames Piers St Aubyn.
On 10 May 1941,German incendiary bombsset the roof of the Round Church on fire,[10]and the fire quickly spread to the nave and chapel. The organ and all the wooden parts of the church, including the Victorian renovations, were destroyed and the Purbeck marble columns in the chancel cracked due to the intense heat. Although these columns still provided some support to the vault, they were deemed unsound and were replaced in identical form. The original columns had a slight outward lean, which architectural quirk was followed in the replacement columns. The Master's House was burned down on the same night.
During the renovation by the architectWalter Godfrey,it was discovered that elements of the 17th-century renovations made byWrenhad survived in storage and these were replaced in their original positions. The church was rededicated in November 1958.[11]
The interior of the chancel facing west toward the Round Church
Among other purposes, the church was originally used for Templar initiation ceremonies. In England the ceremony involved new recruits entering the Temple via the western door at dawn. The initiates entered the circular nave and then took monastic vows of piety,chastity, poverty and obedience.The details of initiation ceremonies were always a closely guarded secret, which later contributed to the order's downfall as gossip and rumours spread about possible blasphemous usages. These rumours were manipulated and exploited by the order's enemies, such as KingPhilip IV of France,to fabricate a pretext for the order's suppression.
Today the Temple Church holds regular church services, includingHoly CommunionandMattinson Sunday morning.[12]It also holds weddings, but only for members of the Inner and Middle Temples. The Temple Church serves both the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple as a private chapel.
The Temple Church has always been aroyal peculiar,[13]due to which the choristers have the privilege of wearing scarlet cassocks. Debate exists regarding the relationship of its status as Crown subject and peculiar. Relations with theBishop of Londonare very good and she regularly attends events and services at the Temple Church. The Bishop of London is alsoex officioDean of theChapel Royal.
Boys of the Temple Church Choir performing on tour at the Arts House of the Old Parliament, Singapore
The church offers regularchoral musicperformances and organ recitals. A choir in the English cathedral tradition was established at the Temple Church in 1842 under the direction of Dr E. J. Hopkins, and it soon earned a high reputation.[14]
In 1927, the Temple Choir underGeorge Thalben-Ballbecame world-famous with its recording ofMendelssohn'sHear My Prayer,including the solo "O for the Wings of a Dove" sung byErnest Lough.This became one of the most popular recordings of all time by a church choir, and it sold strongly throughout the twentieth century, reaching gold disc status (a million copies) in 1962 and achieving an estimated 6 million sales to date.
While writing thescoreforInterstellar,film composerHans Zimmerchose the Temple Church for the recording of the parts of the score that included an organ. The church's former organist,Roger Sayer,played the organ, while a large orchestra played throughout the church.[16]Zimmer is quoted saying that "Setting foot into Temple Church is like stepping into profound history....Temple Church houses one of the most magnificent organs in the world."
The choir continues to record, broadcast and perform, in addition to its regular services at the Temple Church. It is an all-male choir, consisting of 18 boys who are all educated on generous scholarships (most of the boys attend theCity of London Schoolalthough the scholarship is portable) and 12 professional men. They perform weekly at Sunday services, 11:15–12:15 pm, during term time. The choir gave the world premiere of SirJohn Tavener's epicThe Veil of the Temple,which took place over seven hours during an overnight vigil in the Temple Church in 2003. The following year it was performed by the choir at the Lincoln Festival in New York City; a concert version was performed atthe BBC Promsthe same year. Two new recordings were released in 2010 on theSignum Classicslabel: one of the Temple Church Choir, and a recording of English organ music played by James Vivian. Both were critically acclaimed. The boys' choir also appears on the 2016 recording ofJohn Rutter's violin concertoVisions,and on an album of upper-voices Christmas music released the same year.
The church contains two organs: a chamber organ built by Robin Jennings in 2001, and a four manualHarrison & Harrisonorgan, built in 1924 as a private ballroom organ atGlen Tanar House[17]and installed at the Temple Church in 1954.[18][19]
The church always has two clergy, called the "Master of the Temple" and the "Reader of the Temple." The title of the Master of the Temple recalls the title of the head of the former order of theKnights Templar.The Master of the Temple is appointed by the Crown; the right of appointment was reserved when the Church was granted to the two Inns byJames Iin 1608. The church has the status of apeculiarrather than a private chapel and is outside any episcopal or archiepiscopal jurisdiction.[21]The present Master of the Temple is the ReverendRobin Griffith-Jones,appointed in 1999. The Master gives regular lunchtime talks open to the public.
The official title of the Master of the Temple is the "Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple."[22]His official residence is the Master's House, a Georgian townhouse built next to the church in 1764.[23]
James Simpson (1737–1815), Attorney General of ColonialSouth Carolina.His wife, who predeceased him, is buried in the south transept ofWestminster Abbey.[42]
The Temple Church, from Waverly Novels vol. IV 1844
Temple Church plays a significant role in the plot of the mystery novelThe Da Vinci CodebyDan Brownand its subsequentfilm adaptation,a key scene of which was filmed inside the church.[44]
^Lewer, David(1961).A Spiritual Song, The Story of the Temple Choir & a History of Divine Service in the Temple Church, London,The Templar's Union, ASIN B0014KQ33I
