This is an exhibition of murals painted on to the walls of the Song School of St Mary's Cathedral by Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852 - 1936). There is a tour narrated by a guide - Suzie Morrison today - with Margaret Campbell, an expert on the artist.

Margaret Campbell explains the history, as she guides the group from St Mary’s Cathedral to the Song School. When the Cathedral was built, its founders decided that they wanted daily sung services - this meant having a choir. Initially, the school of choir-boys used the school-room in the organist’s house, but this became unworkable, and a Song School was built.

Once the tour is inside the Song School, guide Suzie Morrison takes over for this tour, explaining the history of Phoebe Anna Traquair, an Irish artist who illustrated books, and ventured into many media over her life. When Phoebe Anna Traquair and her husband – they met as she illustrated his book – moved to Edinburgh, she became a mother and ran the home. In the 1880s, she started painting again, strongly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. The Song School found her through a doctor who was also a Cathedral Dean. He had seen her decoration of a chapel for sick children, and this led to her labour of love, painting the Song School.

All four walls are covered in paint, from the shoulder-height wooden panels upwards, with windows on two sides, a door on another, and the organ on the fourth. The room is around 50 feet long, to 25 feet wide, and the pictures around 10 feet high on the sides, reaching higher in the arches. The room is like a small church, arched, with leaded-windows.

The East wall, beside the entry door, features Christ in the centre, with all the figures around the room facing him. The murals all illustrate the canticle 'Benedicte, Omnia, Opera' – 'Oh all Ye Works of the Lord, bless Ye the Lord'. This means there are panels around with everything blessing the Lord, from figures symbolising light and dark, summer and winter, to well known artists, writers and explorers of the day, and significant figures from Edinburgh life at the time. Another interesting point is the panels on either side of the East wall, which include the entire choir of the day, plus the Cathedral’s important figures. There are some interesting details in some of the paintings – from a County Wicklow background behind the Bishop and Schoolmaster, to a viaduct from the Borders area behind the three Marys.

The whole thing was painted on whitewashed walls – even the decorator features in one panel – using watered-down oils mixed with beeswax, and coated over with beeswax. Sadly, over the years, this meant the works yellowed, and coupled with the traditional pollution in Edinburgh, they have needed restoring a number of times, most recently in 1997-8, when one got damaged by vandals. Among details the guide mentions are the bell-ropes that feature throughout – subtle symbols for the cathedral bells, praising God. The end wall around the organ features four angels, and under them, symbols of each of the four Gospel writers. All around is a frieze, with medallions that show aspects of creation, and to one side is a small self-portrait with the dates – 1888 - 1892 – when the artist painted this.

The overall impression is dramatic. The restored murals almost glow. The sun shines off them, and the gilt paint ensures an almost holy gleam in places. The whole is a lot to take in during a scheduled 45-minute talk. It ends earlier than that, which allows for browsing time, and a closer look at the details, or to ask questions of the helpful, knowledgeable guide.

Credits: Artist - Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852 - 1936). Today’s guide - Suzie Morrison with Margaret Campbell. Tour based on book by - Margaret Campbell.

END

(c) Gill Smith 2007

reviewed day Tuesday 7 August 07 / St Mary's Cathedral

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008