The Sanctuary

The church was built in 1869, to the design of the distinguished architect David Bryce. The interior is described in The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh (Gifford et al, 1984) as

"expressing the familiar arrangement of the two-storey galleried kirk, entered between stair-halls, in his most wilful Roman Baroque Gibbsian interior, translated into cast-iron construction. Spectacular vaulted ceiling, springing from the big entablatures of slim, spirally vaulted Corinthian columns. At the north end an apse, with a more solemn Doric order and a ribbed semi-dome; an open triangular pediment overall. Later organ chambers on each side. Woodwork excellent, mainly original, with bold curves complementing the brittler richness of the plasterwork."

The purpose of the design was to ensure that the maximum number of people could see the pulpit and hear the preacher.

Since 1869 a significant number of alterations have taken place. Originally all the pews bar those abutting the north (pulpit) wall faced forward. There were at least two adjustments to the platform and choir seating before the first major change. That was in 1897 when the windows on either side of the apse were removed and chambers built to house the organ pipes, while the organ console was placed in the middle of the floor, between the previous communion table and the congregation, with the choir on chairs facing the front on either side of the console. The second major change was in 1954, when the organ console and the communion table gifted in 1921 were swapped round, so that the console was no longer in front of the table. The platform was rearranged and new choir stalls built on either side in the English chancel style. The blocks of pews on either side of the platform were turned round to face the middle. The third major change was in 1976, when the back part of the church was partitioned off to form the centre, and the sliding doors were installed.

The layout was like a concert hall, with most people seated in rows facing the front, seeing only the backs of the heads of others, primarily watching what was happening in the pulpit and chancel. This arrangement made sense when people had to be packed in, and when services were conducted by one or two, and when there was a formal choir. But it did not fit the way we are seeking to renew our worship. The congregation was spread around too large a space. The layout gave no sense of being gathered together. The chancel area was inflexible, prohibited more participatory worship and reinforced the over emphasis on the preaching of the Word from the large pulpit.

We needed to repitch the tent to reflect the way we hope our worship will be renewed.

That means gathering the congregation around the Lord's table. We needed flexibility to allow more people to participate in leading worship not just from the front, but from various parts of the worship area, enhancing the feeling of worshipping together, not separated by empty seats. And a warm side chapel for weekday worship!

So in 2001 we re-ordered the Sanctuary gathering the congregation, still in traditional pews, around a central space, following the line of the gallery, with a large lectern for conducting the service on a small slightly lower chancel in front of the organ console, the communion table in the centre of the space, and the font in front of the pews nearest the entrance. This concept (a version of the 'collegiate chapel' or 'hillside conventicle', drew also on ideas in Repitching the Tent (Richard Giles, 1999)) allows us as a worshipping community grouped round the communion table, to see each other, to introduce a greater sense of movement within the liturgy, the 'action' to happen at various points in the central area, greater flexibility for celebrating communion, and signifies the importance of both Word and Sacrament.

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