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The quire is one of the most spectacular features of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. It sits at the east end inside the cathedral.
Altar
In front of the quire, under the dome, is the altar. It contains a beautifully carved pulpit. In front are two icons.
The icon on the left is of St. Mellitus, who became the first Bishop of London in 604. On the right is the icon of St. Paul the Apostle, for whom the cathedral is named.
Quire
Behind the alter is the quire. This is where the clergy and choir normally sit during services. It contains rows of stalls on both sides with carvings by Grinling Gibbons.
The vault of the quire was decorated with mosaics created by William Blake Richmond. He started work on the mosaics in 1891 and finished 10 years later. The mosaics represent scenes from Creation.
Grand Organ
The Grand Organ is located in the quire. It was built in 1695 and is the third largest organ in the United Kingdom. It has been restored several times over the years. The case was created by Grinling Gibbons.
High Altar
Behind the quire is the High Altar. It was built in 1958 based on a drawing by Sir Christopher Wren, and made of marble and oak. The baldacchino was created by W. Godfrey Allen and Stephen Dykes Bower. The original Victorian High Altar was destroyed by bombings during World War II.
American Memorial Chapel
The apse contains the American Memorial Chapel. It was donated in 1958 by the British people to commemorate the 28,000 Americans stationed in the United Kingdom during World War II.
The Roll of Honour, opposite the chapel’s altar, contains the names of each American who died while stationed in, or on their way to, the United Kingdom during the war. One page is turned each day so that the names are always read.
Stunning stained glass windows sit behind the American Memorial Chapel.
Quire Aisles
The north quire aisle is known as the Minor Canons’ Aisle. A sculpture by Henry Moore, Mother and Child: Hood, is located there. It was one of Moor’es final commissions, created in 1983. The Minor Canons’ Aisle also contains the entrance to the organ.
The south quire aisle is known as the Dean’s Aisle. This is where clergy and the choir gather before services. It contains a marble effigy of John Donne (1572-1631), which is the only monument to survive the burning of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral during Great Fire of London in 1666. The effigy was carved in 1630 by Nicholas Stone, and Donne posed for it himself. Donne was a Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral and one of the greatest poets in British history.
Both quire aisles contain wrought-iron gates crafted by French metalworker Jean Tijou as well as mosaics by William Blake Richmond in the vaults.
