All Saints' Church, Ryde is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

located in

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

. The building is a landmark of the island, the spire being visible from many places around the Isle of Wight and from the mainland, projecting beyond the skyline. All Saints' is sometimes referred to as the "Cathedral of the Island" It is a Grade II* ecclesiastical listed building.

Architecture

The church was built between 1868 and 1872 by the architect George Gilbert Scott. The spire was an addition of 1881/82. A previous tradition saw the spire climbed early on the

Feast of the Ascension The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, also called Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday, commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (i.e., shared by ...

to sing an Ascension hymn. All Saints' is listed as a 'large' church in ornate Second Pointed style, constructed of stone-rubble with ashlar dressings. There are six bay-pointed arcades with naturalistic capitals. The chancel walls were painted by

Clayton and Bell Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient British workshops of stained-glass windows during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (1832 ...

. The vestry - now the choir song school - was added by C Pemberton-Leach in 1891. There are two side chapels: The Warrior Chapel in the north aisle - which is a memorial chapel - and The Chapel of The Good Shepherd in the south aisle, which was the original sacristy. The pulpit, reredos and font are all typical Scott features, The pulpit is made of Derbyshire alabaster on polished marble columns, and appeared in

The Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took p ...

of 1851, winning 1st prize in its class. The tower contains a ring of eight bells cast by Messrs Taylor and Co of Loughborough in 1866. There are some fine examples of stained glass windows but these are mostly confined to the north aisle and sanctuary areas, the other windows having been destroyed by enemy action during the Second World War. The window in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd is dedicated to the memory of Samuel Poole (d 1872). On the north east corner of the church boundary is a Calvary cross war memorial.

Services and worship

Usual Sunday services: 9am BCP Holy Communion Service. First Sunday of the Month 10:30am ¡Saints Alive! informal all age service. Celtic style services and Taize coming soon All Saints' was, until 2020, the only church on the Isle of Wight to offer a fully sung evensong every Sunday. Other services (subject to change): * Ash Wednesday: Sung Eucharist with formal imposition of ashes * Maundy Thursday: Sung Eucharist with washing of feet and Stripping of Altar * Good Friday: The All Saints' Rite at the midpoint of a three-hour meditation * Remembrance Sunday: civic service with presentation of standards and act of remembrance

Choir

Until recently, an established choir existed at All Saints' which has been tradition since its consecration.Dorset County Chronicle - Thursday 3 November 1864 The choir used to sing at all main services as well as the additional services listed above and at weddings and funerals. A new choir is currently in formation and will be singing again at services soon. For many years, the choir has been affiliated to the

Royal School of Church Music The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is a Christian music education organisation dedicated to the promotion of music in Christian worship, in particular the repertoire and traditions of Anglican church music, largely through publications, tr ...

(RSCM) and the younger choristers were once trained using the RSCM 'Voice for Life' programme and also occasionally trained with other professionals. In previous services, music sung ranged from Tallis and

Byrd Byrd commonly refers to: * William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance * Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer Byrd or Byrds may also refer to: Other people * Byrd (surname), includin ...

to more modern composers - communion settings by

Kenneth Leighton Kenneth Leighton (2 October 1929 – 24 August 1988) was a British composer and pianist. His compositions include church and choral music, pieces for piano, organ, cello, oboe and other instruments, chamber music, concertos, ...

and Grayston Ives and anthems by

Malcolm Archer Malcolm Archer (born 1952) is an English composer, conductor and organist. He combines this work with a recital career. Archer was formerly Organist and Director of Music at Bristol Cathedral, Wells Cathedral and at St Paul's Cathedral and Di ...

Colin Mawby Colin Mawby KSG (9 May 1936 – 24 November 2019) was an English organist, choral conductor and composer. From 1961 he was Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, then from 1981 he was the choral director at Radio Telefís Éireann. He co ...

Alan Ridout Alan Ridout (9 December 1934 – 19 March 1996) was a British composer and teacher. Life Born in West Wickham, Kent, England, Alan Ridout studied briefly at the Guildhall School of Music before commencing four years of study at the Royal C ...

and Paul Edwards. Prior to 2016, the choir sung evensong at the cathedrals of Portsmouth, Salisbury, Winchester and Chichester.

Organ

The organ is by

Henry Willis Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in busin ...

dating from 1874. A specification of the organ can be found on th
National Pipe Organ Register

Organists and Directors of Music

*Sidney M. Lake 1864–1872 *W.B. Souter 1872–1874 *Frank H. Simms 1874–1889 (afterwards organist of St. Paul's Church, New Orleans, United States of America) *W. Warden Harvey (FRCO) 1889–1894 *Rev. J. Godfrey Luard M.A. 1894–1896 said to have been organist at St Andrews, president of the Jeu de Paume de Parc Beaumont in Pau, France (1910–1919) *Edmund Goldsmith 1896–1898 * Richard Yates Mander Mus. Doc. FRCO 1898–1913Dictionary of Organs and Organists, First Edition. 1912. p. 305 (previously organist of St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham) *Ernest G. Welsh (ARCO) 1913–1929 (previously organist at All Saints' Church Hessle) *D J Bevan (ARCO) 1929–1932 *Osborne Edward Weare (FRCO) 1932–1934 *Earnest G. Welsh (ARCO) 1934–1946 *Wilfrid L. Reed 1946–1970 *John Lea BA Mus (Hons) LTCL 1970–1976 *John Flower 1976 (ARCO) subsequently Assistant from 1977 to 1995 *Derek Beck LRAM 1977–1984 *W W L Baker (FRCO - chair) LRAM 1984–1988 *R Weir BA LTCL 1988–1991 *John Lea (Director of Music) 1992–1996 *Andrew Cooper (Organist) 1995 onward *Robert Weir (Director of Music) 1996–1998 *John Lea (Director of Music) 1998–2003 *Godfrey Davis MA ARCO (Director of Music) 2003–2010 *John Lea (Director of Music) 2010–2011 *Graeme Martin (Director of Music) 2011–2012 *John Lea (Director of Music) 2012 and, subsequently, esteemed Director of Music Emeritus *Simon Jarvis BSc (hons), PGCE (Director of Music) 2013-2017 *Andrew Cooper Organist and Director of Music 2017–2020 *Alan Finch (Director of Music) 2020-

Performances

The church's acoustic makes it a popular venue for various visiting performers and it hosts the choral section of The Isle of Wight Music, Dance and Drama Festival.

Vicars of Ryde

* illiamHarding Girdlestone DD 1867–1868 * Alexander Poole MA 1868–1891 * John Shearme MA 1891–1905 '' on. Canon of Winchester Cathedral' * Albert Gossage Robinson MA 1905–1908 '' on. Canon of Winchester Cathedral' * Hugh Le Fleming MA 1908–1927 * George Alexander Johnstone MA 1927–1932 '' on. Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral' * William Neville Martin MA 1932–1936 * Reginald Stuart Moxon DD 1937–1946 * Alexander Cory MA 1946–1952 '' on. Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral' * Ralph Harry Bassett MA 1953–1962 * Ronald Harry Granger 1963–1970 '' on. Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral' * Patrick Connor Magee 1970–1972 * Douglas John Turner 1972–1981 * Ernest James Green 1982–1991 * David William Dale 1992–1998 * David Blair Foss 1999–2001 * Jonathan Francis Redvers Harris 2003–2011 * Graham Edwin Morris 2012–2018 * Interregnum 2019 * Samantha Martell 2020-2021

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryde, All Saints Church of England church buildings on the Isle of Wight Grade II* listed churches on the Isle of Wight Ryde