Crosstalk

A publication of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa www.ottawa.anglican.ca

The Rt. Rev. Shane Parker Bishop of Ottawa

Publisher

Leigh Anne Williams

Editor Jane Waterston Production

Crosstalk is published 10 times a year (September to June) and mailed as a section of the Anglican Journal. It is printed and mailed by Webnews Printing Inc., North York.

Crosstalk is a member of the Canadian Church Press and the Anglican Editors Association.

Subscriptions

For new or changed subscriptions, please contact your parish administrator or visit: www.anglicanjournal.com

Suggested annual donation: $25

Advertising

Crosstalk welcomes advertising from parishes, agencies and enterprises wanting to support our mission and reach our readers. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Diocese of Ottawa or any of its principals, and Crosstalk reserves the right to decline advertisements.

Advertising enquiries should be directed to: crosstalk.ads@gmail.com

Submit a story or letter

Editorial enquiries and letters to the editor should be directed to: crosstalk@ottawa.anglican.ca

Leigh Anne Williams, Crosstalk 71 Bronson Ave. Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6G6 613 232-7124

Next deadline

April 24, 2023 for the June 2023 edition

Crosstalk acknowledges that we publish on traditional Anishinàbeg Algonquin territory. We recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries.

10th Governor-General, Arthur, Duke of Connaught, who was the son of Queen Victoria and uncle of King Edward and King George. He commissioned the window in memory of 10 members of the viceregal staff who were killed in World War I.

The window was unveiled in 1919, so in 2019, the parish was thinking about how to mark its 100th anniversary and raise funds for its restoration. The glass itself had held up very well, but Clunie explained that the leading and support structure needed repair.

Parishioner Meriel Beament Bradford had proposed the idea of having a fundraiser at the War Museum with art historian and stained-glass expert Shirley Ann Brown, and historians Charlotte Gray (who happens to be a parishioner) and Dr. Tim Cook as speakers. But when the pandemic hit, such a gathering was out of the question.

As the pandemic dragged on into its second year, Clunie had the idea of making a video featuring the same experts they had intended to invite to the War Museum event. After all his video work for church services, he felt pretty sure he could do it.

The project brought many creative contributions together.

Clunie credits the research of Brown, professor emerita of Art History and Cultural Expression at York University in Toronto, for helping him understand and appreciate the complex imagery and allusions in the window better. After becoming rector at St. Bart’s, he read a 1994 article Brown wrote about the window in the Irish Arts Review magazine. In the documentary, she offers insight into Geddes’ style, which departed from what was popular in stained-glass at the time and drew more from medieval traditions, and into her allusions to Arthurian legends as well as Biblical figures.

“Before me, there’s almost no rector of St. Barts that liked that window,” Clunie said. “They all thought it was too militaristic, didn’t have a place in a church. There’s an argument there,” he concedes, but he sees it in a different light. “It’s actually a great piece of art, but art with a purpose, I think.” One of Clunie’s favourite aspects is a small detail of Christ on the cross, that is hidden in plain sight in the centre of the whole window.

The images of the window in the documentary are still photos from Ottawa photographer Brian Glenn and Clunie, who sometimes had to stand on the altar to get close photos of details from the window. “I can’t tell you the number of hours that took, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours, but for me it was kind of like a meditation,” he said. “And the irony is you can see more of the stained-glass window in the video, than you can if you’re standing right in front of it.”

The documentary also delves into the history of the church and its connections to the GovernorGeneral at the time. Author and historian Charlotte Gray narrates and brings the stories of the Duke of Connaught and his family, including his daughter Princess Patricia, and the decision to commission the window to life.

Historian Tim Cook provided important context to help viewers understand the profound impact the loss of 66,000 Canadians in World War I had on the country.

The documentary illuminates the life and work of the artist Wilhelmina Geddes, drawing heavily on a 2013 book about her written by Nicola Gordon Bowe.

Composer and musician Tim Piper composed and recorded an original score for the whole documentary. “There’s so many times when you’re not even aware of the music, and yet the music is emotionally connected to it,” said Clunie. “I would send him 10 minutes of the video… then he would write music down to the second that its going to actually appear.”

These contributions, along with many others, add up to a rich documentary that takes its viewers into Canadian history and the creative mind of a ground-breaking female artist. “

In the Company of Angels” can be viewed any time from the St. Bart’s website (https://www.stbartsottawa. ca/ ) and it is also posted on YouTube for anyone who wants to see the art on a big screen. The YouTube address is https://www.stbartsottawa.ca/videoCompany-of-Angels.html

Our Anglican Community Ministries are:

• Belong Ottawa (Centre 454, St. Luke's Table, The Well)

• Centre 105 (in Cornwall, Ontario)

• Cornerstone Housing for Women

• Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre

• Refugee Ministry Office