History of St Mary's Church

A brief history of the building …

The Saxon church of St Laurence, in the west of the parish of Upton-cum-Chalvey, was once the main parish church of the former village of Upton. By 1830 it had fallen into such disrepair that, seven years later, a new church had to be built on the site of the present day St Mary’s. Set in four acres of land on the edge of the ancient village of Upton, between Church Street and Windsor Road, (build to link the neighbouring Eton and Windsor with the Great Western Railway), the church was to be a monument to Slough’s growing status as a flourishing industrial town.

In 1874, the unremarkable Georgian Church was replaced with a neo-Gothic building. Planned by John Oldrid Scott, a son of Sir Gilbert Scott, the construction of St Mary’s preoccupied the architect from 1875 until the completion of the church spire in 1913. In 1878 an enlarged building, consisting of the Georgian nave and a new gothic sanctuary, chancel and transepts, was dedicated. In the meantime, funds were raised to complete Scott’s plans. BY 1912, it was possible to demolish the Georgian nave in order to replace it with a neo-gothic nave. A benefaction from Slough businessman James Elliman made it possible to complete the tower and spire by 1913.

The Corpus figure in the churchyard

In July 2022 we submitted the necessary papers to the Diocese for the faculty to allow the sculptor to start work to replace the Corpus figure which was vandalised and removed several years before.

The cross and figure were installed after the First World War by the Guild of Servers to commemorate their members who died in that conflict and has been a focal point in the town since then. It is widely used by many of all faiths and is regularly surrounded by flowers and candles.

The new Corpus Christi was consecrated on 21 May 2023. See the Gallery page for photos and information on the sculptor.

Unique stained glass …

Within the building, there are numerous examples of fine stained glass, an outstanding piece of which is the Church’s West Window (1915). Commissioned by Mary Ellen Elliman, sister of the church’s benefactor James Elliman, it was created by the Jewish artist Alfred Wolmark (1877-1961). Groundbreaking and daring for its time, it inspired John Piper’s design for the windows of Coventry Cathedral. Elliman wished to commission a piece of art in an entirely new and unparalleled style. Woolmark, an exiled Warsaw Jew, had become renowned for his new approach to colour. His artistic breakthrough was in 1911 when, at a post-impressionist exhibition in London, his own work was exhibited with that of Vincent van Gogh. His rejection of form and acceptance of intense, raw colour appealed to Sir Joseph Duveen, who had been approached by Elliman. It took Wolmark two years to complete the window. Wolmark’s window channels the daylight intriguingly; in the morning amass with reds, purples and blues, as the sun is setting, yellow and orange panels are highlighted and bring to life a sea of greens.

The windows in the Sanctuary were designed by Charles Earner Kempe. The fine east window dates back to 1889 and depicts Christ in glory with the twelve apostles. Each panel has a traditional medieval canopy, and each apostle is shown with two guardian angels with Kempe’s distinctive peacock feathered wings. On either side of the sanctuary are two tall lancet windows. The four evangelists on the north are mirrored by four prophets to the south: Isiah, Jertemiah, Micah and Hosea. At the east end of the north aisle the window depisctin Saint Frideswide (Patron of the Diocese of Oxford) is the last window produced in the Kempe studios. The glass in the aisles was designed by Nuttgens, Pawle, Smith and the studios of Shrigley & Hunt.

New William Herschel music – 2022

It’s the bicentenary year this year for William Herschel’s death, and alongside his incredible work as an internationally celebrated astronomer (he discovered Uranus amongst other achievements), he was a composer.
The Dionysus Ensemble are incredibly excited to have been given permission to record some of his previously unknown works, creating the first ever recordings of them – at St Mary’s!
These two trio sonatas were transcribed from William Herschel’s manuscript & made into printed parts specifically for The Dionysus Ensemble to record, they haven’t been played since before his death 200 years ago so no one in living memory has heard this music!

Local Slough based The Dionysus Ensemble had a fascinating time going back to the handwritten manuscript during the recording sessions to confirm details and check original features, and are thrilled to be able to share these two previously unexplored and unrecorded works.

William Herschel lived, married and is buried in Slough, and as a Slough based Ensemble making the recording in Slough, The Dionysus Ensemble are honoured to be able to bring this music to life again.

Here’s the music: Online choices I hope that you enjoy it!

The Dionysus Ensemble
www.thedionysusensemble.com

 

St Mary’s starring in Minder

Minder Season 10 Episode 5   The Immaculate Contraption.   

St Mary’s starring in Minder  at about 35 minutes into the YouTube Arthur Daly enters from the door near the kitchen.

Platinum Jubilee 2022

Headline news on the Oxford Diocese website June 2022