St Aidan's Church, Hartlepool
‘I am this Dark World’s Light’ – North Nave Aisle
(1.2m x 1.4m) 2016
The inspiration for this design comes from the words of the hymn ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say’ by Horatius Bonar, a favourite of the dedicatees’ family.
The text illustrated in the design, ‘I am this dark world’s light’, is taken from the third verse. The following lines, ‘I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my star, my sun; and in that light of life I’ll walk till travelling days are done’, with their reference to the end of life, are particularly poignant for this memorial window. The star and sun feature to the left and right of the text; the ‘light of life’ offers a wider view of the world and all its creation, which is developed through the rest of the design.
Strong lines, intense colours and representational imagery are deliberately used to harmonise with the existing windows in St Aidan’s Church, whilst the fresh and modern approach creates a joyous celebration of life and the world. The predominance of blue is appropriate for the position of the window in the Lady Chapel, and the Celtic style of the lettering is inspired by St Aidan’s Irish origins. The deeper colours and position of the word ‘dark’ to the left of the design and bright areas and word ‘light’ to the right reflect the text of the hymn and the rising of the sun in the East (to the right of this north-facing window).
Creation is represented by the five ancient elements, shown in layers radiating from the bottom right corner of the window. At the centre is molten magma representing fire and the core of the created planet on which we live; spiritually showing the passion of faith, the flame of the Holy Spirit. The earth, air and water radiate out towards the ethereal heavens, with the light of faith and the sun shining brightly.
The various layers are illustrated by details which celebrate the rich heritage of the Hartlepool area and reflect the dedicatees’ love of gardens, flowers and birds. Thus the land is a field of wild flowers, like those planted recently on motorway borders around Hartlepool (poppies, fairy toadflax and cornflowers) and the sands are decorated with crabs and shells. A curlew (characteristic of Cleveland’s prized National Nature Reserve) flies over the land, while a gannet (found along the Hartlepool shore) perches on the rock face. The water reflects the tradition of fishing in Hartlepool, with coalfish, cod, whiting and mackerel, and a fishing boat silhouetted on the horizon. The detailing of the star to the left hints at a compass, navigating the boat to the safe shore of Hartlepool. Flying into the window from the lower left is a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit; bringer of peace and confirmation of God’s love for all humanity.
In the left-hand border, moving upwards from the inscription and towards the light of the sun, are musical notes representing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ setting of the hymn and celebrating the dedicatees’ love of music.
Lettering by Phil Thomas.