Illumination and light art at St Mary's church

3rd October 2022

The Holy Island children visited St. Mary's Church on the island on Monday to see a very special Illumination of sound and light to celebrate the Lindisfarne Gospels. This was part of the Art of Words festival taking place on the island alongside the arrival of the Lindisfarne Gospels at the Laing Gallery in Newcastle. 

 At the front of the church, a series of words, music and images was projected onto a specially designed rack which held a piece of vellum. The lights and sounds illuminated the walls and ceiling of the church and made for an interesting and absorbing experience. Explanations of some of the pages of the Gospels and how the ancient inks were made were spoken in Anglo Saxon and then translated to English. 

 We spoke to Karen from the Projection Studio and she answered the girls' questions. Did you know that the only place in the United Kingdom that vellum is still used is at the Houses of Parliament where laws are written? Karen will be sending a copy of the film to us so we can share it with everyone at Lowick.