Lichfield Cathedral's illumination event to start next week

Lichfield Cathedral's annual illumination show will pay homage to Notre-Dame when it opens on Monday.

Elements of the Paris cathedral's rose windows have been incorporated into The Cathedral Illuminated 2019: The Beginning - the latest project by Lichfield Cathedral’s artistic director Peter Walker.

A fire hit the famous Paris cathedral in April and a gothic spire and the roof collapsed, but many of its treasures were saved including its two bell towers and three rose windows.

Visitors to the cathedral will see a light and sound show on the Cathedral Street facade, an illumination on the West Front of the cathedral and a further light and sound show in the cathedral's nave.

Visitors will also see an art installation called In the Image and Likeness: A Constellation of Images by Mr Walker and 55 trees decorated as part of the Christmas Tree Festival.

The central piece of the new Lichfield artwork will be projected throughout the nave covering the floor, walls and ceilings, and will be composed of images from Notre-Dame’s stained glass and will include a new piece of music by composer David Harper.

It is the fifth year Lichfield Cathedral has created The Cathedral Illuminated for Christmas and the show has won Best Event in Staffordshire for three years running.

The Cathedral has also invited Notre-Dame to submit photos of those who helped save the iconic French building, and so become part of the biggest public art participation project Lichfield Cathedral has ever undertaken.

It has attracted over 40,000 self-portraits so far from across the county.

Artist Peter Walker said: “We are proud to stand alongside our sister Cathedral of Notre-Dame at this time and hope our visitors see how, by using the images from their windows in this stunning new light and sound projection, their story becomes ours, and ours theirs.”

The Dean of Lichfield, the Very Revd Adrian Dorber, sent a message of condolence to France in the wake of the Notre-Dame fire and Notre-Dame has agreed to send chaplain Canon Jérôme Bascoul to be his special guest when The Cathedral Illuminated 2019 opens on Monday.

Cathedral Illuminated 2019: The Beginning will run until December 21 from 5.30pm to 9pm. Tickets are available on the Lichfield Cathedral website lichfield-cathedral.org