St Stephen's Church, Bournemouth

St Stephen's Church, Bournemouth
50.7232°N 1.8807°W / 50.7232; -1.8807
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Website	Official website of St Stephen's
History
Dedication	Saint Stephen
Administration
Parish	St Peter with St Stephen
Deanery	Bournemouth
Archdeaconry	Bournemouth
Diocese	Winchester
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Rev. Robin C N Harger
Laity
Organist(s)	Ian F Harrison

St Stephen's Church is an Anglican church in Bournemouth, Dorset (formerly in Hampshire). The liturgical life of the Church is deeply rooted in a rich Anglo-Catholic tradition; the Church boasting a magnificent Lady Chapel, celebrating Marian masses, benediction and recitation of the Rosary for The Society of Mary. Devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham is also encouraged.

Background

Designed by architect John Loughborough Pearson the church was built in stages between 1881 and 1898, as a memorial to Alexander Morden Bennett, first vicar of St Peter's Church, Bournemouth. A spire was never added to the tower.

Legend has it that Pearson's aim when he designed St. Stephen's church was to create a building "which brought people to their knees." With the great artistry and painstaking attention to detail that went into St. Stephen's construction, people believe Pearson was able to achieve just that.

Vicars

• 1881 - 1911 Fr Alexander Sykes Bennett
• 1911 - 1928 Fr George Philip Trevelyan
• 1928 - 1944 Fr Philip Harold Rogers
• 1944 - 1952 Fr Geoffrey Heald
• 1952 - 1958 Fr Francis John Michael Dean
• 1958 - 1962 Fr Charles Edward Burnett Neate
• 1962 - 1970 Fr George Percy Wilkins
• 1970 - 1973 Fr Anthony Douglas Caesar
• 1974 - 1983 Fr John David Corbett
• 1983 - 1987 Fr John Catlin
• 1987 - 1994 Fr Paul Hastrop
• 1994 - Fr Robin Harger

Music

Aside from its architectural design, St. Stephen's church is also famous for its superb music and songs, as performed by the church's large choir. Each summer, the choir renders a classical series of music by Mozart, Haydn and Schubert.

The church has an organ by William Hill dating from 1898. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. There is also a small 5 stop chamber organ dating from 1870. The specification of the chamber organ can also be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

List of organists

• 1881 - 1893 T.J.Baker
• 1894 - 1930 Henry Holloway, D.Mus. FRCO
• 1930 - 1935 Percy Whitlock
• 1936 - 1966 Cyril Knight, FRCO,FLCM
• 1967 - 1975 Spencer Fackerell
• 1976 Roger Hill
• 1976 - 1982 Cyril Knight
• 1982 - 1988 Ian Harrison, BA, FRCO, FTCL
• 1988 - 1994 Anthony Wood, ARCO
• 1994 - Ian Harrison