Southwark Cathedral

by LOSSY X SALMON YOUTH CENTRE

ARTIST: LOSSY X SALMON YOUTH CENTRE
TRACK: SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL
LOCATION: SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL

Listen HERE

Until it gained Cathedral status in 1905, Southwark Cathedral was simply the Parish Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie [‘over the water’], but the history of the site goes back a lot further than that. In fact it’s been the a scene of Christian worship for over 1000 years, and from 1106 until 1538 was part of an Augustinian priory.

The present building retains the basic form of the Gothic structures that were built between 1220-1420, although the nave was rebuilt [twice] in 19th century as the church had fallen into disrepair.

A railway viaduct connecting London Bridge to stations north of the river passes just 18 metres from the southeast corner of the cathedral, and blocks the view from the south side. This was a compromise when the railway was extended in 1852; the alternative being to demolish the building completely to enable a more direct passage for the line. The Cathedral was again threatened soon after this by heavy bombardment during World War II, and shrapnel damage is still visible on the exterior walls of the building.

BIOGRAPHY

Lossy, aka Sam Sharp, is a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Hackney. Having grown up playing saxophone, he studied classical music at Leeds, then gained a Masters degree in jazz from the Guildhall School, London, in the mid-2000s. Since this time, he has immersed himself in electronic music, building up a formidable arsenal of instruments and equipment. For this track Lossy worked with talented young people from Bermondsey’s Salmon Youth Centre.
Southwark Cathedral