The Beirut Hostage Windows
Jan. 1993 Two windows commemorating the Captivity and Freedom of the British Hostages in BeirutBroxted Parish Church, Essex.
Dim: 2 @ 2000mm x 300mm plus Tracery, 2 @ 2400mm x 45mm plus tracery.
The imagery used in these windows comes from; newspaper reports, discussions with the church committee in Broxted and two interviews with John McCarthy and Jill Morrell.
When I was first contacted about this commission, I considered only the plight of the hostages
but following my first interview with John McCarthy and Jill Morrell,
I realized that this would be wrong. The friends and the families of all the hostages were,
in many ways, also in captivity.
The Captivity Window therefore uses the double lancet to emphasize this using symbolism related
to events in Beirut and in Britain.
The Window of Captivity
I wanted to achieve the sense of confinement within this window. As I worked on the drawings the images moved towards a semi-cubist solution and I also realized that this window should remain mostly black and white with only a few points of very specific, symbolically relevant colour emphasizing the monotony and deprivation of captivity.
The symbolism of the Captivity Window from the LH base shows:
Candles being lit in churches throughout the country and indeed the world.
Hands clasped in prayer. It seemed more appropriate in this window to make the hands clasped
contrasting with the more conventional representation of praying hands seen in the Freedom Window.
This also acts as a foil to the bound hands in the Captivity Window.
Yellow ribbons tied around branches.
Cherry leaves and blossom, relating to the bowl of cherries in the right hand window.
Black balloons and doves being released as symbols of freedom.
The RH window shows various aspects of the captivity including hands bound together
symbolizing the binding of he entire body as the captives were transported from one prison
to another.Endless games of dominoes and a few cigarettes which were one of the meagre pleasures.
A bowl of cherries which were allowed to lie un-eaten on a table for several days because they were so beautiful and perfect.
The light bulb which seemed to light at random day and night.
A clenched fist and a placatory hand referring to the more aggressive reactions of Brian Keenan
with the more placatory nature of McCarthy.
The dove framed within the window relates to a day when John McCarthy and Brian Keenan
were in a basement and unusually the window was not covered. A bird almost smashed into
the glass, .."it was like a dove."
In Christian symbolism the Holy Spirit is said to descend "like a dove". It was also
a beautiful symbol because the Friends of John McCarthy had released doves from the top of Blackpool Tower.
In the tracery is a new moon and a full moon which represents the passing of time.
Above the symbol of the Holy Spirit.
There is a border of omnipresent chains around these sections.
The Window of Freedom
In stark contrast, the Freedom Window is a blaze of colour although it begins at the top of the left hand panel
with a deliberately monochrome undertone and the continuation of the border of chains. This was to underline that although the hostages were free they were not
yet completely free in their minds and in their dreams.
Beginning at the top of the Left Hand window:
The immediate blaze of the light of fame as soon as any of the hostages were
released and descended the steps of the aircraft.
The dove of peace represents the released McCarthy with the letter for the United Nations.
Chessmen on a board as they felt like pawns in a political game.
Below is a flash of light representing the huge wave of media attention which surrounded
their release and which followed them for many months afterwards.
In the centre are praying hands, in this window, the more traditional gesture for hands in prayer.
The champagne celebration which occurred in the this church and also for the award of the Doctorate
and the C.B.E.
Beneath is the symbol of the shaking of hands in congratulation and friendship.
A few elements from "normal domestic life" and also a hand writing,
symbolizing both the replies to all the people who wrote supporting the Friends but also the
writing of the book on the ordeal.
The border of chains is now breaking down becoming leaves and fish, integrating with the surroundings
symbolizing the gradual recovery from the ordeal.
The Right hand lancet is basically a creation window with elements taken from the six days
of creation. This is to signify the appreciation which the hostages felt for all of Gods creation after their release.
Other symbols contained in this panel are; hot air balloons which refer back to the black balloons in the captivity
window. John told me about the wonderful sense of freedom which he felt in a hot air balloon after his release. In contrast to this
at the base of this window there is a reminder, in some way, of the time of captivity, the fear of being "sucked into the
vortex" which John experienced when being transported around Beirut. This symbol also appears at the base of the right hand Captivity window.
Other symbols included here are the palm branch as a symbol of resurrection, the violets as a symbol of humility, roses and clasped hands
as symbols of love.
In the tracery is the phoenix, another symbol of resurrection.
It was a great privilege for me to meet with John and Jill so soon after the release. I had two interviews with
them at a time when they were not giving interviews. The interviews were very warm and open and relaxed.
It came as a real surprise and gave me great pleasure to read the last chapter in their book 'Some Other Rainbow'
that they had included our meetings and saw the dedication of the windows as marking the end of being a Hostage.
Below is an extract from the Book.
Some Other Rainbow
John McCarthy and Jill Morrell
Transworld Publishers Ltd
LONDON
Broxted, 30 January 1993.
On the last Saturday of January 1993 Jill and I went to Cornish Hall End, picking up Brian Keenan
from Stansted Airport on the way. The following day, we three, together with my father and Terence, went over to
Broxted Church for a service to dedicate two new stained-glass windows. Terry and Frances Waite were there, too,
and Lord Runcie had recorded an address. Sadly he was unable to attend in person.
The windows represented Captivity and Freedom and had been designed by John Clark. Before starting work on them,
he had interviewed Jill and me as part of his research for the project. Our two meetings with him had been refreshing.
He was never morbidly curious or intrusive, wanting only to understand our experiences and to use them to create arresting
and powerful images, images which would convey something of what had happened to us - and to others - to
everyone who saw them.
During the service I realized how far we had all come in the year or so since our release. Brian and Terry had lost the haunted look which I had known, and shared in captivity and immediately after coming home. They were relaxed and happy to be there. Their obvious peace of mind echoed mine and that which I saw in the faces of family and friends around us.
The dedication of the windows which had no names or dates upon them, finally put the hostage years behind us. The Window of Captivity with its muted tones, was appropriately set in a side wall of the church and was not immediately obvious. In brilliant contrast, the Window of Freedom was a blaze of colour shining down from the west wall.