Lincoln Cathedral boasts over 900 years of choral music tradition, and currently hosts a globally known chorus of 20 boys, 20 girls, and 12 adults ("Lincoln Cathedral"). The vocal arrangement is accompanied by the powerful sound of the Father Willis organ, first built in 1898 and restored twice in the last century without altering the pipework ("Lincoln Cathedral").
Music and architecture in all periods respect the ideals of harmony and proportion to evoke beauty (Brewster). Without proportion, there can be no harmony (Brewster). Gothic period architecture is marked by attention to proportion (von Simpson). Divisions of squares and equilateral triangles lead to many of the relative proportions in Gothic architecture (von Simpson). These geometries are further accentuated by decorative elements, which often appear to be structural but in reality are not, such as the ribs of the vaults found in many Gothic cathedrals and certainly in the Lincoln Cathedral (von Simpson, Draper).
The many chords used in both the organ and the choral music demonstrate an understanding of harmony and proportion.
The incorporation of music into the history of Gothic cathedral architecture is as ubiquitous as the incorporation of music into Christian worship. Cathedrals are considered to be places of particular sacred significance, where divine presence is particularly perceived (Scott). Gothic cathedrals are designed to mirror Heaven to evoke a feeling of closeness with the divine (Scott). Music and liturgy are used as a means to communicate with the divine and perceive a tangible representation of the intangible sacred (Scott).
Despite its unconventional vaults, St. Hugh's Choir still obeys the proportions determined by the crossing of the transept and nave.
In this way, a cathedral is a representation of Heaven used to house the divine and create a platform for communication with the divine through music. Author Robert Scott makes the claim that “A cathedral…exists for the performance of liturgy,” (Scott). This reflects the nature of cathedrals as places for communicating with and venerating the holy through music.
"A cathedral... exists for the performance of liturgy"
- William Mahrt (via Robert Scott)
There is no lack of analogy between architecture and music in all their forms, but the harmonious nature of choral hymns and the attention to proportion in Gothic cathedrals exemplify this connection.
The voices of the choristers harmonize and resonate in the stone vaults of the cathedral.
It may have only been a secondary consideration, if it was considered at all at the time, but the unique vaults of St. Hugh's Choir are an exceptional reflection of the style of music performed in the cathedral. The proportions are harmonious, just as the proportions must be harmonious between parts of a choral hymn. The interlacing ribs of adjacent vaults mimic the legato, flowing notes of the music performed under them. I would propose that the asymmetrical stone vaults diffuse sound without obstructing it. Although no major studies have been done on the aural effect of St. Hugh's Choir's vaults, it is clear from listening to the organ recordings that the ceiling does not reverberate sound to the same degree as some vaults, such as that of Hagia Sophia. Rather, the vaults of St. Hugh's Choir gently echo the sounds of the choir and organ.