1697

The quire opened for worship on 2 December 1697, whilst building work continued around it. 

One onlooker commented: "I went to Paules to see the Choire now finished... The pulling out of the Formes [benches], like drawers from under the stalles, is very ingenious."

The first service was a thanksgiving for peace, following the end of a war between England and France. Bishop Henry Compton's sermon included the apt words: "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the House of the Lord."

Pictures of this and later services show the congregation sitting high up in the Quire stalls. They faced the pulpit, which was on wheels so that it could be moved to suit different services and sizes of congregation.

Wren gathered leading artists and craftsmen to work on the building. He also took an active role, hiring and supervising workers, scrutinising accounts and visiting the site weekly Even so, some felt that progress was too slow. In 1697 the commissioning committee put pressure on wren by persuading Parliament to withhold half his salary until the building was finished.